
Genres: Com
Starring: Jason Biggs, Tara Reid, Chris Klein, Seann William Scott, Jennifer Coolidge, Eugene Levy, John Cho
Available Quality: DivX, Hi Def
Director(s): Unknown
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Over a decade has passed and the gang return to East Great Falls, Michigan, for the weekend. They will discover how their lives have developed as they gather for their high school reunion. How has life treated Michelle, Jim, Heather, Oz, Kevin, Vicky, Finch, Stifler, and Stiflers mom? In the summer of 1999, it was four boys on a quest to lose their virginity. Now Kara is a cute high school senior looking for the perfect guy to lose her virginity to.
pat-rick-98-684914 (16 May 2013)
Even though i am a fan of American pie series I didn't expect thismovie would be so good.I just said that i have to watch this movie eventhough i may not like it.I have been waiting for this film because iknew that all the actors from American pie 1,2,3 would play.As usualStifler did what he used to.Generally,this movie is great an i hopethere would be more American pie movies not necessarily with theseactors.I almost forgot to say that there were very hot girls in thismovie as usual something that has attracted many teenagers to watchthis movie.But something that i didn't like in this movie or maybe igot surprised when i saw it,was a scene.It isn't very important so idon't have to mention it.
loucasnic (15 May 2013)
I cant say which of the four is the best (American pie,American Pie2,The wedding and Reunion)I believe all of them are equal and each hassomething different to offer. On this one the gang reunites to provethat it still has what it takes to make us laugh and enjoy one hell ofa film. The are older but still with the same level of craziness, itslike they haven't got older not a singe day. This film reminds us moreof the first one rather than the other two and brings a feeling ofnostalgia. It has some nudity but nothing to shocking or offensive.Igave it a solid 10 because at the end of the film i was paining mycheekbones from all the laugh, and in addition brought back some verybeautiful memories of the old time not just the gang but personal andlike i said is not better than the others just different and i did puta solid 10 in all four of them. I hope there is a sequel on the waybecause at the end it kinda leaves you with the feeling that there willbe one but also leaves you craving for one. P.S Note that this is my first review of a movie and the reason, thismovie was awesome.
antoniomagallon90 (14 May 2013)
American Reunion takes place ten years after American Wedding. Jim(Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) have been married for tenyears. They have a two year old kid. Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas)is also married and is an architect. Oz (Chris Klein) is a sportscasterfor ESPN and was a contestant on a dancing reality show (it's anotherversion of Dancing With the Stars). Paul (Eddie Kaye Tomas) is now atraveler and often goes to South America. Stifler (Seann William Scott)works in an office, but stills have attitude problems. Together thesegroups of friends are going to there high school reunion and are goingto have some fun for one weekend, if nothing goes wrong that is. Usually sequels aren't as good as the original due to lack ofpresentation and rarely do they succeed. American Reunion is one ofthose rare sequels that work; in fact it is probably the best one inthe entire series. For those who grew up watching the series, all ofthe old crew is back. Stifler is still the same man as before, whileeverybody else has grown up and that's the good way to introduce thecharacters that we love. My favorite part about the film is that itshows old school vs. new school generation. Why is that? Because we canrelate to that in real life and sometimes, for lack of a better word,it's funny when you think about it. American Reunion is hilarious fromthe beginning to the end. The sex and drugs humor are back. One thingthat is new is how much they try to make it serious than the previousinstallment and strangely enough it works. How unique is that? Forthose who never seen any of the American Pie Series (I don't recommendthe spin-offs series) you may have a hard time trying to understand thecharacters personality and the style of the film. For instance thereare lots of sex jokes, which the series is known for. Most of the fanswill laugh at the jokes but I highly doubt that the newcomers will. SoI were you, I would go and watch the whole series in order tounderstand the structure of the film. Fans of the series will not be disappointed. Newcomers might have somehard time understanding why audiences are laughing at the crude humor.If you want to get some good laughs, you definitely need to check thisfilm out
Hellmant (13 May 2013)
