American Reunion Review

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American Reunion Review
By Darrin Jones / April 1

Ingredients: If you liked the characters of American Pie, the raunchy nature of Van Wilder and the comedy of 40-Year-Old Virgin, then you will like this movie.

American Reunion is the fourth installment in the American Pie franchise. No, I’m not counting the two spinoff movies because I don’t want to. For anyone not familiar with the American Pie series, the movies follow the lives of five high school friends as they grow up, grow apart, move on with their lives and finally comeback together. American Reunion isn’t just the reunion of the five main characters but nearly all the characters from the previous American Pie movies, which I really liked. I’ve always had a soft spot for a series that continues its continuity. The main story follows Jim Levenstein (as played by Jason Biggs) and his wife Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) while they try to bring the romance back into their marriage over their school reunion weekend. Jim is accompanied by his friends Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) as he takes a break from his own wife, Oz (Chris Klein) as he tries to escape his celebrity life, Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) as he regales everyone with his adventurous travels, and finally the most obnoxious and immature friend of them all, Stifler (as played by Seann William Scott). The group parties it up in their old hometown while still trying to balance their responsibilities, relationships, and friendship

The first time I saw American Pie, it had just been released just when the 90’s was on its way out. American Pie was the topper on the American teen comedies and probably the raunchiest of its time. It’s been a very interesting trip seeing the same characters growing up and becoming more then single note teenagers. And while the humor of the series has been waning since the first movie, American Reunion is actually a pretty good finale. I wasn’t very invested in the American Pie saga before but there was just something about seeing familiar characters finding real adult closure that I found really engaging. While the original American Pie was a spoof of teen comedies, American Reunion seems to be targeting the new brand of comedy geared towards the adults that just can’t quite grow up yet. It’s funny how the same series has followed a generation from their 20‘s to their 30’s and while showing some maturity they are still the same desperate losers trying to be cool, and I think a few of us can relate.

While American Reunion is by no means the greatest comedy of all times, it does have some hilarious moments. And those moments are largely brought to us by mister Eugene Levy. There’s just something heartwarming about Eugene Levy giving fatherly advice then moments later saying the word “vag” and smoking a joint before climbing out of a window the escape the cops. For people that can wait for the big punch-line, American Reunion saves its best bits for the very end which seems to be the case for the American Pie franchise as a whole.