Destroying America

Oh what hell hath Jackass wrought? This 50-minute "feature" is nothing but a nicely photographed but ultimately pointless and jumbled collection of stunts that don't even have the audacity to be public displays of guerrilla mayhem. Loosely held together by a narrative that involves a cop (pudgy CHIPS star Erik Estrada) in pursuit of a pair of miscreants (Heath Kirchart and Jeremy Klein) as they drive their van of destruction across America, pissing off locals and attacking cute Asian schoolgirls and spandex-wearing in-line skaters to a soundtrack that includes White Zombie, Danzig, Rick James and Hanson. The problem with the film is that it's not sure what it wants to be. It's produced by pro-skater Tony Hawk (who makes a couple of cameo appearances) and the Hook Ups skateboard company, and is obviously intended to appeal to the skater market, yet it contains remarkably little skateboarding. And with the appearance of Jackass crew member Bam Margera, you'd think the stunts would have been a little more improvised or even daring. But no such luck. About the only thing the film has going for it is some great cinematography. Using two cameras, the "action" is caught and replayed from a couple of different perspectives. Had there been anything really interesting to watch, it would have made for a great visual presentation. Extras: behind the scenes and premier featurettes; commentary with picture in picture; photo gallery; bonus footage; cast movies. (Redline, www.redlineactionsports.com)