* Terrible * * Below Par * * * Not Bad * * * * Good * * * * * Brilliant
WARNING *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
It seems fashionable at the moment in Hollywood for filmmakers to come up with a trilogy of films. What with the likes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Matrix movies raking in the big bucks. It comes as no surprise that screen scribe Adam Herz would want to bring most of the cast from the previous two movies in the series for this final outing. That is it should be the final in the series if Herz is wise.
The story this time around focus's on the impending nuptials of Jim Levinstein(Jason Biggs)and Michelle Flaherty(Alyson Hannigan) who got together at the end of A.P.2. With the help of his friends from the last two movies, Jim tries to prepare the upcoming wedding while trying to impress his future in laws.Cue once again a series of comedic set pieces as Finch and Stifler struggle for the affections of Michelle's attractive,cultured younger sister Cadence(January Jones).Not forgetting incidents involving strippers at a bachelor party,Stifler dancing with a homosexual man at a gay night club,dog humping and dog shit to name just a few.With Jim's eccentric Dad(Eugene Levy) there to offer much needed wisdom and fatherly advice.Things couldn't get any worse.Or could they?
Being the conclusive part in the American Pie trilogy, some would hope for the whole of the last two instalments cast to be involved.I personally am not that disappointed that Chris Klein,Mena Suavari,Tara Reid and Natasha Lyonne chose not to sign up for this outing.None of the above characters were really funny enough to want to be seen a third time.Suavari most of all.Herz's decision to not even offer an explanation to why these characters don't make it to the wedding at all sadly smacks of laziness on his part.No mention is given to any of Jim's so called pals at all.It's as if they had never existed.
On the plus side though it is good to see the franchise's funnier, more amusing characters brought back for a third piece of pie.Jason Biggs is as endearingly and charmingly befuddled as ever as Jim while Eddie Kaye Thomas is fun as the slightly nerdy, yet cultured and charming Paul Finch.Thomas Ian Nicholas sadly though proves to be the weak link in the chain as Kevin.His performance as Kevin is decent enough but his character although mildly amusing is no where near as memorable as those others around him.This is more than made up though by Seann William Scotts once again scene stealing performance as the smarmy and obnoxious Stifler. It's Stifler who is the centre point for most of the movies most amusing moments.
Where the movie is let down is in it's mediocrity.Much of the movies set pieces though amusing enough,lack inspiration and have a sense of de ja vu about them.Lets face facts. Scenes involving bachelor parties and strippers have been done so many times in other movies of this ilk.One such movie being 1984's 'Bachelor Party'. The movies earlier scenes also feel rushed as if Herz was trying to hurry proceedings along too quickly. Stifler's earlier scenes when we see him for the first time appear a little sloppy and certainly could have done with some fine tuning. That said Stifler's insincere attempts too get inside Michelle's sister Cadence's knickers early on as he turns on the sickingly sweet charm are worth a titter or two.Watching the usually in your face creep fawn over Cadence's parents is worth a look in.What also is amusing is the movies sense of irony as Cadence appears to become slightly interested in Finch when he pretends to act like Stifler.Thus winding up the big goof ball who has been really putting on the charm.
An opportunity that is sadly missed though is in upping the screen time of another scene stealing character.The chance to give Jim's Dad played with lovable,eccentric charm by Eugene Levy more to do is one that is reprehensibly wasted.The scenes that we do get with Jim's old man don't quite reach the heights of merriment that we recieved in the previous movies.
In the end though the movies conclusion is a bit too anti-climatic for my liking. The wedding service it self pretty much goes with out a hitch.The opportunity to allow for something to go awry during the service or the reception is unfortunately missed.Not only that but a couple of losse ends involving a couple of the characters are left up in the air and with no real closure,while the inclusion of Stiflers Mom(Jennifer Coolidge)in the movies climax feels to be gratuitous if not a little repetetive.Oh, and what happend to Sherman aka the Sherminator.It's a shame that Herz could not have included his character to the script.Maybe even up his part a little.He would have made a more entertaining character than Kevin after all.
In the end American Pie: The Wedding is not a bad end to a successful movie series. It does suffer from what befalls most third movies in a franchise.Just look at Scream 3 and Lethal Weapon 3.But with good direction by Jesse Dylan,decent performances and decent enough amount of laughs this is a reasonable enough if not totally successful conclusion to a trilogy.
