American Reunion: Movie Review

American Reunion: Movie Review

Cast: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Seann William Scott, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Eugene Levy, Mena Suvari

Director: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg

Back to high school one more time with this (potentially) final slice of pie.

And the drawcard this time appears to be the reunion of all the main cast from the first film, all the way back in 1999.

But since their raucous days back in high school, the gang's all moved on - even if only in years. All in their early 30s now, they're all getting by with life.

For Jim and Michelle (Biggs and Hannigan) it's about trying to find time for any kind of a sex life now they've got a young kid - and as the pre-title credits reveal, that's a little difficult unless you're talking about internet porn or some time alone in the bath. Kevin's (Thomas) now married and works from home; Oz (Klein) is a sportscaster, who had a brief moment to shine during a TV dance show - and Stifler (William Scott) is, well, still Stifler - oversexed, immature and working as a temp.

Meanwhile, Jim's dad is living life after their mum died and Finch is a backpacking Jack Kerouac of a guy...

All of the gang's back in East Great Falls for their High School Reunion - and their return sees the group determined to have one last blast.

If you like the American Pie series and its original stars, you will quite simply adore American Reunion with its mix of smut, innuendo, gross out behaviour and sex talk. Stifler's mainly the drawcard in the silliness stakes - still pulling the immaturity card and a little bit of an embarassment to the guys who all believe they've grown up.

If you didn't care for any of those elements originally, then to be honest, there's little for you here.

But there is a real feeling in this film of a little something from the halcyon days of the franchise being recaptured - and I think if we're all a little honest, we've all had friendships where we're a little bit embarrassed about someone's behaviour after all these years (hint - if you think you don't know anyone like that, it's highly probable you're the embarrassment).

But if you put aside the smutty antics, there's actually some very real scenarios dropped into this film, making it feel in places like the most mature American Pie ever.

Scenes between Jim and his dad as they negotiate his father's loss and attempts to find someone to spend the rest of his life with have a real poignancy and heart which it's hard not to appreciate; likewise, the issues facing Jim and Michelle over being in a rut and finding life getting in the way are realistic and sensitively handled for a series like this. Well, as sensitive as any American Pie film could be.

All of the gang's back for this one and the writers manage to negotiate a full cast and don't appear to neglect any of them in terms of story - hence the rather long two hour film.

It's not without its lulls or lack of laughs here and there and there's occasionally the feeling of repetition in the humour and situations as well as a slight worry that men in thier 30s are continuing to act like horny teens, but there's closure to this latest life of the franchise and I'm betting many will enjoy this (hopefully) final slice of pie and file it under guilty pleasure.

It's not sensational and it won't change your world, but it will help you pass the night with a group of mates in the cinema.

Rating