You pretty much get what you expect with American Reunion, the latest film in the American Pie film series. After the first three slices, American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001), and American Wedding (2003), we already know what the last slice is going to taste like. That being said, American Reunion is far from stale and gives us a fitting end to this classic series.
The whole gang is back for their 13-year high school reunion. Jim and Michelle are still in love, but are having a dry spell in their sex life. Oz is in a bit of an identity crisis, having gone on to create an exciting life, but yearning for something more traditional and familiar (ie: a life with Heather). Kevin is happily married, but old feeling are rekindled when he’s reunited with Vicky, while Finch has apparently been following in the footsteps of Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World by traveling in exotic locations and having adventures. And then there’s Stifler, who has failed to grow up in just about every way.
Surprisingly, the actors bring these characters back to life with ease and they’re just as relatable as ever. Jason Biggs (My Best Friend’s Girl) and Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother), as Jim and Michelle, are still our main characters, the quintessential couple we root for through everything, and both do well embodying their characters. Chris Klein (Just Friends), as Oz, surprises us the most, developing his character, missing from American Wedding, into one who we truly care about as much as Jim and Michelle. Stifler, played by Seann William Scott (Role Models), is my least favorite character in the series. Yes, the character provides much of the comedic relief, but he’s someone you’d never hang out with in real life, because frankly, he’s an ass. I don’t want someone who’s so hard to like to have so much screen-time.
The whole gang is back for their 13-year high school reunion. Jim and Michelle are still in love, but are having a dry spell in their sex life. Oz is in a bit of an identity crisis, having gone on to create an exciting life, but yearning for something more traditional and familiar (ie: a life with Heather). Kevin is happily married, but old feeling are rekindled when he’s reunited with Vicky, while Finch has apparently been following in the footsteps of Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World by traveling in exotic locations and having adventures. And then there’s Stifler, who has failed to grow up in just about every way.
Surprisingly, the actors bring these characters back to life with ease and they’re just as relatable as ever. Jason Biggs (My Best Friend’s Girl) and Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother), as Jim and Michelle, are still our main characters, the quintessential couple we root for through everything, and both do well embodying their characters. Chris Klein (Just Friends), as Oz, surprises us the most, developing his character, missing from American Wedding, into one who we truly care about as much as Jim and Michelle. Stifler, played by Seann William Scott (Role Models), is my least favorite character in the series. Yes, the character provides much of the comedic relief, but he’s someone you’d never hang out with in real life, because frankly, he’s an ass. I don’t want someone who’s so hard to like to have so much screen-time.
Because so much of the film is devoted to those four, Thomas Ian Nicholas (Rookie of the Year) as Kevin, Eddie Kaye Thomas (the Harold and Kumar series) as Finch, Tara Reid (Van Wilder) as Vicky, and Mena Suvari (American Beauty) as Heather are given little to do and their storylines feel underdeveloped. This is also because American Reunion refuses to forget all the side characters (too many to name here) which made the series so endearing, involving many of them throughout the film. I will take time to mention Eugene Levy (Waiting for Guffman), as Jim’s Dad, now a widower, who still gives us laughs, but also delivers a fantastically performed, emotional side-story as he copes with loneliness without his wife.
While the jokes do not necessarily break any new ground, they are funny and at times truly catch us off guard. As an American Pie film, there’s no surprise that it can’t help but go for easy, low-brow laughs, involving nudity of all kinds, but many of them still work, and we get some higher-concept jokes along the way too. Again, I only wish some of the time for Stifler’s gags had been given to less obnoxious characters to make us laugh in different ways.
Ultimately, American Reunion is sometimes crude and sometimes clever, but always sweetly nostalgic. It’s not the best comedy ever, but it is a fun and fitting conclusion to series loved by many.
The Final Word: Wait to rent it.
While the jokes do not necessarily break any new ground, they are funny and at times truly catch us off guard. As an American Pie film, there’s no surprise that it can’t help but go for easy, low-brow laughs, involving nudity of all kinds, but many of them still work, and we get some higher-concept jokes along the way too. Again, I only wish some of the time for Stifler’s gags had been given to less obnoxious characters to make us laugh in different ways.
Ultimately, American Reunion is sometimes crude and sometimes clever, but always sweetly nostalgic. It’s not the best comedy ever, but it is a fun and fitting conclusion to series loved by many.
The Final Word: Wait to rent it.
I liked this one a lot more than the other sequels but I will admit that it still could have been a lot better. It was great to have these characters all back together again though and I think that’s where the film really worked for me. Total nostalgia. Good review Ethan.
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