This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If you thought "American Pie" was cool back in 1999, aren't you, like, in your 30s now? Shouldn't you have moved on by now?
If you haven't, you'll enjoy "American Reunion," the fourth movie in the series and the first since 2003 (not counting the four straight-to-DVD titles). It isn't so much a sequel as a remake. A third remake, following "American Pie 2" and "American Wedding."
Once again, Jim (Jason Biggs) gets caught masturbating — this time by his young son. He gets caught with his pants down, and this time there's full frontal nudity. There's the same odd miss of gross-out humor and really sweet moments. There's Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) — who once again says, "I remember that one time at band camp" — Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and Stiffler (Seann William Scott), who all bring backstories to their 13-year high school reunion.
It's all entirely predictable. And a little sad to see people in their 30s acting like idiot teenagers.
"American Reunion" isn't without laughs. Eugene Levy is hilarious as Jim's dad. He's now a widower, and — you guessed it! —Stiffler's mom (Jennifer Coolidge) is still available. John Cho has been given more to do than in the three previous films and he's another bright spot as well.
But this movie looks more like recycling than manufacturing. Writer/directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg have taken old bits from the first three movies and stitched them together for this one.
More than anything else, however, "American Reunion" looks like an attempt to make money and restart the stalled careers of Biggs, Klein and Co.
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'American Reunion'
Opens Friday, April 6, at theaters everywhere; rated R for crude and sexual content throughout, nudity, language, brief drug use and teen drinking; 113 minutes. For more movie reviews, visit nowsaltlake.com/movies.