Movie Review: AMERICAN REUNION

AMERICAN REUNION
Directors: John Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Starring: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Sean William Scott, Eugene Levy

The class of 1999 from East Great Falls is back for the 10 year class reunion only now it's become their 13 year reunion. Internet "sensation" Jim Levenstein (Biggs) and band geek Michelle (Hannigan) are now married and have a two year old son. They arrive back to Jim's childhood home to find that his dad (Levy) is still struggling with being a widow. Jim is also stunned to find that hot neighbor girl Kara (Ali Coburn) is someone he used to babysit and is now a senior in high school. Jim corrals the other guys: Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) for drinks once they all arrive back to town. They purposefully do not invite Stifler (Scott) as they do not want to deal with any of his shenanigans. They have grown up and moved on but believe he is as immature as he was in high school. Low and behold, Stifler shows up and their suspiscions are correct.

Since having a child Jim and Michelle's sex life has hit rock bottom. Michelle is hoping to finally get some alone time with him this weekend in hopes to rejuvenate their marriage. Jim's dad can watch their kid, and everything should go to plan. That sounds easier said than done, but in the end boys will boys. Jim, Kevin, Oz, Finch, and Stifler spend the weekend getting into more trouble than necessary. Crashing a high school party, stealing jet-skis, and a drunk naked Kara prove to be more than Jim can handle. Jim also spends some good one-on-one time with his dad. He offers him tips to get back into the dating scene. It is a bit of role reversal as his dad has offered a handful of advice to him in the past.

American Reunion oddly feels like a reunion in a way. The audience gets to catch up with characters they met years ago and see how they have progressed or if they are still stuck in high school. Sometimes reunions have that surface level feel to them. You talk all night, but the conversation is never all that deep or challenging. The tone and humor feels like American Pie, but it doesn't rise above that to feel 2012. It still feels a little stuck in 1999. Don't get the wrong idea, there are some good laughs along the way. The awkward conversations between Jim and his dad are sure comedic gold at times. Sean William Scott is just as outrageous as ever as Stifler. There are some sweet and charming moments as well as the uncomfortable sexual gags one would expect from this series. If you are a fan of the series, you will enjoy this next helping. There are various nods, jokes, and references to many gags from the first one that could go unnoticed if you are unfamiliar with the series.

RATING: *** 1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)