American Reunion

There were two things I noticed while watching American Reunion. The first thing is that it features one of the most convoluted scripts I've seen in a long time. The American Pie films have always built themselves on raunchy and embarrassing situations, but this time around, the set ups for these situations seem much too forced. You can almost hear the writers straining to come up with ways to get the characters in the situations they get into. The second thing I noticed is that this movie is filled with so much energy and good will, I didn't mind as much as I probably should.

As an attempt to revive the franchise after nearly a decade-long absence (unless you count the numerous straight to DVD spin-offs), American Reunion pretty much delivers on what it promises. It's a chance for viewers to be reunited with the characters from the original 1999 film. As an added bonus, it's also a chance for us to be reunited with many of the actors, a lot of whom had careers that didn't go as planned after the breakout film. In a lot of cases, the actors slip comfortably back into the roles that made them famous, especially Jason Biggs, Alyson Hangman, and Seann William Scott. Others, like Chris Klein and Tara Reid, just seem happy to be picking up a paycheck. Still, there's no denying that the movie is energetic, kind of sweet in certain moments, and holds some laughs. Not as many laughs as the recent 21 Jump Street, but there are some good ones here.

The plot involves the characters getting back together for their 13th year high school reunion. (In a bit of forced dialogue, they explain that plans for a traditional 10 year reunion fell apart.) The main emphasis is on married couple Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hangman) having a hard time rekindling the spark in their relationship, now that they've been a couple for almost 10 years, and have a toddler son. Back in their hometown for the reunion, Jim reunites with his best friends from the earlier films. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is now a henpecked stay-at-home husband, Oz (Chris Klein) is a mildly successful sports show host, but is better known for his stint on a celebrity So You Think You Can Dance-style show, where his dance routine was voted off in favor of Gilbert Gottfried's, Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is a motorcycle-riding man of the world, and eternal man-child Stifler (Seann William Scott) still acts like a horny high school jerk, despite the fact that he holds down a job at a successful company.

Pretty much, everyone who's ever been in an American Pie movie shows up at some point, either in a supporting role, or in a shoehorned-in cameo. It goes without saying that this is a fans-only affair. If you're not familiar with the characters, you probably won't think much of this. As for me, I found it to be the strongest of the sequel films. I suspect the success has to do with new writers-directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg (the Harold and Kumar films), who obviously have a lot of respect for the characters, and make them seem as likable as they were in the first movie. They also add a twinge of sadness to the film, by playing up the fact that these guys are not the hard-partying teens they were before. They are adults, and the world around them has changed, often without them noticing. I have a feeling that this aspect will speak to those who grew up on these movies alongside the characters, and it's smart (and a little poignant) that this movie acknowledges it.

If anything, American Reunion knows how to play to its audience. It gives us what's worked before, and it still works here. Some critics have accused the movie as being too safe or sticking too close to the formula set by the earlier films, but I think it's smart in this case to stick to what works. What still works are the scenes involving Eugene Levy, who is a scene-stealer as always, as Jim's Dad, giving embarrassing and awkward lectures or advice. What doesn't work quite so well is an exhausted subplot concerning Jim being hit on by a teen girl he used to babysit. A sequence where Jim must sneak the drunken girl into her bedroom without her parents noticing, while his friends distract the parents, is so convoluted it stretches believability to the breaking point. Sure, the scene has some laughs and is played with high energy, but it's just so implausible and forced, it gets just as many groans.

This is a movie that plays heavily on our memories and nostalgia, and it certainly works on that level. It doesn't hurt that there are some genuine laughs to be found, too. Yeah, it runs a little too long, but it doesn't hurt the film. The ending hints that there may be more reunions in the future. I don't know how much longer they can stretch out this concept, but they're certainly welcome to try.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

0 comments