'AMERICAN REUNION': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five) 13 years after the original smash hit Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott,Eddie Kay Thomas and the rest of the gang are back for this reunionsequel. It's the seventh sequel but only the third featuring all of theoriginal cast. This one was written and directed by Jon Hurwitz andHayden Schlossberg; the team that created 'Harold and Kumar' and thesefilms have all featured John Cho (Harold). This one tells the story ofJim, Stifler and the rest of the gang all meeting back up for theirten-year high school reunion. They of course get involved in severalcrude antics. The film is very hit and miss for laughs but if you're afan of the series you'll probably be happy to see the gang all backtogether for the most part.Jim (Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) Levenstein are now marriedwith a kid. Their sex life has died off and both have turned to selfpleasuring. They decide to go back to East Great Falls, Michigan fortheir ten-year reunion and stay with Jim's dad (Eugene Levy, who's theonly one to appear in all eight films), who's now a widower. The tableshave turned and it's now Jim giving his father sex advice andencouraging him to get back out there and meet a woman. Jim's friendsOz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nichols), Finch (Thomas) andStifler (Scott) all have problems of their own as each tries torecapture their youth and find happiness again. For Jim it's all aboutreconnecting with his wife, which becomes especially difficult when theneighbor girl (Ali Cobrin), he used to babysit as a kid, comes on tohim and wants him to take her virginity.The movie is hilarious at times and falls pretty flat at others. Thereare definitely moments when it feels like the filmmakers and cast aretrying just a little too hard but the characters are so likable that itdoesn't matter. If you're a fan of the series they're like a familythat's nice to see again so it doesn't matter if everything they do isthat funny anymore, they're still family. Stifler makes the movie onceagain but all of the characters are nicely developed. It's definitelygot a good nostalgic feel to it and while it may not live up to theoriginal, or even the first two sequels, it's still nice to see thegang all back together again. Like 'SCREAM 4' (a similar reunion film)the film disappointed a little at the American box-office but it didkill overseas (which is a little surprising that 'AMERICAN PIE' is morepopular outside of America). True fans of the original and the seriesshould be delighted despite it's flaws.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhcS7Q-CkYE
Andrew Pelechaty (08 May 2013)
It's been a long time between drinks for the American Pie gang, withthe last proper movie back in 2003 (not counting the handful ofstraight-to-DVD 'American Pie presents' films) and the franchises'brand of gross-out humour being replaced by the crude-yet-sweet comedyof 'The 40-Year-Old- Virgin', 'Superbad', 'Knocked Up', 'Role Models'etc.While a fourth American Pie movie may seem like a cynical grab fornostalgic audiences, it manages to be an entertaining film in its ownright, with a lot of the gross-out humour that made the original filmsso successful.While a lot of the main cast have grown up and moved on: Jim (JasonBiggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) have been married for a decadeand have a young boy, Oz (Chris Klein) has a glamorous lifestyle in LAas a sports presenter and minor celebrity with a hot girlfriend ('30Rock's' Kirsten Bowden), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is a devotedhouse-husband and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is purportedly a mysteriousjet setter. The only one who hasn't grown up is Stifler (Sean WilliamScott) who is struggling to let go of his high school memories andcontinues to act like a teenager.They all come together for the class of 1999 reunion, and, as is thecase, old feelings resurface between Oz and Heather (Mena Suvari) andKevin and Vicky (Tara Reid). Adding to that is Jim's attempt torekindle the spark with Michelle, which has hit a flat point, as wellas trying to get his dad (Eugene Levy) back on the dating scene.The film is driven by a number of gross-out set pieces which feelreminiscent of the original movies and will please old fans.While Stifler's immature antics are the highlight, it's Levy whoprovides plenty of the laughs. As well as starring the original threefilms, Levy was also in the spin-offs, so it wouldn't feel like anAmerican Pie movie without him, providing the voice of wisdom andreason as well as a possible relationship with Stifler's Mum (JenniferCoolidge), that culminates in a funny credits sequence.If nothing else 'Reunion' is an enjoyable nostalgia trip. The film doesenough to remind you why the series was so successful in its prime(with many original minor characters reappearing) without seeming likea pointless retread.
