On the whole I consider myself to be fairly mature and well-adjusted. That is, until it comes to my sense of humour, which I have to admit can be just a tiny bit(!) childish at times. I am the sort of person who has always sniggered at accidental double entendres and giggled at people finding themselves in embarrassing situations! That is why films like American Pie appeal to me so much. Having thoroughly enjoyed the original, where four high school students make a pact to lose their virginity before leaving high school for good, I had eagerly awaited the sequel – and after going to see it last night I was not disappointed!
(This review may contain some very minor plot spoilers, but I don’t think I will spoil your enjoyment of the film with what I have revealed! The entertainment value of the film likes in the comedic situations which the characters get themselves into, and the plot is definitely secondary!)
American Pie 2 picks up almost a year after the sequel finished. Jim (Jason Biggs) and his friends have completed their first year at college, and are just about to return home for the summer. Jim’s summer does not start off well, when a session of “friendly, goodbye sex” (which he nervously informs the ‘lucky lady’ is his first since his first time!) with one of his fellow students is rudely interrupted by Jim’s Dad (Eugene Levy) who wants to surprise his son with a beer! Fans of the original will be pleased to know that Jim’s Dad features extensively throughout the film once again, and has not lost his penchant for excruciating “man to man” chats with his son, to one of which this opinion owes its title!
Jim recovers from his embarrassment
sufficiently to return home and be reunited with his friends, Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas). Each has had varying sexual success during their first year at college – Oz is still happily together with long term girlfriend Heather (Mena Suvari), who is now off to Europe to study for the summer, but Kevin has not had much luck, and despite going on sexual adventures with women of various nationalities, Finch is still hung up on “Stifler’s Mom” with whom he lost his virginity the previous summer - but they are optimistic about a summer of partying and abundant girls! However, when one of Steve Stifler’s (Seann William Scott) infamous parties is shut down by the police, they are left wondering what to do for the rest of the summer. Kevin contacts his older brother and mentor, who regales him with tales of his first summer back from college, where he and his friends rented a beach house and partied non-stop for 12 weeks. So, the five of them set off to try and recreate Kevin’s brother’s hedonistic summer.
They take summer jobs as painters, which seems to have its own benefits when they see two women leaving one of the houses they are working on hand in hand, and Stifler becomes convinced that “lesbians live here”. He decides to break into the house to look for evidence – something that he later regrets when he gets to know Finch and Jim a little better than he would have liked!
A party is planned for the end of the summer, and to Jim’s surprise, foreign student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), with whom he had a brief and embarrassing liaison the previous year, which due to a misunderstanding was broadcast on the internet, contacts him to say she is going to visit him at the end of the summer and proceeds to send him provocative postcards. This sets off a terrible anxiety with Jim about his “performance” and he sets out to find Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) the flute toting “band camp geek” with whom he lost his virginity, in the hope that she can offer him some reassurance. During their date at the senior prom, Michelle regaled Jim with endless stories of “This one time, at band camp…” so not surprisingly, band camp is where Michelle is to be found this summer, and Jim is able to be part of some band camp stories of his own!
The film follows the five boys throughout the summer, and without spoiling the plot I can only say there are some hilarious incidents, one of which, involving a tube of superglue being mixed up with a tube of lubricant literally had me crying with laughter (I told you I had a childish sense of humour!) I also particularly enjoyed the band camp scenes!
Unlike many sequels, every one of the main characters from the previous film returns for the sequel, including Kevin’s ex-girlfriend Vicky (Tara Reid) and her streetwise friend Jessica (Natasha Lyonne) and geeky Chuck ‘The Shermanator’ Sherman (Chris Owen), who mercifully seems to have gained control of his bladder this time.
The film will not appeal to anyone who is easily offended as it is in extremely poor taste from the word go. I have a friend who is a Christian and she didn’t enjoy the first film at all, she said she thought it went too far. However, for anyone who is prepared to forget about being a mature adult for an hour or two this film will be great entertainment! I would just say, however, that if you have not seen the original, either don’t bother seeing American Pie 2, or make sure you watch the original first, otherwise many of the jokes will be lost on you as the film does refer back to the original an awful lot.
Having said all that, the film is, in places at least, genuinely touching – for example Oz and Heather’s secure relationship, which remains intact after a year apart at college and another summer apart, and Kevin and Vicky managing to become friends despite all the water which has passed under the bridge. However, if you are looking solely for a romantic love story, then this film is definitely not for you!
The acting in the film is excellent – Eugene Levy deserves a special mention for reprising his brilliant role as Jim’s Dad, delivering his cringe-making speeches on varying topics, such as masturbation, sexual expertise and sexual embarrassments, complete with mortifying references to the first time he slept with Jim’s Mom! Jim’s face during these monologues is a sight to behold! Most of the “teen” actors involved have been involved in other films since their first appearances, and have matured as performers so are even better than they were in the original film, although one or two of them are slightly unbelievable as nineteen year olds!
Despite having read varying reviews of this film, my view is that it is every bit as good, if not better, than the original – I would happily go and see it again (and hope to be able to) and will definitely be buying the video. Just don’t expect anything wildly different as it is really just more of the same, but seeing as I loved the original so much that really can’t be a bad thing!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Production Year: 2004 - Comedy - Director: John Hay - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jimi Mistry, Kate Miles, Dougray Scott
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Director: Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Carol Cleveland, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones
not often a sequel lives up to its predecessor ... this does though ... enjoyed the op, thanx paul!x
Spike5792 03.12.2001 20:26
I know the first american pie was a classic. I've yet to see this one yet. Given Hollywoods reputation for sequels being crap (if you'll excuse my bluntness) I wasn't going to but you just persuaded me.
jamesadyson 17.11.2001 00:47
Great op. This film really cracked me up, but I'm still debating whether it was as good as American Pie before writing my op.
Sometimes you just don't need to change the recipe. Like its predecessor,American Pie 2is ... more
superficially full of gross-out laddishness, but theres a moral tale lurking beneath all the jokes about masturbation, voyeurism and men's sexual prowess--or thei...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
To the horror of prudes everywhere,American Pie 2is even funnier than its popular ... more
predecessor, pushing the R rating with such unabashed ribaldry that you'll either be appalled or surprised by its defiant celebration of the young-adult male libido. Fema...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
To the horror of prudes everywhere,American Pie 2is even funnier than its popular ... more
predecessor, pushing the R rating with such unabashed ribaldry that you'll either be appalled or surprised by its defiant celebration of the young-adult male libido. Fema...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Here's the pie you couldn't see in cinemas! This special unseen edition of American Pie 2 ... more
is the comedy hit you'll want to watch again and again!The characters you love are back! One year after the prom-night misadventures immortalized in American Pie,...
![American Pie 2 [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78527797.jpg "American Pie 2 [DVD] [2001]")
![American Pie 2 [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78493037.jpg "American Pie 2 [DVD] [2001]")
Oct 21st, 2001
very helpful by (99%):
somewhat helpful by (1%):
