‘Bad Grandpa’ a new take on family

Cast: Johnny Knoxville and Jackson Nicoll

Writers: Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze and Jeff Tremaine

Director: Jeff Tremaine

The story: Octogenarian Irving Zisman (Knoxville) and his 8-year-old “grandson” Billy (Nicoll) travel the country, pulling pranks big and small on unsuspecting people, in this hidden-camera comedy.

The buzz: The three previous “Jackass” movies, along with Sacha Baron Cohen’s similar “Borat,” combined to take in $597 million worldwide on total estimated budgets of just $55 million. Plus, how do you not laugh at a guy in old-age makeup throwing dollar bills at a boy pretending to be his granddaughter as he gyrates onstage at a children’s beauty pageant?

— CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE