Nobody is more obsessed with sex than teenaged boys who have never had it. That’s the premise, anyway, of a number of quest films — the quest being to lose one’s virginity. “American Pie” was one of the better comedies of the genre. It was released in 1999, when the gross-out comedy was just coming into its own. But it was also laugh-out-loud funny with, surprisingly enough, a liberal dose of sweetness that made the movie hit the spot.
Luckily for the makers of the film — and its sequels, “American Pie 2” and “American Wedding,” as well as four spin-offs — men don’t lose that much interest in sex as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. And women often only become more interested. So producers can make a fourth film in the series, “American Reunion,” that still exploits the sexual frustrations and foibles of its original characters.
| On Screen |
| ‘American Reunion’ |
| 2.5 out of 4 stars |
| Stars: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott |
| Directors: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg |
| Rated: R for crude and sexual content throughout, nudity, language, brief drug use and teen drinking |
| Running time: 113 minutes |
Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), married in the third film, now have a toddler — which makes it hard for mom and dad to have sexy time, at least together. (Masturbation jokes are a staple of the series, and they’re put to good effect in the amusing opening sequence.)
Oz (Chris Klein) is a successful sportscaster with a hot house in Malibu, home to an even hotter girlfriend, which means he worries about her cheating. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is an architect working from home — and treated something like a house-husband by his wife. Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is living the sophisticate’s life we’d expect, though he still hasn’t found “la grande amour.”
With the guys’ high school reunion coming up — no real attempt is made to explain why they’re doing a 13-year reunion — they decide to meet up a few days early and share some guy time. Without Stifler, as Oz insists. But this wouldn’t be an “American Pie” movie, and the guys wouldn’t get into so many crazy antics, without the obnoxiously lovable Stifler (Seann William Scott).
“American Reunion” does a pretty good job of mining for laughs with the everyday difficulties of finding and keeping love and passion. And unlike some gross-out comedies, it never gets too gross — the focus is always on the characters, not just the strange situations in which they find themselves. No, this isn’t as good as the original 1999 film. Sequels rarely are. But it’s a fun trip down memory lane for those of us who came of age along with the gang.
The highlight of the movie isn’t any part of that gang, though: It’s Eugene Levy, back as Jim’s dad, making him as uncomfortable as ever, and making us laugh as hard as ever. The men behind this film know one important thing: You don’t mess with a classic.