TheRapDude (08 May 2013)
I remember that I was 14 when I saw the first American Pie film with myhigh school buddies. We loved it. And now, after 13 long years, thegroup of friends Jim, Kevin, Finch, Oz, and Stifler is finally back onthe big screen together! Me and my buddies has always been staying intouch, so we decided to go and see the latest American Pie filmtogether. We thought it was hilariously funny. The jokes were smart (but you could feel that they we're a little wornout after a while), it had loads of awkward moments, it had all thecharacters from the first film in it, and it had the most perfectending possible to the American Pie series. One great thing is: Stifleris acting just like he used to back in American Pie 1 & 2! That wassomething my buddies and I really appreciated. The only thing thatreally kept me away from giving this a 10, was some of the worn outjokes. But don't worry, everything else was spot on!Overall rating: 9/10 Run and see people!
alexis-doran (04 May 2013)
i really wanted to like this film but i left feeling very underwhelmed,i thought it could of been so much better, the jokes were cheap andjust not funny in my opinion, it just felt to me like they were tryingtoo hard to make this funny and a lot of the scenes were just re usedscenes and plots we'd seen before. I know a lot of people may disagreewith me but i thought this film could of been a hell of a lot better,they have a great cast of people and i'm sure the actors are talentedenough but some of the interactions just seemed boring and forced, itfelt like they were just doing this for the money and didn't reallycare about the characters or i could just be talking complete ballshere, judge for yourselves but i certainly wouldn't choose to pay tosee this movie again.
TDavis12 (03 May 2013)
This is the third sequel to American Pie (1999). I liked the threeprevious movies (though each one a little less the the previous one).I laughed a good deal. It helped that I checked my brain at theentrance of the theater. This is decent entertainment, not high art.What makes this franchise strong after three sequels is a 1)funnyconcepts; 2) likable characters (many of the people in the film arelike people I associated with in high school and college); 3) goodactors; and 4) decent scripts.Another sequel after this? I think that might be going to the well oncetoo often.
Robert W. (30 April 2013)
American Pie proved that the raunch comedies which are common place nowcan actually be funny, have heart and characters and story. I hate thestupid raunchy comedies now that just aim to shock you into laughing.American Pie was great because it dealt with coming of age angst,ridiculous over the top scenarios that just horrified you and bestfriends. The entire cast just worked so well together and it was just adream come true to have them all come back together. It is the perfectreunion. It still deals with coming of age in an essence, life, movingon, old friends and getting older. It was the perfect follow up forpeople my age who were American Pie age throughout the series. Thereare plenty of shocking outrageous and gross moments but through it allthere is such a huge amount of heart and story and friendship that itactually makes you nostalgic. You just relate so well to the charactersand every entry in the series including this one make you feel justlike you're part of the gang. I consider American Wedding the onlyentry in the theatrically released Pie movies that wasn't up to par butReunion was probably as good as the first.What can you say about this cast? Jason Biggs is still outrageously andperfectly awkward as Jim. Chris Klein gives his best performance as Ozto date, its far less rigid and more human than previous films. ThomasIan Nicholas and Eddie Kaye Thomas are back in full form as Kevin andFinch. Alyson Hannigan, who has come such a long way as a character inthis series, is just excellent as Michelle. She really encompassesgrowing up for a woman and motherhood and being a wife. Tara Reid andMena Suvari also return but on a smaller almost cameo like extent.Eugene Levy, of course, who gained cult status as "Jim's Dad" is justbrilliant. He shows a whole different side of "coming of age" as hetries to deal with moving on from the loss of his wife. This turn forhis character is just fantastic. You won't miss a single person fromthe original two films as everyone has a cameo including JenniferCoolidge, John Cho, Natasha Lyonne and more. And last but certainly notleast is Sean William Scott as the vivacious and never ending Stifler.In previous instalments they almost overused him constantly. His wildoutrageous and downright raunchy talk and actions make him hilariousbut dangerously overused. However, I thought they did a great job atkeeping him just where he needed to be and even giving him a little bitof a heartfelt storyline at the same time.This cast works so well together that you won't even believe that itsbeen 13 years since the first film. It is literally like a group ofbest friends that never left each others side. Bravo to Harold andKumar writers, creators and directors Hayden Schlossberg and JonHurwitz who know how to have a good time but best of all they kepteverything we loved about American Pie in tact and alive. If you'veever seen the first one or two or any of the films and hated them thenI promise you, you will hate this one because this is exactly whatAmerican Pie was meant to be. Fans of the other films will love everyminute of this fantastic reunion with the old gang. 8.5/10
