Friday, May 18, 2012

Movie review - American Reunion (American Pie 4)

13 years after the movie that heralded a new age of the teen-gross out/sex comedy, pretty much all of the original cast of American Pie have reunited for their 10 year high school reunion in American Reunion. (Amusingly enough, one of the characters does comment on the fact that it is 13 years since school, as opposed to 10.) And with this juxtapositioning of teen nostalgia with the reality of adult life, we see the characters struggling with their identities within their relationship (Jim & Michelle - Jason Biggs & Alyson Hannigan), angst about past relationships - Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) for Vicky (Tara Reid)  Oz (Chris Klein) regarding Heather (Mena Suvari), and wondering about how life didn't turn out the way they thought it would - Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and Stifler (Seann William Scott). 


So then, what does this mean? Is it still a gross-out comedy or a (semi-serious) look at growing up? To be honest, it's both - but you'll probably only care if you enjoyed the first movie to understand what's going on. Much of the humour stems from situations are in the act of being responsible when a situation spirals out of control (e.g. Jim and the girl he used to babysit), trying to come to terms with their lives since school, or Stifler trying to show that he's still cool. Luckily, the writers do show that Stifler's attempts to retain his perception of cool is pathetic and he does eventually exhibit growth. 


With Biggs and Scott as the executive producers, I think everyone who had a speaking part in the first movie is back - from the MILF guys to the Sherminator. This was pretty amusing for me because I recognise that much of the cast hasn't been in anything of note for a while (*cough Natasha Lyonne, Shannon Elizabeth), but it really felt nice - like a reunion! Certainly it felt better than my own high school reunion!


Anyway, I enjoyed it but it is probably for fans of the original only.
6/10

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