Wednesday, 16 May 2012

American Reunion (2012)

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7qq0iJGSu0
 
Dir: John Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg

Starring: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Sean William Scott, Eugene Levy

                The American Pie franchise gets milked for another go with the seventh, yes seventh, entry into the franchise.
                The gang are all grown up and they decide to go home and get together for their thirteenth high school reunion. Hijinks ensue.
There is a moment in the film where Jason Bigg’s character Jim tells Stifler (Sean William Scott) that things have changed. Unfortunately, they really haven’t. The film is filled with everything you would expect from an American Pie film. The characters are all pretty much the same as they were in 1999 and the same gross out, sex comedy is all present as expected. Then only reason the film is even in cinemas, rather than being the fourth direct to DVD instalment, is because they have managed to get the entire original cast back together. Jim, Stifler, Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Vicky (Tara Reid), Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), Heather (Mena Suvari) and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and more all return for one last pay check.
It is nice to see them all together on screen again as even old favourite supporting characters pop up, but a film can’t rely entirely on nostalgia. The film even brings up old jokes from the first couple of movies like a now fading friend going ‘hey, remember this. That was funny wasn’t it? We had some good funny times’ and desperately trying to hold onto a friendship long past its best. Jim’s dad mentions the pie, Jim mentions a flute, Jim and Stifler get trapped in someone’s bedroom. Remember when we all laughed then? The jokes have evolved with time about as well as the assembled cast’s movie careers. I found myself sitting there thinking ‘it’s been thirteen years. I’ve changed since then, why hasn’t any of this?’ The only thing that seems to have changed is what they can get away with in a 15 rated film. This time the sex is a bit more graphic and you actually get to see a penis along with the gratuitous breast and ass shots.
The film is exactly as you expect it to be. It’s the same old stuff for the people who were teens in 1999 and sex and bodily fluids for the teens now. If you’ve always been a fan of the American Pie franchise and are just looking for more of the same then you’ll find much to enjoy here and you’ll probably get a kick from seeing the old gang back together. If you’re looking for something genuinely funny, different and original then just keep on walking. If you want to see a man shit in a cooler and boobs then this if the film for you.
At the end of the film Jim says ‘We should do this every year.’ Hopefully they won’t. This really should be the last piece of the pie that went off long ago.

2 out of 5 Button

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