Guy Lanoue (30 April 2013)
I wanted to hate this film, with its sophomoric and forced sexualhumour, but I didn't. Yes, it makes everyone look they're still in highschool. Yes, there's a misogynist thread running through the film(girls are bimbos, aggressive skanks or sweet but not too bright). Yes,a lot of the plot was forced so they had someplace where they couldgraft the jokes. But, it works. Sometimes it happens. Formulaic writingsometimes urges actors to dial it in, but here even the sappy, "buthe's our Stifler" moment, when the friends realise that theStiffmeister is basically an a-hole but they still love him,friends-forever through thick and thin kind of thing, manages to workbecause the actors are mostly decent and manage to communicate somechemistry, as if they had some real fun making the movie. Stifler'sMom, Jennifer Coolidge one of the most underrated actors around, reallyscores some points with just a few phrases and expressions when sheputs the Stiffmeister in his place (on the phone, even harder to do),and when she parties with everyone's favourite dad, Eugene Levy.Stifler's reaction to the gay couple moment is actually believable andfunny (it only lasts 30 seconds or so). Rebecca De Mornay is abelievable cougar (not a surprise, because she is even more attractivethan before). Vik Sahay as Stifler's douche boss is over the top, butthat's bad writing, not bad acting. Despite these little grace notes,the story is, as I said, well, there's no other word for it, silly.Where in real life do relatively successful people on the career ladderinvest so much in high school nostalgia? Didn't they go to college? Thestory tries to present them as adults, but ultimately it's not theidiotic hi-jinx that brand them as immature, it's the posing, theshallow addiction to feelings, the desperate need to connect in themost primordial way possible. It's as if these people can only relateto the world through their sex organs, but most of the gang are notgetting any, so they're a little bit at sea. Even the so-called maritalissues in Jim and Michelle's marriage can't be talked about in a matureway. On the other hand, there are genuinely funny moments between Jimand Kara, his ex neighbour he used to babysit who's all grown up andeager to lose her virginity. Funny, if you can believe that Ali Cobrin,who's got more healthy sex appeal (like a younger Cameron Diaz) in herlittle finger than most people do in their entire bodies, would haveheld out in the hedonistic atmosphere that dominates the high school,at least according to the movie. That being said, it's enjoyable onsome basic level; not the best coming of age comedy, but not the worst.
TheRapDude (30 April 2013)
I remember that I was 14 when I saw the first American Pie film with myhigh school buddies. We loved it. And now, after 13 long years, thegroup of friends Jim, Kevin, Finch, Oz, and Stifler is finally back onthe big screen together! Me and my buddies has always been staying intouch, so we decided to go and see the latest American Pie filmtogether. We thought it was hilariously funny. The jokes were smart (but you could feel that they we're a little wornout after a while), it had loads of awkward moments, it had all thecharacters from the first film in it, and it had the most perfectending possible to the American Pie series. One great thing is: Stifleris acting just like he used to back in American Pie 1 & 2! That wassomething my buddies and I really appreciated. The only thing thatreally kept me away from giving this a 10, was some of the worn outjokes. But don't worry, everything else was spot on!Final rating: 9/10 Run and see people!
Saad Khan (29 April 2013)
American Reunion  CATCH IT (B-) The return of all original AmericanPie cast made American Reunion one of the most anticipated R-Ratedcomedies of the year. So does it live up to expectations I would say"NO". I think the major reason is the American Pie was an originalthought and took the whole High school experience to next level. TheAmerican Reunion on the other hands took its inspiration from AdamSandler's "Grown Ups" in the first half and in the 2nd half its all thesame getting everyone back together with each other. Even though it'snot as funny as I hoped for still American Pie brings all original castback together and I think it's a nice way to see how everyone hasgotten over the years. All regional cast Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Thomas Ian Nicholas,Chris Klein, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Tara Reid, MenaSuvari, Shannon Elizabeth, Eugene Levy , Jennifer Coolidge as JeanineStifler (aka "Stifler's Mom"), John Cho and new cast Dania Ramirez, AliCobrin, Chuck Hittinger, Rebecca Fields, Jay Harrington and KatrinaBowden bring their humor in it. In the end, American Reunion isenjoyable but the concept is not new and indulging Grown Ups conceptinto it was a drag at least I expected something entirely new andhilarious.
