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 Well,
folks, another weekend, another sequel! What started as an appetizer
back in May with "The Mummy Returns" and continued as the main course
through the summer with "Dr. Dolittle 2," "Scary Movie 2," "Jurassic
Park III," and "Rush Hour 2" has finally culminated in dessert with
"American Pie 2." The question is, after all the popcorn fodder that
moviegoers have been force-fed so far--not to mention a string of
cheesy teen comedies that bombed at the box office ("Saving Silverman,"
"Tomcats," "Say It Isn't So")--is there any room for a cinematic leftover
like "American Pie 2?"
When the first
"American Pie" came out in July 1999, it was a slice of adolescent
heaven that surprised everyone by grossing more than $101 million
at the box office. It had been a while since there was a "Porky's"
style comedy about a bunch of high schoolers trying to get laid,
but the film worked because it had the perfect blend of laughs and
charm. Now that all the ingredients are in place for the sequel,
it would appear that "American Pie 2" fluctuates between being over-cooked
and half-baked. While it's safe to say that there are still plenty
of laughs, the overall effect just doesn't hit the spot quite like
the first one did.
It's been
a year since the gang from "American Pie" graduated from high school,
and now they're back from their first year of college to evaluate
what they've learned and where they're going. Despite having his
sexual hijinks with uber-babe Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) broadcasted
over the internet, hopelessly single Jim (Jason Biggs) still can't
seem to get laid. Flaming couple Oz (Chris Klein) and Heather (Mena
Suvari) face tough times when Heather spends the summer abroad,
while former couple Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Vicky (Tara
Reid) discover that being friends isn't going to be easy. Finally,
there's Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), who still has the hots for Stifler's
mom, and then of course, there's Stifler (Seann William Scott),
who seems to get more obnoxious with each passing year. When these
friends retreat to the lake for the summer to catch up on old times,
they discover that the more things change, the more they stay the
same.
"American
Pie" had some truly inspired moments of outrageous hilarity, so
it's not surprising that "American Pie 2" tries to push the boundaries
even further. Unfortunately, it just doesn't happen. While the film
gets off to a freshly baked start, it cools off once the action
shifts to the summer house. Even Seann William Scott, who practically
stole the first film as Stifler, goes too far over the top to be
fresh and funny.
Jason Biggs
proves to be the real trooper, as he's still so desperate to have
sex that he'll make an ass out of himself if he has to (and don't
worry, he does!). His humbling pie experience in the last film is
topped by a super glue incident in this one, but at least he gets
to see the band camp that his prom date, the sweet-natured music
geek Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), made famous. As Biggs' embarrassing
dad, Eugene Levy once again has some of the best scenes in the film,
but since he truly means well, you can't help but love the guy.
With so much
screen time allotted to the guys, the girls get the smallest serving
of the "Pie." Shannon Elizabeth shows up intermittently as she makes
her way to the lake house for a rendezvous with Biggs, while Mena
Suvari is forced to continue her relationship by having phone sex
with Klein. Even Tara Reid shows up only long enough to make it
harder for her former boyfriend Thomas Ian Nicholas to get over
her. Only Alyson Hannigan gets a fair amount of screen time, as
she yearns to take her one night stand with Biggs to the next level.
As far as
summer sequels are concerned, you could do worse. "American Pie
2" may not taste as good as the original, but it doesn't mean there
aren't some tasty morsels to be found. Since "sequel-it is" is always
a case of diminishing returns, here's hoping that if--or, should
I say, when--there is an "American Pie 3," the filmmakers bake the
concept a little longer.
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