Why did 'jackass 3d' top the box office?

From flying through the sky to having alligators bite their nipples, the _Jackass_ boys have pulled off quite a few stunts in the decade since their MTV show premiered. But last weekend,

Johnny Knoxville and crew pulled off their biggest shocker yet: Shattering expectations with a $50-million opening weekend for their latest movie, _Jackass 3D_, the biggest October opening

in Hollywood history. How did the "MTV-generated slapstick spectacle" do it? (Watch the _Jackass 3D_ trailer) IT CLEVERLY EXPLOITED 3D TECHNOLOGY: _Jackass_ is a "perfect fit

for 3D," says Brandon Gray at _Box Office Mojo_. While other recent 3D flicks have made subtle use of the technology, _Jackass 3D_ delivered big thrills, "outrageous things flying

out of the screen... and a more immersive view of the stunts." That's a "lot of 3D bang for the buck," and a lot of bucks at the box office, when you account for the

higher ticket price of 3D showings (which accounted for nearly 90 percent of the film's opening weekend business). "Weekend report: _Jackass_ crashes into fall record"

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From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter,

get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. IT HAS THE ALLURE OF NOSTALGIA: Believe it or not, people feel a certain "pop-culture nostalgia" for the MTV show, which

debuted in 2000, says Steven Zeitchik in the _Los Angeles Times_. A 25-year-old who saw the movie this weekend would have been a high school sophomore when "Jackass" premiered. For

such a viewer, the prospect of seeing the gang back together on the big screen was "difficult to resist." "Why was _Jackass 3D_ so insanely successful?" THE MARKETING

DEPARTMENT DIDN'T OVERDO IT: "Audiences were fully aware of the film’s existence without being beaten over the head by its marketing," say Katey Rich and Eric Eisenberg at

_Cinema Blend_. The studio put out only one trailer and just a handful of photos and clips, so "there was some actual mystery surrounding what the boys would be getting themselves into

the third time around. In the internet age, that’s nearly impossible to come by." "5 reasons _Jackass 3D_ was a surprise box office smash" A free daily email with the biggest

news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com OH, C'MON, IT WAS HEAVILY PROMOTED: Even if the marketing department didn't reveal everything, it promoted the film

relentlessly, says Nikki Finke at _Deadline Hollywood_. Don't forget the 10-minutes of footage that premiered at Comic-Con, the tie-in with the "Jersey Shore" cast, and the

extensive product licensing, including clothing, skateboards, sunglasses, Converse shoes, and even a book, "as if _Jackass_ fans read." "BOX OFFICE GROSS: _Jackass 3D_ no joke

with $50M weekend..." THE FILM IS GENUINELY FUNNY AND ENTERTAINING: "The _Jackass_es have elevated the act of groin-punching to high art," says Basem Boshra in _The Vancouver

Sun_. They "deliver physical comedy boiled down to its essence, filtered through the DIY aesthetic of old skateboarding films and 'America's Funniest Home Videos.'"

Finally, even critics and cultural commentators are recognizing that Johnny Knoxville is a "genius" worthy of screenings at the Museum of Modern Art and comparisons to Buster

Keaton. "The genius of _Jackass 3D_"