Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.

As always, Capone’s been busy, and he’s sent us reviews of totally different types of films here, which of course means that I have to run them together for the sheer incongruity of it. Check these out:

Jackass Number Two

Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here, doing a little reminiscing and hopping on the lovefest for Jackass: Number 2. It's hard to believe that the first Jackass movie came out nearly four years ago. I've seen probably close to 2,000 films since I witnessed that inspired bit of buffoonery, and none of them has lessened my appreciation of what a blast it is to watch guys do stupid shit and hurt themselves. The thing that has changed since the release of the first film is that ringleader Johnny Knoxville has become something of a legitimate actor, some would say a leading man, but I've never really found him as funny as I do in the Jackass films. Armed with oversized sunglasses and a shit-eating grin, Knoxville runs the circus not by barking out orders but by taking the lead and setting the example for stunts and pranks. There's very little he would ask someone else to do that he wouldn't do himself. In a way, it's refreshing to see that Hollywood hasn't tamed him.

I looked at my four-year-old review of Jackass, just to see if my thoughts had changed on the franchise. They haven't. Here's what I wrote:

"There’s not much to say about the big-screen version of MTV’s wildly successful television stunk-prank-grossout reality show “Jackass.” You are either whole-heartedly entertained by this sort of thing, or you aren’t. I’ve never seen an entire episode of the T.V. show [still true, by the way], but just from the few clips I’ve seen I knew I wanted to see this film. And I can’t remember a time when I laughed this hard or came so close to throwing up in a movie theatre. Every practical joke is funny; every stunt looks painful; every scene of ingesting some unspeakable substance is gag inducing; and there wasn’t a second of this film that didn’t have me in stitches. There is no story here, nor is there a middle ground. You get scene after scene of stuff you are either going to love or hate, and my guess is you already know into which category you fall. It's pointless to dismiss this film on moral grounds. Just sit down, get comfy, and brace yourself for fits of laughter. Not all the humor is grotesque, by the way. Give it a shot, and don’t say you didn’t like it just because you had to turn your head away a couple of times. That means it's good."

Yup, that's pretty much exactly how I feel about the second film. The stunts may be a little more elaborate and dangerous. Different members of the gang seem more willing than others to take the pain. There are a few more celebrity guest stars (Luke Wilson, Three Six Mafia, John Waters, Rip Taylor, and Broken Lizard's Jay Chandraekhar) alongside some of the regularly appearing guests, like Spike Jonze (one of the series creators and producers) and Tony Hawk.

I don't want to give away any of the individual bits (the trailer already gives away too much), but you can rest assured, there are ample amounts of excrement, insertion, rocket propelled vehicles, blood, and legendary pranks to keep you fully entertained. Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, and the rest of the crew should keep making these until they are literally too old to take a shot to the nuts…or until one of them dies. Jackass has gone from dirty little guilty pleasure to the most ridiculously entertaining form of art in history. Bless you, fellas. May your bruises also shine bright.

Confetti

Capone in Chicago here with a film that been open for a little while in some markets already and goes wider this weekend. Welcome to the greatest Christopher Guest film that Guest didn’t actually direct. Confetti takes the soon-to-be-overused form of a mock documentary, but with charming and sometimes hilarious results thanks to a strong cast of largely British comic actors working in a goofy premise that would make Lord Guest quite proud. Confetti is the name of a fashion magazine focusing on glamorous weddings. The editors hold a contest in which couples pitch ideas for the most outrageous fantasy wedding, and the top three finalists all stage their weddings with the magazines money and the assistance of a pair of the gayest wedding planners in the gay Western world.

One couple decides on a tennis-themed event, another wants a "naturalist" (a.k.a. nudist) wedding, and the third couple has chosen Hollywood musicals as their theme. Directed and written (although clearly improv plays a huge part in this work) by Debbie Isitt, Confetti not only bounces from couple to couple as they plan these ridiculously lavish ceremonies over a three-month period, but we get to know the planners and the magazine's staff quite well as their watch their creations spin out of control, threatening not only the contest but also the stability of these once happy couples.

The nudist storyline is the least interesting but the constant nudity of the couple will make you laugh. Seeing a naked man on a bike with his goods dangling from the front of the bike seat is funny; you can't deny it. The magazine tries to tell them that there can't be any actual nudity during the ceremony because then the photos from the event can't be used in their publication. I think you can guess how that turns out. The fiercely competitive tennis couple are the film's villains, as the bitch and moan at every turn, although their final ceremony is actually the most inspired.

But clearly the musical couple is meant to be our heroes, and it's no accident that the wonderfully talented Martin Freeman (from the British version of "The Office") and Jessica Stevenson (Shaun of the Dead and the UK series "Spaced") were cast to play them. Her character is beyond tone deaf (When it's pointed out that she and her husband-to-be are singing in different keys, she remarks "Yeah, that's harmonizing."), and he must endure the grating and critical remarks of his future mother- and sister-in-law. Freeman and Stevenson are so likeable that even when the film gets too silly for its own good, you can focus on as a grounding force.

What may surprise people is that this seemingly lightweight material (seemingly cater made for those who watch shows like "Bridezilla" on a regular basis) is given the hard R treatment thanks to the aforementioned full frontal male and female nudity and some colorful language, all of which is wholly appropriate and makes the film that much funnier. As many great comedies are, Confetti is tightly edited, but I'm guessing there will be some fabulous outtakes on the DVD. And even with the gay wedding planner characters, the film manages to avoid being all about camp and actually bothers to draw out some humanity in its darker corners, no more so than with the tennis couple. The bride is horribly insecure about her looks and goes through a last-minute plastic surgery that is startling. While we wait impatiently for Guest's For Your Consideration to come out later this year, Confetti is a solid placeholder, paying tribute to the improvisation tradition with some smart and funny performances and a great concept.

Capone