It’s hard to believe that American Pie was released thirteen years ago, which makes some of us (starting right here), feel a lot older than we like to these days. The 1999 film that introduced us to Jim, Stifler, Oz, Kevin, and Finch managed to find an unexpected balance of raunchy humor and a coming of age story that re-invigorated the waning R-rated teen comedy genre.

Of course, AP also gave us memorable moments involving Jason Biggs and an unfortunate apple pie that set the film aside from many comedies that came before it, and Alyson Hannigan’s wide-eyed delivery of “this one time at Band Camp” was instantly ingrained into pop vernacular.

Thirteen years and two sequels later (I’m excluding those direct-to-DVD movies), the gang is all back for American Reunion, and I do mean the entire gang. I admit to being a fan of the series, despite that 2003’s American Wedding, which saw Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan’s Jim and Michelle walk down the aisle, lacked the overall big ensemble comradery with many of the original cast members absent.

Flash to the present as Jim and the gang are now adults, dealing with very adult issues. Jim and Michelle are frazzled parents, Oz is a popular television personality tied to a trophy girlfriend, Finch is a world traveler without a place to call home, and Kevin is married away living in suburbia. To no one’s surprise, Stifler still lives in East Great Falls working as a temp and I’ll be damned, is still the same old ultra obnoxious Stifmeister.

To say that Seann William Scott slides back into his breakout role with amazing ease would be an understatement. The character seems even more vulgar when interacting with the rest of the cast who must play it on the more mature level. Needless to say, they all find themselves back together for more unexpected hijinks the weekend before attending a high school get together.

I am not sure what appeal American Reunion may have for the twenty somethings crowd who aren’t as invested in the characters from over the years as folks my age are.

Admittedly for me, the film indeed felt like a fun reunion while watching the entire cast back together. The treat being EVERYONE from the 1999 original is back. Even if you have forgotten about a particular character, just you wait, they will show up.

But the question is whether or not you will find these characters all these years later still entertaining or believable as they go through another series of R-rated situations. Some old romances are rekindled, Oz and Heather (Chris Klein and Mena Suvari), Kevin and Vicky (Thomas Ian Nicholas and Tara Reid), old friends turn up in unexpected places, and while not completely retreading over familiar ground, its not to say that American Reunion goes out of its way to really pave a fresh path for the series. Nor does it introduce any new characters capable of carrying the series any further.

Many scenes inevitably turn into the one man Stifler show, but hot on Seann William Scott’s tail is the always reliable Eugene Levy as Jim’s dad, who gets his fair shake of the best lines. Jennifer Coolidge as Stifler’s mom makes a welcome return, as does Shannon Elizabeth, Natasha Lyonne, and even John Cho.

So while for some, the film will play out like a fun trip down memory lane with some old reliable big screen friends they are happy to catch up with, for others who may be looking for something entirely new, this nostalgia heavy reunion won’t be enough to lure in a second generation of American Pie fans.

REVIEW RATING: ★★½☆☆☆
Directed By: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Starring: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Seann William Scott, Eugene Levy, Tara Reid
Studio: Universal Pictures
Rated: R

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