“American Reunion” continues the “American Pie” tradition by using dirty, juvenile humor for laughs in an attempt to tie together loose ends from the previous films.
The characters from the previous “American Pie” films come back to East Great Falls for the class of 1999’s 13-year reunion. Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) come into town a few days before the reunion to catch up with their families and spend quality time together, but Jim’s friends are quick to take up his time.
The familiar characters appear grown up. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nichols) now has a beard, Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) shows up scarf-clad on a motorcycle and Oz (Chris Klein) is now a popular sports personality. Stifler (Seann William Scott) is the only one missing from the group, and none of the members seem too keen on inviting him to join in.
While everyone is working on reconnecting, each character seems to encounter problems along the way. Whether it be an old fling, or fighting off advances from the barely legal girl Jim used to babysit, each character finds a way to make what is supposed to be a relaxing weekend dramatic and tiresome.
“American Reunion” feels recycled and predictable with all the same jokes from the previous
“American Pie” films being regurgitated in the same old ways. Every joke was a dirty joke. Clever and witty humor is found nowhere in the film that ends the “American Pie” franchise.
The actors’ performances, or lack thereof, are terrible. Every line comes across as too rehearsed and forced, especially with Vicky (Tara Reid). Reid’s performance is her worst yet, with mechanical lines and exaggerated expressions, and Scott’s performance is certainly not any better. Hearing the lewd jokes come out of the adult Stifler’s mouth is just as awkward as the “orgasm donor” shirt his character dons at his party before the reunion.
The movie’s one and only shining moment comes from a scene that is not actually in the movie. A scene during the credits involving Jim’s dad (Eugene Levy) and Stifler’s mom (Jennifer Coolidge) is just as crude and cheap as the rest of the movie, but the scene still manages to be tastefully done.
“American Reunion” is a useless, immature sequel to a franchise that should have been stopped two movies ago.
“American Reunion” is rated R for crude and sexual content, nudity, language, brief drug use and drinking.
