2012-09-11

American Reunion



American Reunion (John Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg, 2012)

Jim, Michelle, Stifler, and their friends reunite in East Great Falls, Michigan for their high school reunion.

Having been approx the same age that those dudes were back in 1999, I always felt connected with Jim (Jason Biggs), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicolas) Finch (Eddie Kay Thomas),  Oz (Chris Klein), and even Stifler (Seann William Scott). The raunchy humor widely inspired by Bob Clark’s Porky’s and transposed to the Y Generation with the usual teenage preoccupations of sex, partying, and getting together with your friends relates to everyone that is in the same barrel of ages as I am. Thirteen years after the first American Pie, we see the reunion of those boys getting together and reconnecting with their inner teen. Some are now men but most still are teens. This is a somewhat second coming of age for those losers that we learned to appreciate like the friend that sticks around even if no one is really friends with him.

The real deal is the nostalgia of the characters and the audience that relates to the first films. Almost every character is brought back and the Jim’s Dad (Eugene Levy) and Stifler’s Mom (Jennifer Coolidge) scenes reminds us that those two talented actors can bring to a supporting role some substance. It is clear that of all the actors billed they are the ones that have the most comical talent.

Without being a fresh breath to the comedy genre, like the first film was in some way look at all the films it influenced, American Reunion is the right follow-up to American Wedding, intentionally I’m not mentioning all the direct to DVD releases with the name American Pie travesties here. Even if the comedy is mostly predictable and we know for sure that if it was a Woody Allen movie Jim would cheat on Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), Finch would be a pedant intellectual, etc. However, besides being conservative on the story side and being raunchy in the sex themes and dialogues I was expecting a little more from the Unrated Version. I might be too acquainted to irreverent humor and the impact the troubles those guys are getting into isn’t as over the top as a masterpiece like The Big Lebowski is. Well, I wasn’t expecting a Lebowski but I can make a reference right? Tara Reid stars in both films. I recommend American Reunion for all the ones who laughed at American Pie and want to reconnect with those characters. However, if you didn’t liked them don’t bother.

4 comments:

  1. The original gang is back and still have the comedic timing they did 13 years ago, which is always fun no matter what. There isn’t anything new or special about this entry into the series but for anyone who wants some nice 1999 nostalgia, then this is the perfect fit. Good review Michael. I liked it a lot more than the previous two sequels though, which may not be saying too much but still says something.

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    1. Thanks Dan! Same for me, with the original this is the strongest of the three follwing films.

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  2. I've actually seen this and agree with you. Wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In some way you do kind of feel like you've grown up with them all.

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    1. It clearly connects with our generation. Not a film for the ages but still a good laugh here and there.

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