When I say that American Reunion, the fourth installment
in the hugely popular American Pie
franchise, has all the laughs of the
first three pieces, I mean all the laughs. Unfortunately, this film was one long "hey, remember this?"
joke.
Following
the old gang's thirteen-year reunion (the high school slipped up and forgot the
ten-year), American Reunion showcases
the ups and downs that occur after high school. Some marry and have kids, others move on to high-end careers,
and the rest simply refuse to move on. Either way, the story is chock full of
nostalgia that seems to drive the movie business these days. Who needs an original
story line when you have out-dated, once popular catch phrases?
The film wasn't a
total waste"”Eugene Levy as Jim's dad and Seann William Scott as Stiffler made
for some great laughs. There was
plenty of nudity to satisfy your inner frat boy, and one cannot overlook the
all-important awkward masturbation scene (without which no American Pie movie is complete).
Reunion lacked any originality
whatsoever, making it difficult to care about the characters I once loved as an
adolescent. Biggs and Hannigan still have decent chemistry, and the lovely and
brilliant Jennifer Coolidge knocks it out of the park as the infamous
Stiffler's mom, but the movie as a whole failed to land with the audience.
I
wouldn't encourage you to see this in theatres"”maybe rent it with some greasy
fast food and beer on a night when you have nothing else planned and need an
excuse to turn off your brain for a few hours.
