The gang from the original American Pie series are back for their high school reunion. For those of you who don’t know anything about American Pie, it is a film about teenagers pre-occupied with partying down and gettin’ it on.
The climax of the original film made a star of a warm apple pie.
It’s now 10 years on and all have “grown up.” We catch up with Jim, Finch, Kevin, Chris and the Stifmeister, meeting a few days before their reunion. The boys get up to all sorts of antics: drinking, drugs, women, more drinking, partying, even more drinking, which leads to shenanigans.
We say, “See it if you’re hungry for another slice.”
TAYLOR: I’m proud to say that this is the first movie of this series that I’ve seen. It’s technically not a bad film, in that I could see and hear it. Artistically, and I use the term loosely, the film has little to no merit.
HOWE: You mentioned this is the first one of the pie series you’ve watched, so coming into the fourth installment was always going to be a bit of a stumbling block for you. Reunion isn’t a great movie, it’s just okay. And that’s a real shame as the first three were very good.
TAYLOR: My son Landyn was with us. He’s 19. The only thing he wanted to say about American Reunion was, “It’s like the other ones, maybe a little funnier.” I noticed that the audience was chuckling just at the sight of another character being revealed, as if remembering their past misdeeds. So not only are the characters pining for a more awkward and sticky time in their lives, but so is the audience.
HOWE: There were some funny moments. I laughed a few times but they were far and few between. When I did they were mostly at Jim’s (Jason Biggs) expense. Teenage sex romps are nothing new. Look what we grew up with in the ‘80s: Porky’s, Screwballs and Revenge of the Nerds. So what’s different?
TAYLOR: We were 14 then. I will give it this, these characters, all in their 30s now, are not so much taking part of the capers going on around them, (except for Stifler.) They simply watch things happen as they try to enjoy their reunion, and deal with their more grown up problems. They are, however, still idiots. So in a way, this movie could be an apology for the others, as if to say, “See, we shake our heads at it too.” Still, 30-year-old people are just as capable of, and I guess only slightly less likely to be, waking up pants-less on the kitchen floor.
HOWE: Hopefully this is the final chapter of an enjoyable saga. Because just like eating pie, too much is a choking hazard.
HOWE gives American Reunion 2.5 bubble baths out of 5
TAYLOR gives it 2 Eugene Levy eyebrows out of 5.
American Reunion is currently playing at the Galaxy Cinemas in Vernon.
–– Reel Reviews columnists Brian Taylor and Peter Howe live in Vernon, B.C. Their movie reviews appear in The Morning Star every Friday and Sunday.
