Action Point Movie Review

Action Point (2018)

Buy Action Point on Amazon Video
Written by: John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky (screenplay by), Johnny Knoxville & Derek Freda & John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky & Mike Judge (story by)
Directed by: Tim Kirkby
Starring:  Johnny Knoxville, Eleanor Worthington-Cox, Chris Pontius, Brigette Lundy-Paine
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
The owner of low-rent theme park Action Point ignores the safety regulations and goes all out when a corporate mega-park opens nearby.

Verdict
This is just so bland. They make a crazy ride, someone gets hurt, then they do it again but more dangerous. There's a daughter subplot and this is framed as a retelling but past the premise of a no holds barred unruly park this contains nothing. The subplots add no value. The story about the actual park is much more fascinating.
Skip it.

Review
This drew my interest as I assumed it was based on Action Park, a popular New Jersey park known for poor safety due to unsafe rides and inept staff. The park opened in 1978 before multiple lawsuits shut it down in 1996. I first heard about the park on a podcast, perhaps The Dollup though I'm not sure. This movie is in fact inspired by that park. Watching a video on Youtube about the actual park is much more entertaining than this movie.

For some reason Knoxville likes playing a grandpa. While this version is toned down, he was much more crass in Bad Grandpa (my review). The movie is framed by him telling his granddaughter about the park. I don't know why other than to pad the run time. Knoxville brings his usual brand of stunts, getting injured in various ways as both grandpa and middle aged Johnny.

Long ago he ran a theme park with no rules and dangerous rides. When a competitor emerges he decides to make the rides even crazier. Knoxville gets injured and beat up a few times, people act stupid, and that's the movie. This is an excuse for dumb stunts. The crazy stunts and subversions of the law draw attention and customers, but it can't save the park. The stunts consist of being thrown or falling. I don't enjoy that brand of 'comedy,' so it didn't do anything for me.

There's a subplot with his daughter, but I never cared about it. The rest of the characters aren't developed at all, which is a shame. Then again maybe not. Character development obviously is not a strong point so forcing the writers into it wouldn't yield beneficial results.