Robs Rating: * * *
WARNING *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
It seems fashionable at the moment in Hollywood for filmmakers to come up with a trilogy of films. What with the likes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Matrix movies raking in the big bucks. It comes as no surprise that screen scribe Adam Herz would want to bring most of the cast from the previous two movies in the series for this final outing. That is it should be the final in the series if Herz is wise.
The story this time around focus's on the impending nuptials of Jim Levinstein(Jason Biggs)and Michelle Flaherty(Alyson Hannigan) who got together at the end of A.P.2. With the help of his friends from the last two movies, Jim tries to prepare the upcoming wedding while trying to impress his future in laws.Cue once again a series of comedic set pieces as Finch and Stifler struggle for the affections of Michelle's attractive,cultured younger sister Cadence(January Jones).Not forgetting incidents involving strippers at a bachelor party,Stifler dancing with a homosexual man at a gay night club,dog humping and dog shit to name just a few.With Jim's eccentric Dad(Eugene Levy) there to offer much needed wisdom and fatherly advice.Things couldn't get any worse.Or could they?
Being the conclusive part in the American Pie trilogy, some would hope for the whole of the last two instalments cast to be involved.I personally am not that disappointed that Chris Klein,Mena Suavari,Tara Reid and Natasha Lyonne chose not to sign up for this outing.None of the above characters were really funny enough to want to be seen a third time.Suavari most of all.Herz's decision to not even offer an explanation to why these characters don't make it to the wedding at all sadly smacks of laziness on his part.No mention is given to any of Jim's so called pals at all.It's as if they had never existed.
On the plus side though it is good to see the franchise's funnier, more amusing characters brought back for a third piece of pie.Jason Biggs is as endearingly and charmingly befuddled as ever as Jim while Eddie Kaye Thomas is fun as the slightly nerdy, yet cultured and charming Paul Finch.Thomas Ian Nicholas sadly though proves to be the weak link in the chain as Kevin.His performance as Kevin is decent enough but his character although mildly amusing is no where near as memorable as those others around him.This is more than made up though by Seann William Scotts once again scene stealing performance as the smarmy and obnoxious Stifler. It's Stifler who is the centre point for most of the movies most amusing moments.
Where the movie is let down is in it's mediocrity.Much of the movies set pieces though amusing enough,lack inspiration and have a sense of de ja vu about them.Lets face facts. Scenes involving bachelor parties and strippers have been done so many times in other movies of this ilk.One such movie being 1984's 'Bachelor Party'. The movies earlier scenes also feel rushed as if Herz was trying to hurry proceedings along too quickly. Stifler's earlier scenes when we see him for the first time appear a little sloppy and certainly could have done with some fine tuning. That said Stifler's insincere attempts too get inside Michelle's sister Cadence's knickers early on as he turns on the sickingly sweet charm are worth a titter or two.Watching the usually in your face creep fawn over Cadence's parents is worth a look in.What also is amusing is the movies sense of irony as Cadence appears to become slightly interested in Finch when he pretends to act like Stifler.Thus winding up the big goof ball who has been really putting on the charm.
An opportunity that is sadly missed though is in upping the screen time of another scene stealing character.The chance to give Jim's Dad played with lovable,eccentric charm by Eugene Levy more to do is one that is reprehensibly wasted.The scenes that we do get with Jim's old man don't quite reach the heights of merriment that we recieved in the previous movies.
In the end though the movies conclusion is a bit too anti-climatic for my liking. The wedding service it self pretty much goes with out a hitch.The opportunity to allow for something to go awry during the service or the reception is unfortunately missed.Not only that but a couple of losse ends involving a couple of the characters are left up in the air and with no real closure,while the inclusion of Stiflers Mom(Jennifer Coolidge)in the movies climax feels to be gratuitous if not a little repetetive.Oh, and what happend to Sherman aka the Sherminator.It's a shame that Herz could not have included his character to the script.Maybe even up his part a little.He would have made a more entertaining character than Kevin after all.
In the end American Pie: The Wedding is not a bad end to a successful movie series. It does suffer from what befalls most third movies in a franchise.Just look at Scream 3 and Lethal Weapon 3.But with good direction by Jesse Dylan,decent performances and decent enough amount of laughs this is a reasonable enough if not totally successful conclusion to a trilogy.
Robs Rating: * * *