Respond to these rapid questions in our Action Point quiz and we will tell you which Action Point character you are. Play it now.
For a film about reckless freedom and underground counter-culture communities to be successful, it must be less formulaic than “Action Point.” At one point, a film from the producers of “Jackass” about an independent amusement park with rides on which ticket buyers can actually get hurt would have seemed like an obvious slam-dunk. But things have changed since then. Consider the “Action Point” that would have occurred if “Jackass” and “Jackass 2” had been released at the same time. It would have been extremely dangerous and demanding. Steve-O would almost certainly have been taken to the hospital. Contrary to popular belief, “Action Point” in 2018 feels a little too safe. A tad too much plot is present, and even the stunts that caused Knoxville concussions seem rote. It’s similar to witnessing a former star athlete attempt a comeback in sports. There are glimmers of what once worked, but it’s also a little depressing to see them.
Despite its many flaws, the plot of “Action Point” is so old-fashioned and affable in a “Revenge of the Nerds” kind of way that it’s difficult to dislike the film completely on its own. It’s simply forgettable, especially when we’re asked to care about a story that is as thin as a piece of paper. In “Action Point,” the film’s structure allows Knoxville to don the aged man’s makeup that was so effective in “Bad Grandpa,” as he does while babysitting for his granddaughter one day. The story takes place approximately four decades ago, when grandpa, a man named D.C. Carver, was the owner of the amusement park that serves as the film’s title, which was loosely based on a notoriously dangerous real-life New Jersey water park known as Action Park at the time.
Before telling the story, he introduces the teens who worked at Action Point, and there’s a glimpse of what it might have been like to watch an episode of Adventureland, which captures the importance of summer jobs in shaping who we become more than our high school experiences. The employees of Action Point, on the other hand, are virtually interchangeable. Other than the hatchet-wielding, pill-popping “lifeguard,” played by “Jackass” regular Chris Pontius, who is a scene-stealer in the show and movies and who should never have been given dialogue to read as a character, none of them have a memorable personality. (Every line reading seems to be accompanied by an eyebrow raise that says, “Can You Believe I’m Acting?”
But you shouldn’t waste any more time and start this Action Point quiz.
All that exists in “Action Point” is Carver, his daughter Boogie (Eleanor Worthington-Cox), and the real estate villain trying to shut down Action Point, played by Dan Bakkedahl, who are the only people who actually exist. Of course, Action Point is experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the opening of a new super-park. Carver’s daughter, Boogie, has come to spend the summer with him, but her mother’s boyfriend has applied to become her legal guardian, and the film is focused far more on the relationship between Carver and Boogie than it is on the life-threatening rides at the amusement park in which they are filming. Even the opportunity to wax nostalgic about a more carefree time with fewer helicopter parents, which sounds like something that would be perfect for the “Jackass” brand if you think about it, is squandered on what is essentially a standard father-daughter dramedy. It’s clear that this was originally conceived outside of the “Jackass” brand and was later revised to include insane stunts and action.
Action Point Quiz
About those stunts, which are probably the main reason you’re going: they lack the energy of the MTV show and movies based on them, including the one here that concussed Knoxville so badly that his eye popped out the next time he coughed. But that’s not the only reason you’re going. The problem is that the structure forces the plot to find some way to justify its own stupidity. They realize they need to do something for the younger guests at Action Point, so they set out to gather animals for a petting zoo of their own. It may seem obvious that Knoxville would try to catch a porcupine with his hands or that Pontius would stuff acorns in his shorts to bait a squirrel, but the scenes in the film are devoid of danger and even humor. Something feels a little off about the entire film, including the stunts and the plot, which is largely due to the flat direction and the realisation that we’re going to be returning to a story that’s difficult to care about again. In fact, if you think about it, there’s probably a better version of “Action Point” that is told solely from Boogie’s point of view, that of a young woman coming to terms with the value of risk and the recklessness of youth. Pontius would almost certainly be absent from the mix.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Action Point quiz.
According to legend, the crew behind “Action Point” had to construct the entire set in South Africa, and Knoxville, of course, performed all of the stunts himself. It would probably be more interesting to watch Knoxville and his team design some of these truly life-threatening rides and stunts than it would be to watch the movie that was made as a result of their efforts.
For more personality quizzes check this: Pandas Quiz.
