Grown Ups
Thirteen years have passed since Jason Biggs defiled that pastry, and now the party is coming to a close - with this final farewell from the gang of American Pie, back together with the original cast.
American Reunion, as it says on the tin, sees our sexually-frustrated friends join forces back in their home town for their school reunion - only now, they all have adult lifestyles. Jim is married to Michelle, and the two have a baby; Oz is a famous sports broadcaster; Kevin is married; Finch is a mysterious globetrotter…and Stifler is an intern.
As the group trawl their old hunting ground, they realise how much has changed since they have been away, both in themselves and in the new generation - whom they see as unruly. However, it is not long until the famous shenanigans resume, and we see the usual cocktail of Jim’s humiliation, Kevin’s idealistic longing for the past, Finch’s hidden secrets, and Stifler’s moronic, yet hilarious, immaturity.
A revisit to an old friend is always fraught with peril - it could be boring, it could be awkward, and it could just not feel the way it used to. Luckily for American Reunion, they avoid these pitfalls, and instead take what worked with the original film and put it into a new context. This refreshed idea makes the film more than bearable.
There is a lot of complaining about adult life - but since most of the audience for the original film would have been in their teens when they saw it, this will fit well with them now. There is also a lot of drinking, a staple of the American Franchise. However, there is an emotional arc for Jim’s dad, whose wife died.
A definite watch if you loved the first film, but expect the usual keg-fuelled knob gags and needless nudity.
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