American Pie 2 is easily my favourite of all the series, released in 2001 I remember the day I got my mum to purchase it for me - being underage at the time - and then I promptly put it into my PS2 (my only DVD player at the time) to watch. The PS2 asked me to make a code for age restricted DVD's in the future, bloody child protection on everything these days, although in the rush I just put in any old numbers and that prevented me from ever being able to watch American Pie 2 again - as I couldn't remember the code. Six years later DVD's aren't an unusual item to have in a house, so in preparation for this review I put American Pie 2 in my DVD player and watched it this morning. Oh, and by the way, I traded in my PS2 - that's so last gen.

There was a lot to expect from American Pie 2, after the success of the original, and it wouldn't stray away from the formula that made the first one so successful. The typical embarrassing scene opens up the film as Jim lays in bed with a beautiful young girl he's met at college. They're preparing to have 'friendly goodbye sex' but Jim is all nervous, what with this being his first time SINCE his first time back on Prom night. She shows him the way but as this is all happening we see the recipe for disaster brewing as Jim's mother and father arrive to pick him up from college after he has completed his first year.

Mr. Levenstein, Jim's father, wants to surprise Jim with a six-pack of beers just like his father did at the end of his first year at college, and that leads to the janitor unlocking Jim's door so Mr. Levenstein can walk straight in on what is happening inside! Inside memorable beginning scene, as the room piles up with people. Jim is played by Jason Biggs and he is no stranger to having to act out these embarrassing scenes, afterall the first film was packed with them for him.

At the end of the first film, the guys toasted to the next step, and a year later the next step has led them straight back to their home town after they have all done with the various colleges and have a 12 week break for summer. Most of the guys don't know how to use it constructively though, and that leads them back to a typical Stifler party. The house has many memories, afterall it's the same house where they made the original agreement to get laid by prom - it seems like such a long time ago, although perhaps not long enough as the party goers still remember Jim for his infamous, "Splat, no don't go Nadia, splat."

The whole gang is there though including the Stifmeister (Seann William Scott), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Oz (Chris Klien), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Vicky (Tara Reid) and Jessica (Natasha Lyonne). It's quite a shock for Kev to see Vicky there after their relationship ended at the first film, and it will also be quite strange for you to see Tara Reid when she was innocent! The Kevin/Vicky saga opens up a whole storyline of Kevin being unable to let go that they are now just friends. We also learn about the rule of 3 - when a girl says how many people she has slept with you multiply it by 3 to get the real answer, although in a guys case you divide it by 3.

Finch is also enjoying the party a little too much as he explores Stifler's mums room. 'Steve' catches Finch in there, and chases him down the stairs, until the pair are separated by Jim and Kevin - we are told of a fight that happened when Stifler found out that Finch slept with his mum, where Finch got a black eye and Stifler got 6 stitches because Finch bit him. A good laugh. Stifler does create the biggest laugh of the party though when he takes a girl outside with a bottle of a champagne, this is not before he is trying to pawn Oz off to any old girl at the party however - as Oz's long term girlfriend Heather is out of the country studying.

With nothing to do it is Kevin who gets the big idea after calling his older and wiser brother. The group then agree to spend the holidays down by the lake and rent out a pretty magnificant house. Kevin, Jim, Finch, Oz and Stifler will all have to take summer jobs as painters and decorators however to make the finances add up. This leads to the sexy party of the American Pie formulae.

Everybody who was going through their teens at the release of the first American Pie will remember the Nadia webcam scene, because it was the only boobies scene of the entire movie. American Pie 2 sees Stifler believe the house they are decorating is owned by lesbians, and after Finch says it is possible for girls to hold hands and not be gay, it sends Stifler on a mission to break into the house and find some evidence. Jim and Finch follow him into the house to see Stifler waving around a blue rubber dildo. It's not long until Oz and Kev warn the three to get out of the house ASAP because the 'lesbians' are returning. With not enough time Jim hides under the bed with dildo in toe, and Stifler and Finch find themselves trapped in the closet together.

It will not take them long to discover the intruders and it leads to a 'you do something, we'll do something' sex game but it's not as perverted as it may sound to some, because there is also a great deal of humour in this scene. As the group talk about what is going on inside the bedroom across radios, somehow lines have got mixed up and many people around the town are also hearing what is going on in that bedroom. Two young children overhear Stifler screaming, "I'm touching his ass, I'm touching his ass!" on their toy radios, leading one mother to not be happy with her husband.

Nadia was Jim's keen love interest from the first film and with it being summer Nadia is sightseeing around the country, however she shall be returning in time for the end of holidays party that Jim his hosting at the lake house. Afraid of being a letdown Jim seeks out his old equaintance in Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), the band geek. This gives the viewers their first taste of what Band Camp is actually like, although if you really want to know you get the closest look in the fourth installment of American Pie. Michelle and Jim spend a lot of time together, but will it be enough to convince Nadia that Jim is the man for her?

Everything comes together in the end of quite a wonderful teen film, that isn't just about sex and swearing but also has a deeper meaning of relationships. A hilarious moment I haven't brought up is when Jim explores lubricant, meaning his father has to come to his rescue once again - but I'll let you appreciate that fully for yourself. Mr. Levenstein has a comical impact on the film that I never noticed until today. The Sherminator makes a few appearances as well as Stifler's younger brother, who I could swear is played by a different actor everytime.

Running for 106 minutes it is a little longer than you'd expect, but not so long it's annoying. The certificate is also a 15, and whilst I can understand the age rating, asides from the nudity there isn't really anything in the film that would corrupt someone 12 or older. If you liked the first one you must see the second, because quite frankly these two films are the only true American Pie's in my eye - the three films that have followed, and I'm sure there's more, pretty much lost their way.