American Pie: Reunion
- Directors: Hayden Schlossberg Jon Hurwitz
- Genre: Comedy
- Details: US/112mins 16
Despite shedding some characters for the third outing, and releasing three other straight to DVD flicks, American Pie: Reunion was always a distinct possibility - given the continued success of breakout series star, Seann William Scott. His Stifler essentially dragged the sequels to a crass, funny place, and he ultimately became the main reason for laughs. Unsurprising then, that Scott was the catalyst for this fourth theatrical film - and he is again the best thing about it.
The title is pretty self-explanatory; this sequel reunites the cast of American Pie for the fourth time, as they gear up for a class reunion. The class of '99, including cast-offs from American Wedding (Klein, Reid etc) all return, in roles of a similar size to the original film. Everyone has seemingly grown up, but all still have their issues; Jim (a still game Biggs) is losing the spark in his marriage; Kevin (Nicholas) is wondering about rekindling an old romance with Vicki (a returning Reid); while Stifler has regressed to his old high school self and basically just wants to party all of the time.
American Pie: Reunion works best when it's at its most disgusting, and generally foul mouthed. Naturally, those aforementioned scenes involve Scott, who embodies The Stifmeister with the same amount of frantic, irreverent energy that gave this character a huge cult following to begin with. He's so unpretentious in the way that he approaches the guy that even though the film has too many characters all attempting to justify their existence in a film that really didn't need to be made, it still manages to be very very funny in parts.
Subplots involving Jim and Stifler's Mom, Kevin and Vicki and Jim's limp sex life have gags that work sporadically, but ultimately feel a little stale. However, when William Scott takes a crap in a beer cooler things take a turn for the hilarious again. Of course there's the nostalgia factor in abundance, and when they reuse songs from the original soundtrack in underlines what the whole point of this sequel was - reuniting with some old friends.
Those that grew up and loved the first movie will certainly find laughs; just don't expect anything resembling character progression.
Review by Mike Sheridan | 09:00 | Friday 4th May 2012 | Movie Review
Comments
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ellegibbons
exceeded expectations, well worth going to see, laugh out loud moments. Really captures the success of the first movie
Posted 09:39 | Tue 1st May 2012 -
FilmBuff76
Are audiences hungry for more American Pie? It seems so. This nostalgic reunion film thankfully skips over the direct-to-DVD spin-offs and catches up with the likeable characters we last saw 9 years ago, a la Before Sunset. The whole gang is back, along with small but memorable characters like The Sherminator. Now in their 30s and facing the fact that they're getting older while younger women are getting wilder, Jim, Oz, Kevin, Finch and yes, Stifler face up to marriage, parenthood and the inevitability of settling down (except for Stifler, who still hasn't grown up). The film pretty much sticks to the tried-and-tested formula. Jim finds himself in yet more embarrassing situations, Stifler plays the jackass yet again but shows some vulnerability and the others re-evaluate their own lives. Well-played by its game cast, it's frequently very funny. It's directed by the film-making duo behind the Harold & Kumar films, so they're definitely in their comfort zone here. Yet, the film never really challenges its characters in the same way that, say, The Big Chill did. The film does what it needs to do and just about gets there on audience sympathy. Whether audiences will want to see American Pie: The Mid-Life Crisis Years is another matter. For now, it's worth a trip to the cinema to re-visit these old friends.
Posted 20:53 | Thu 3rd May 2012 -
Lulu
The most unfunny, unintelligent, unlikeable and crass for the sake of being crass films ever made. I don't find teenage boys funny (who does, except themselves?) and I wont find the same boys pretending to be men funny. Couldn't pay me to see this.
Posted 22:56 | Sun 6th May 2012 -
S8rah
A nostalgic film with plenty of references to the original American Pie film that will make you laugh out loud! Extremely funny in parts and not so funny in others but it balances out to be a very enjoyable film that is definitely one for the 90's kids at heart and those that are still genuine teenagers! definitely one for the lads as there is the usual level of American Pie nakedness! girls will still get a giggle out of it though as the situations Jim gets himself into are hilarious!
Posted 15:42 | Fri 11th May 2012 -
Linda
Very funny film really enjoyed
Posted 16:18 | Fri 18th May 2012 -
chell
seriously, they just don't know when to stop making these !!!!! STOP, i laughed ONCE at stifler with the box...if people seen this, they'd know what i mean! i was hoping the movie would just go on flames in the projection room but unfortunally not!! Total rubbish.. not worth going to see
Posted 22:25 | Thu 7th Jun 2012
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