American Reunion film review

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(Rating: 15, 113 mins) Written by Zen Terrelonge

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

The awkward guys and gals from East Great Falls High have returned for another slice of cringe-based laughs in American – Pie – Reunion.

In many ways, the 1999-released American Pie was a pioneer of gross out comedy, seemingly inspiring the likes of the more recent efforts like Wedding Crashers, Superbad and The Hangover, among others.

AR is set 13 years after the original, picking up what the gang has been up to since they graduated.

It follows the same format to the rest, it’s summer and a party is required, this time coming in the form of a high school reunion.

That means exploring the marriage and parenting skills of Jim (Biggs) and Michelle (Hannigan), Kevin’s (Nicholas) life as a house husband/architect and his relationship with ex-flame and first love Vicky (Reid), Oz’s (Klein) high-flying career as a semi-famous – but rich – sports show host, well-travelled Finch (Thomas) – who has indeed retained some of his ‘Finchmeister’ qualities from American Pie: The Wedding – Heather (Suvari) who is dating a well-to-do doctor – while gazing dreamily at Oz and vice versa – and of course, the Stifmeister (Scott) is back too, as the immature, crude, ever-present friend the boys love and hate in almost equal amounts.

There’s also room for cameos from The Sherminator and Jim’s ‘one that got away’, Nadia, though sadly my theory that the two would be married wasn’t to be, but thankfully the former’s scene was still caked in homage to the cyborg film series.

We also find out Jim’s dad (Levy) has lost his wife, leaving him to find companionship in the arms of another, while a new parent of the gang makes a very welcome debut.

It feels natural seeing everyone together again, and it’s likely the feeling will be reciprocated for most my age, who experienced Pie for the first time as a pubescent teen, while it will also introduce today’s mob to the franchise, though nowadays it will simply blend in with the rest of the vulgar jizz flicks rolling off of the comedy conveyor belt.

That said, the film still has plenty of laughs and hide behind your palm moments, from the ensemble pack of characters that most of the audience will already be attached to.

There wasn’t really a need to make a fourth film, but it works, and providing there isn’t going to be a follow up, American Reunion is the perfect way to close the door on a series which has been in hibernation for almost a decade.

8/10

American Reunion is in cinemas now.