'Reunion' Brings Out the Good & the Bad'

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Nine years since being married, Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), along with their friends from high school, reunite again for their 13^th high school reunion. While the event gives the time for them to rekindle their sexual passion that’s been missing since having their two year old son, it opens up old feelings for exes between the rest of the cast such as sports announcer Oz (Chris Klein), in a relationship with a wild, partying girlfriend, having a strong attraction for Heather (Mena Suvari) who is also in a relationship. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), who’s married, meets up with his first love Vikki (Tara Reid who hasn’t been involved with the series since American Pie 2), now divorced, where hints of them returning as a couple are hints. Finch returns and still remains as the straight man throughout the silly moments and goes through a quick growth where he proves himself a man in various ways as well as….can’t let any more details slip out about him. Stifler (Seann William Scott), who is seen as working for a big corporation, is just a temporary worker where he’s no longer the boss like he was in his youth but rather the bitch according to his boss (Vik Sahay fresh from NBC’s Chuck). With more familiar faces such as Shannon Elizabeth and Jon Cho, Universal Pictures fulfilled its mission to give audiences the characters who put a spin on high school/college life as well as growing up and moving on to creating families and getting careers while restricting them from being free from responsibilities. With a friend, or girlfriend, who won’t watch the latest episode of The Real Housewives without you, male readers (female readers if you have men who won’t watch their fave shows without you), you’ll agree with Kevin with wanting some time with the guys (or girls).

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I want to thank gofobo.com for providing the chance to see the fourth installment in the original American Pie film series. As someone who hasn’t seen any of the previous installments and catching glimpses of a bit of the spin-offs, the film brings the laughs thanks to Adam Herz with the Schlossberg/Hurwitz team that was responsible for the quick-to-DVD-from-theaters third entry of the Harold and Kumar series. Continuing to fly around my mind is Stifler (Sean William Scott) and his crazy antics that teeter-totter between hilarious revenge and a one-way ticket to prison. The latter comes to mind when the writers think it’s funny to have Kara, Jim’s neighbor, wanting Jim “to come so bad” to her 18^th birthday party. Sexual innuendo! Stifler tries his hand at trying to get some action at the beach party while wanting Jim to “be her daddy” in order to bring home to Michelle all of the sexual action that would occur if he and Kara do the deed. Hilarity ensues. Stifler’s one of the many man children who should be punished for some of his actions yet the writers decides to give him his reward for his “kind” gestures near film’s end. Remember kids: be a jerk, do a complete 180 when you realize that your childish actions won’t be accepted once you reach adulthood, and end up “jizzing like a race horse”. Those last words are Stifler’s words, not mine. He does get his just desserts after meeting up with an old girlfriend, but I wish he’s given more. Seeing him suffer brings great pleasure to my mind as well as the suffering, if there was more, for Mater before meeting Finn McMissile in Cars 2 and Alan (Zack Galifianakis) in The Hangover: Part Two.

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With rumor of Eugene Levy working alongside Tyler Perry in the future, seeing him interact with Scott’s Stifler is might be the only time when the writers make Levy genuinely funny. Perry should take notes even if his comedy will be downplayed with what Levy’s working with in this flick. Most people haven’t seen him on the big screen in a while before this and Goon, but seeing him again is a great departure from his voice work in Astro Boy (2008) and Night at the Smithsonian 2. Do I smell a new, possible GOOD spin-off/continuation of ‘Pie’? Even seeing Levy working alongside Jennifer Coolidge as Stifler’s Mom can lead to “American Seniors” becoming a reality. It can expand on the characters time together along with topics such as staying young in a society where select people see them as getting old and unable to keep up with the times. I’m behind it.

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The film’s better than what is in theaters this week despite its Tomatometer percentage rating (see yesterday’s last post). If you feel as if one joke is flat, another rushes in to deliver the goods (Also evidenced by the extra scene during the ending credits). Some flaws about the film will be mentioned elsewhere but I do notice many, MANY others:

• The introduction of Dania Ramirez as Selena, Michelle’s friend from band camp (mentioned in this film but never seen in the past three films)
• Jim and Michelle’s son only being two years old despite the couple being married since 2003 in American Wedding.
• Jim’s Mom (originally played by Molly Cheek) written off without explanation of her death.
• Having bare breasts just to have nudity in the film though it should be absent. There lacks a need to be in the movie to further the reason why the film carries the ‘R’ rating today. 

What's your opinion about the film? Have you seen it? Will you see it in theaters or wait for it to hit DVD/Blu-Ray? Next week's a bit quiet unless A Cabin in the Woods attracts me. I'm still unsure about whether I should hit up on The Farrelly Brothers' take on The Three Stooges or not. Until a decision's made about next week, that's all for now.