American Reunion

The first true American Pie sequel since 2003’s American Wedding, American Reunion follows Jim (Jason Biggs), Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), Oz (Chris Klein), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and the rest of the gang as they return to East Great Falls for their high school reunion – with the characters’ exploits inevitably threatened by a whole raft of comedically-tinged problems and complications. There’s little doubt that American Reunion has been designed to echo the original in both its execution and spirit, as the movie, for the most part, comes off as a companion piece that effectively bookends the entire series – with the novelty of the premise going a long way towards initially capturing one’s interest. It’s just as clear, however, that the film’s incongruously languid pace stands as an almost insurmountable obstacle virtually from the get-go, as filmmakers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg have employed an episodic structure that becomes more and more problematic as the thin narrative unfolds – with the ongoing emphasis on subplots of a decidedly underwhelming nature (eg Jim’s continuing efforts at resisting the advances of a sultry neighbor) compounding the movie’s increasingly lackluster atmosphere. And although Hurwitz and Schlossberg have admittedly peppered the proceedings with a handful of hilarious gags (eg Stifler finally gets his revenge on Finch for sleeping with his mother), American Reunion, saddled with a hopelessly sentimental third act, ultimately establishes itself as an overlong and underdeveloped sequel that could only be loved by hardcore fans of the original film.

** out of ****