josh_youngbwfc (29 April 2013)
It's been nine years since we last saw Jim and the gang on the bigscreen, and to fill the pie shaped gap in their lives die hard fans ofthe series were forced to endure the awful awful sequels that werebeing made, although by the time Book of Love was made I'm not sureanyone was bothering to watch anymore. But now, in 2012 fans have whatthey want: a new sequel, the rightful continuation of the originaltrilogy however there is a problem; with new comedy hits like TheHangover and 21 Jump Street is there still room in the comedy genre forJim, Finch, Kevin, Oz and Stifler?The basic premise of the film is pretty much said in the title.American Reunion is the story of the class of 99 from East Great Fallshaving a high school reunion back in their home towns and as it seems,this is the first time that the gang have got together properly sinceleaving school. But back in East Great Falls relationship are put tothe test as romantic interests, both old and new, force a fewcharacters to think about their adult lives.The main cast are all back for this: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan,Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Sean William Scott, Eddie Kay Thomasand even John Cho, Chris Owen and Shannon Elizabeth return for thefinal slice of pie. Because of this the film takes a while to get goingas the audience have to be re-introduced to the characters and theirmodern lives. Fortunately, the opening scene featuring Jim andMichelle's relationship is pretty funny and does well to set up thetone of the film.Fans of the original trilogy are bound to enjoy this new addition;there are plenty of old jokes referenced throughout the duration ofAmerican Reunion and there are, of course, plenty of new jokes andantics from Stifler that are sure to get the audience laughing. A fewof the jokes do fall flat on their feet but most of the comedy elementsshine and are divided well throughout the film.As well as the great comedy turns there are also some touching andreally nice moments between the couples and this balance of lightheartedness and relationship themes really helps the characters comealive and it's wonderful to see how these people's lives have changedwhile we haven't been watching. This is the first film featuring theoriginal characters not to be written by Adam Herz (instead beingwritten by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg) but the new writersmanage to capture the old essence of the characters really well.American Reunion probably wouldn't look that great as a stand alonefilm, but as a sequel to the already hilarious trilogy it worksbrilliantly, providing plenty of nostalgia and familiarity foraudiences everywhere. Whilst it is likely that American Reunion may getanother sequel providing it does well at the box office I feel likethis should be the end. The end of the film seems like a naturalconclusion for the gang and I don't think there is much else that wecan follow the characters doing. This would be a perfect way to go out.
Richard Reilly (28 April 2013)
I went into American Reunion knowing that the series has been takenover by the Harold and Kumar duoÂJon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.Whether or not that would be a positive aspect was still up in the air.As the movie started, it appeared to be a bad thing. The first 20-30minutes of this movie are extremely slow and contain some very badwriting. I even cringed twice at some of the actors forced out horriblelines.It seems that the writers simply weren't sure how to start the movie.From the half hour mark on, American Reunion is everything is promisesto be. The age gap between the characters now and the characters inhigh school is a constant highlight and source of humor. As a child ofthe 1980's myself, this humor got me every time. Having the music of myyouth referred to as "Classic Rock" really is as crushing as it ishilarious.Each character brings a fascinating storyline to the table. From sexdeprivation to sports newscaster to businessman to world traveler tohousewife, the American Pie group has taken on an entirely newÂandadult Âedge. By bringing back all (and yesÂI mean ALL) of the originalcharacters, the movie gives the viewer a chance to reminisce whilesimultaneously enjoying a new and all too entertaining storyline.I must confess that the connections outside of the movie do have astrangely enjoyable effect on American Reunion. For one, AlysonHannigan has become rather famous though How I Met Your Mother. WhenNeil Patrick Harris makes a guest appearance, I can't help but think,"Suit Up." On the other end of the spectrum, John Cho comes back to thecast after hitting it big with Harold and Kumar. Seeing him yelling"MILF" gave me an instant craving for White Castle.For those of you who enjoyed the original American Pie, AmericanReunion is worth you money. If you were not a fan of the original, thenyou certainly will not enjoy American Reunion. Even though thefranchise is under new management, it still has the feel of the oldmovies. If you have not seen American Pie yet, it is not necessary (butI highly recommend it). Last of all, I must point out that it hasbecome mainstream to leave every single movie open for a sequel.American Reunion is no different. Although this annoys me, I cannothold it against them. American Reunion is worth seeing.reillyreviews.wordpress.com
deatman9 (27 April 2013)
I remember when i was just a little kid watching the first and secondinstallment of this series and just absolutely loving them. So here weare 10 years later and they release the best one yet. I loved it justlike i loved the other ones truly a funny movie.This movie is about all the member of the gang including oz who wasabsent in American wedding. They are all invited to their 10 year highschool reunion.Just as in the old one Jim(Jason Biggs) gets in all kinds of awkwardsituatio9ns, Euegene Levi is back and hilarious and of course there isStifler (Sean William Scott) who is once again one of the funniestcharacters in the movie.If you like the old ones or if you just like a good adult raunchycomedy this movie is definitely for you. take my word for it and go seeit.
