Cast of American Pie reunites for a new adventure

American Reunion

Written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Starring Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan and Seann William Scott
Now playing

With an abundance of sexual escapades and hilarious misunderstandings, American Reunion proves that maturity doesn’t necessarily come with age. While the class from ’99 isn’t as young as they once were, they’re still as horny and obnoxious as ever.

American Pie may be where the franchise’s raunchiness began, but a variety of spinoffs and sequels have proven that it’s more than just a series of forgettable teen comedies. Over the years, the movies have maintained a solid fanbase, becoming a guilty pleasure for many. The humour may be immature, but it’s surprisingly difficult not to laugh at the characters’ constant debauchery and troublemaking.

This time around, the story focuses on the high school reunion of the East Great Falls class of 1999, and the original crew from American Pie is back and all grown up. Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs) returns home with his wife Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) and their two-year-old son, Evan (George Christopher Bianchi). But Jim isn’t the only one who’s changed: his longtime friends and fellow troublemakers Oz (Chris Klein), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Stifler (Seann William Scott), Vicky (Tara Reid), Heather (Mena Suvari) and Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicolas) have all been doing some growing up as well. It’s been more than a decade since they graduated, and once they all get together, they realize that many things have changed over the years — not that they let that hinder their partying.

American Reunion stays close to the format of the first American Pie in many ways, though some of the humour is slightly less memorable. While the film is a reunion between the East Great Falls classmates, there’s the sense that the audience is also reuniting with the characters. Listening to one-hit wonders, seeing Tara Reid in her first film in years and noticing that Stifler’s mom (Jennifer Coolidge) has still got it going on brings back the ‘90s nostalgia.

But while the film meets expectations, it doesn’t go beyond that. The lavishness of tube socks, hot moms and nudity remains entertaining but not necessarily shocking. Some of the stories are underdeveloped and don’t seem to reach their fullest potential, while certain original characters, like the exchange student Nadia, have short cameo appearances. But these are likely to only be disappointments to steadfast fans — casual viewers likely won’t find many concerns.

The American Pie characters may not be as fresh-faced as they once were, but their sense of humour remains the same. Although American Reunion can be predictable, it still has the same raunchy entertainment that’s guaranteed to make you laugh. And if you’ve got a craving for American Pie, just seeing all the characters together is sure to satisfy it.

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