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I haven't seen many movies at the movie theatre lately, so when I finally decided to go, I had my pick of the litter. After carefully examining what was playing where and at what time, I decided that American Pie 2 would be a wise choice. I was wrong. Way back in August 1999, I had a Famous Players "Big Card", which allowed me to see unlimited movies for a year (and it was a great year). That was the only reason why I had opted to see American Pie (AP), which I thought would be nothing more than the average summer teen flick. It wasn't. American Pie was more than that: it was also a movie with a strong story about friendship; love and coming of age. Of course, it still had many "teen flick" moments, including bathroom humour, but it still was a very enjoyable movie, even for a late 20-something such as myself. Unfortunately, screenwriter Adam Herz (who also wrote the first movie) wasn't able to duplicate a story that could live up to the original. In fact, it's nowhere close. American Pie 2 is a sequel for the sake of being a sequel. It features all the many characters from the original, many of the same crew members (although Paul Weitz didn't direct this time but rather let James B. Rogers take the helm), and yet, it just doesn't have the magic that made the first one so great.
What's even more disappointing is that the introductory scene is hilarious. While most of this scene is featured in the trailer (when Jim's Dad picks him up at college), I still found it extremely funny. Eugene Levy (Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, Vacation) is at his best in characters such as "Jim's Dad". The story is pretty basic: after their first year apart at college, the guys (Kevin, Jim, Oz, Finch and Stifler) rent a beach house, vowing to celebrate their friendship and make this the best summer ever. But, as always, whether their dreams come true or not is ultimately up to the girls (Vicky, Michelle, Nadia, Heather and Jessica).
In fact, the story is so basic that to fill the rest of this 105-minute movie, the writers had to add many – and I do mean many – pointless toilet humour and sexual mishaps scenes, although some of these scenes are very funny. Before it is pointed out to me, I should explain the contradiction: yes, I did laugh at most of these jokes, however, this laughter is not the result of a smart and witty joke, but rather to situations that are similar to what could be found on "America's Funniest Videos". I might laugh at the joke the first time, but it's nothing more than a "innate" reaction, and the joke will have lost all of its appeal on repeated viewings. It wouldn't have been this bad if there were fewer of these low-brow scenes or if they had been shorter, but the whole movie feels like sketches on Saturday Night Live, with an intermittent background story.
The actors' performances are within "normal" ranges for a teen comedy (which means that no Oscars will be awarded). Jason Biggs (Saving Silverman, Loser, Boys and Girls) gives one of the better performances as Jim, one of the only characters that has grown on an intellectual and emotional level. Another decent performance is that of Alyson Hannigan (Dead Man on Campus, Boys and Girls, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), as Michelle, the self-proclaimed music-camp geek. Hannigan's role has grown in importance from the first movie and it has a bit more depth, mixing both comedy and drama.
While the "Michelle" character has gained importance, I was very disappointed to see that the "Heather" character has almost been reduced to a "speaking extra" role. Played by Mena Suvari (American Beauty, Slums of Beverly Hills, Sugar & Spice), Heather is only present in the movie to interact with her boyfriend Chris "Oz" Ostreicher, played by Chris Klein (Election, Here on Earth, Say It Isn't So). This is very sad, because the Heather/Oz relationship was one of the most interesting aspects of the first movie and both characters are played by very talented young actors.
Another actress that could have used more screen time – although it probably wouldn't have benefited the story much – is Natasha Lyonne (Everyone Says I Love You, Slums of Beverly Hills, But I'm a Cheerleader), who plays Jessica, the matchmaker from AP. I hope that Lyonne will start playing adult roles soon, as she is already 22 years old and way overdue for her big break. Sadly, the thing I liked most about American Pie 2 is its soundtrack. It features great alternative bands such as 3 Doors Down, Alien Ant Farm, American Hi-Fi, Blink 182, Green Day, and Sum 41, among others. I'll most definitely buy it, if only to remind myself that the movie did have some strong points! To sum it all up, it's clear than American Pie 2 is of a lesser quality than its predecessor and it sadly falls in the sequels-that-weren't-meant-to-be category. However, I'm sure that when viewed with a large group of friends – or with a healthy dose of alcoholic beverages for that matter (should you be old enough to drink, of course) – it should still be enough to provide more than a few laughs. Reviewed on August 27, 2001 |
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This page was last updated on: Sunday, 21-Mar-2004 16:22:13 CST © 1998-2004 Luc-Rock Paquin. All Rights Reserved. All movie images © by their respective owners. Used with permission. Before "borrowing" something from my site, please ask me. "Reel Canadian Movie Critic" logo by FranclyGraphic.com. 
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