Binoy Santhakumar (27 April 2013)
American Reunion banks hugely on the successful franchise of AmericanPie series, and comes as a fitting finale which makes you nostalgic atthe same time keeping you entertained. Though it never comes close toany of its predecessors - in terms of tickling your ribs - its hard toturn down, felt more like the huge American Pie fan following getting aget-together after a long time.It was good to see Chris Klein back - he skipped American Wedding -with Mena Suvari, and almost all of them getting back for the reunion,Sean William Scott as Stifler looks hunky, yea with all his loudmouthings as usual! Well, the screenplay might not be the best thing todiscuss, for its too loose and shabby - understandable though, with thetough ask of scripting something to bring back the whole team. Thetrack "laid" is remixed in the end which was cool. My pick would be howStiff Meister pays back Finchy big time!! :D If you are a fan of American Pie series, this ones too good to miss!hmm warn u though, to keep your artistic brains away. Just enjoy likegood old times. :)
daworldismine (27 April 2013)
the entire American pie gang return for the high school reunion, andget ready for the funniest comedy to come out in years, eugene levy asjim's dad is the funniest hes ever been here, really getting a chanceto shine, jason biggs as jim has some of the funniest gags of the wholeseries here , and sean william scott as stiffler remains the hilariousparty animal hes been since the original, maybe even crazier, the restof the gang are great, and in form, and even though the gang are older,don't worry they are the same as they always were, and the movie isclassic American pie, full of jim humiliations, awkward farther sonchats, gross out moments and t and a, nothing's changed, and thesweetness and heart is here, there are some great gags that referencethe the previous movies, and it's a real joy to be with the boys again,and such a great thing there all still friends. the intro is hilariousas a nod to the original but then going where you wouldn't expect, butin essence its classic American pie, and another must see comedy ihighly recommend
tuberjonas (26 April 2013)
Yep, 7/10... A movie with an easy concept: some old friends, actinglike sexist teens, being drunk almost the whole movie (except whenthey're driving) and doing dumb things all the time. Sounds quite goodto me :D I know people who just can't handle the dry humor and cheapstory, but you know, let them watch saddle club or something... If youhave a social life that sounds better than that and you haveuncontrollable impulses of going to the cinema with them, considerwatching American Reunion. Not a slow or complicated movie, just thecrazyness and crappy jokes are prizing this movie. Interested? - Grabyour favorite snack - Find yourself a really stupid friend - Go to thecinema - Take your bad sense of humor with you.Definitely not the best movie ever, but a regular good movie witch isan good example of comedy these days....
moviexclusive (26 April 2013)
Just when you think the 'American Pie' franchise has only enough lifeleft for the direct-to-video market (where for the record, four titlesunder the 'American Pie Presents' banner have been released thus far),the original gang- including Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Alyson Hannigan,Thomas Ian Nicholas, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Seann William Scott, EugeneLevy and Jennifer Coolidge- reunite for their third theatrical sequelto the 1999 original smash hit. That in itself is no small feat- thoughnone of the cast members have become A-list stars in their own right,their statuses have risen considerably from the days of the firstmovie, so it does say something when all of them have returned to givetheir 'alma mater' another shot.And indeed, this reunion proves to be worth their while, as the 'Haroldand Kumar' creators Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg have broughttheir considerable talent at raunchy comedy to the strict formula ofthe series with largely successful results. So even as Jim remains thehapless klutz and Stifler the vulgar and overbearing sex-crazed friend,the writing/ directing team of Hurwitz and Schlossberg manage to devisenew gags built around the humour and style of the original- and if youliked the first 'American Pie', you'll probably lap this one up too aswell.Directly following from the events of the last theatrical film'American Wedding', Jim and Michelle Levenstein (Biggs and Hannigan)are now married with a two-year-old son, though that new addition tothe family has taken its toll on their sex life. In the film'suproarious opening sequence (abbreviated as well in the trailer),husband and