Thursday, April 12, 2012

"American Reunion" Review by Chris

Jim, Oz, Kevin, Finch and Stifler are back on the silver screen after a 13-year absence, but have they been gone too long for a sequel? The short answer is yes. After 13 years, a little maturity from adult characters is expected, but it seems like time stood still for these guys. There are plenty of cookie cutter back-stories for what each character has been doing, but their individual details form only sub plots, while "getting laid" is still the focus of the "story."

But none of that stops this from being a hilarious and raunchy film. Being a "reunion" movie, some humor references the original film, but the majority is new, while still capturing the same awkward, fan-pleasing, “American Pie” humor. The characters also hold to their classic shtick: Stifler remains an ass, Finch is mysterious, and the moments between Jim and his father (Eugene Levy) continue to steal the show. Like seeing old friends, it feels comfortable and easy to fit back into their lives.

That comfort isn't necessarily a good thing though. Despite all the new jokes, it begins to feel like we've seen this all before. The humor and story follow the same patterns of previous films, and the characters all act like desperate high school students. Things like marriage, children and careers have barely affected them. It seems like the story is picking up where it left off 13 years ago.

"American Reunion" is a hilarious film that keeps the laughs rolling. The humor is still funny today, but unlike the characters, the film’s target audience has matured and moved on with their lives. Like a real high school reunion, you'll have fun seeing everyone again and when it's over, you'll go back to your life, forget about them, and say to yourself, “thank god I got that over with.”

2.5 "Flutes" out of 5

Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron

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