Immaturity Stops Being Funny in ‘American Reunion’
The following review originally ran on Starpulse.com in 2012.
No one likes getting old. What sucks almost as much as actually aging though, is doing things which make you feel old, like watching American Reunion. Despite its emphasis on sentimental nostalgia, the fourth film in the American Pie franchise simply reminds us that nothing the gang can do now will be as fun as it used to be.
The premise for reuniting the characters from East Great Falls is surprisingly sound. Their high school missed the group’s 10 year reunion, so they’ve decided to reconvene 13 years later; it’s an odd number and an unlucky one, but whatever. This should be a prime opportunity to catch up with everyone, and to introduce a whole new level of comedy now that they’re real adults. Right? If only we could be so lucky.
Sadly the characters are almost exactly where we left, them despite their enormous changes in lifestyle: Jim is a bumbling mess, Kevin is insecure, Finch is trying desperately hard to be interesting, Oz is uptight, Stifler is a giant a-hole, and Jim’s dad still likes to over share. The most frustrating lack of change is Stifler, who started to turn over a new leaf at the end of the previous film American Wedding, and apparently has regressed to his former self.
One thing that is different about all of our friends is that their problems are much more depressing. Jim fights marital troubles, Jim’s dad struggles to get over his wife’s death, Kevin and Oz are confused about old flames, and neither Stifler nor Finch are really as cool as they think. While these morose issues are more adult in nature, they really bring down the mood of the movie.
To offset the gloomy portions in American Reunion there are plenty of comedic moments which bear the imprint of this franchise. You have gratuitous nudity from a female character as expected, and at least one unnecessary penis shot which is outside the norm for the series. As usual, Jim finds himself in a number of awkward situations that create laughs so embarrassing you’ll cringe.
What a shame. I watched American Pie on blu-ray last night – the first time I’ve seen it in years – and it brought back a whole heap of memories. I was quite looking forward to American Reunion even though I’m not expecting great things.
I thought it had solid potential even if I didn’t have high hopes, but largely I found it to be depressing because it constantly reminds you that nothing will ever be as good as the original. Thanks for reading.