Action Point review: A moronic action comedy starring Johnny Knoxville

‘Action Point’ may not be much of a movie but Knoxville’s flair for violent slapstick ensures that its tempo, at least, never flags

Variations on a theme: 'Jackass' prankster Johnny Knoxville as DC in 'Action Point' (Paramount Pictures/YouTube)

Dir Tim Kirby, 85 mins, starring: Johnny Knoxville, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Johnny Pemberton, Susan Yeagley, Eleanor Worthington-Cox, Chris Pontius

This moronic action comedy stars Jackass prankster Johnny Knoxville as DC, an elderly grandfather babysitting his granddaughter and waxing nostalgic about a time in the late 1970s when he used to own, and run, the country’s dirtiest, worst designed and most dangerous adventure theme park.

Action Point, set on scrubby wasteland, had a petting zoo full of porcupines and crocodiles. Its rides were either lethal or falling apart. “There weren’t so many rules,” DC reminisces fondly of the time when he ran the theme park as a reckless free for all. His lifeguards faced away from the water. Security was provided by a local psychopath. Health and safety measures were non-existent.

Action Point doesn’t bother with much in the way of a plot. A rival theme park has opened nearby and the local fixer wants to put DC out of business. His long-suffering daughter is desperate to see The Clash in concert. DC will resort to any measures he can to keep his park open, whether organising his own protests against it (to whip up media interest) or staging a gonzo advertising campaign, hijacking airtime on the local TV stations.

An alcoholic bear also puts in an appearance. The main point of the film isn’t the story. It’s the stunts and the pratfalls. If there is a banana skin, someone will always slip on it. If there is a rake, someone will stand on it. The anarchic spirit is in the vein of old silent comedies. Characters get shot out of cannons or shoot down helter-skelters that are so badly constructed that a painful, bone-breaking landing is guaranteed.

In his shameless hustling and general mendacity, DC’s approach to business is roughly akin to that of Donald Trump. He’s a cheerier, more likeable type than the current US president. Action Point may not be much of a movie but Knoxville’s flair for violent slapstick ensures that its tempo, at least, never flags.

'Action Point' hits UK cinemas 31 August