wife have resorted to self-gratification- Jim sneaks ajerk-off watching porn while Michelle is in the bathroom using theshower head to arouse herself- without the other's knowledge.The rest of the gang are similarly discontented at their existinglives- Oz (Klein) is a sports-caster with an embarrassing stint on areality dance-show and a flirtatious girlfriend; Kevin (Ian Nicholas)is tired of the monotony of married life that revolves around watchingtoo many 'Desperate Housewives' soaps with his wife; and Stifler(William Scott) is stuck in a crappy temp job ridiculed daily by hisequally crude boss. When John Cho's 'MILF' character organises ahigh-school reunion, the quintet- including Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas)-drop their everyday lives and head back to their hometown of East GreatFalls to relive their carefree high-school memories.Well aware that nostalgia would likely be this film's major sellingpoint, Hurwitz and Schlossberg work hard at bringing back the memories,reminding audiences of the highlights of the first film- such as Jim'smasturbatory hijinks from Shannon Elizabeth's Czech exchange studentNadia, and Finch's sexual encounter with Stifler's mother. That alsomeans bringing back a whole host of previous characters- Kevin's exVicky (Tara Reid), Oz's former flame Heather (Mena Suvari), and ofcourse Stifler's mother (Coolidge) as well as Jim's overenthusiasticdad (Levy)- in addition to cameos by the 'Sherminator' (Chris Owen) andNadia herself.The trip down memory lane will be especially meaningful for middle-agedaudiences who grew up watching the first three 'American Pie' movies,but those with little background to the prior films will still greatlyenjoy the new characters. In particular, some of the film's mosthilarious sequences come courtesy of these additions- a young andattractive next-door neighbour Kara (Ali Cobrin) whom Jim used tobabysit; a nerd-turned-hottie Selena (Dania Ramirez) cast as Finch'slove interest; and a trio of jocks Jim and his friends cross pathswith, the leader Marco (Chuck Hittinger) of whom happens to be Kara'sboyfriend and a only slightly less innocuous version of Stifler.Appropriately, every one of the original leads- with the notableexception of Stifler- have grown more mellowed, and the laughs herederive less from their juvenile pranks than a nonstop string ofmisadventures they find themselves in. It's a welcome- and perhapsinevitable-change from the previous films, but it's nice to know thatyou can still count on the occasional gross-out gag- the most memorableof which is undoubtedly the sight of Jim's dick squeezed underneath apot lid. Instead of a go-for-broke mentality, the filmmakers opt for amore calculated approach to the gags, most of which therefore end uphitting the mark.Still, the fact that these characters have become more ruminative takesits toll on the pace of the movie, that unfolds at a less frenetic pacethan you would expect from watching other recent genre offerings likethe 'Harold and Kumar' movies or 'The Hangover'. It is also, atslightly under two hours, the longest 'American Pie', as Hurwitz andSchlossberg devote an almost equal amount of time and attention to eachof the five lead character arcs within the movie. Yet there is apleasing familiarity in watching the original cast reprise theirdistinctive roles, and fans are not likely to begrudge the longerrunning time.Whether there is still steam in the franchise for yet anotherbig-screen return is nonetheless questionable, since this fourth entrydoesn't quite re-invent the wheel than revisit it. There is after allonly so much a series can ride on the nostalgic factor, and whatgoodwill fans have for it will likely run out if Hurwitz andSchlossberg aren't able to break with formula the next time round. Fornow, this reunion is still worth your while, and even if this Piedoesn't taste as fresh as it did 13 years ago, it is still comfort foodyou'll enjoy.- www.moviexclusive.com
Special-K88 (26 April 2013)
Those raunchy teenagers are back again, only this time they're alladults dealing with the pangs of work, marriage, parenthood, etc.Despite life's anxieties, they all return to East Great Falls HighSchool for the reunion and a chance to pay homage to the Class of 1999.Encountering dear friends, familiar faces, old flames, and someunexpected results, they have to wonder are they really grown-up, orare they doomed to remain stuck in the past? Not as funny as you'd likeit to be, and as often sophomoric as you'd expect it to be, butcompensated for by that likable, spirited cast of the original and aningratiatingly nostalgic feel throughout. Fun, but of littlesignificance for someone who isn't a series devotee. ***
Review total: 20, showing from 1 to 20