The Movie Pit
Cast
Jason Biggs ... Jim Levenstein
Seann William Scott ... Stifler
Alyson Hannigan ... Michelle Flaherty
Eddie Kaye Thomas ... Finch
Thomas Ian Nicholas ... Kevin
January Jones ... Cadence Flaherty
Eugene Levy ... Jim's Dad
Molly Cheek ... Jim's Mom
Deborah Rush ... Mary Flaherty
Fred Willard ... Harold Flaherty
Angela Paton ... Grandma
Eric Allan Kramer ... Bear
Amanda Swisten ... Fraulein Brandi
Nikki Ziering ... Officer Krystal
Lawrence Pressman ... Head Coach
AMERICAN WEDDING - (2003)
Directed by :
Jesse Dylan
Written by:
Adam Herz
TMP RATING: 3.5/5
MPAA:
Rated R for sexual content, language and crude humor
REVIEW: ***MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS***
Jim Levenstein has finally found the courage to ask his girlfriend, Michelle Flaherty to marry him. She agrees to get married, but the problems don't stop there for Jim. Now along with Paul Finch and Kevin Myers, Jim must plan the wedding. Unfortunately Steve Stifler is in town and won't let the wedding go past without having some fun himself, which includes setting up a secret bachelor party.
When you have a series that starts off in High school, and then moves to after the first year in college...where is the next logical step to take the franchise...that's right...the altar. I was so excited the first time I saw any information on this film...being such as huge fan of the franchise...so you bet your sweet ass I saw this thing opening night...and it wasn't a disappointment.
With how far the previous two entries went...I was wondering how could they top it. And OH MY GOD, did they ever. This film...at the time...this was the most offensive...the most jaw-dropping...and yes, even the most gag-inducing of the franchise. And that put a huge smile on my face.
They trimmed the cast down quite a bit for this film...narrowing it down to four main characters, Jim, Kevin, Finch, and Stifler...I think they could have cut Kevin out of the film as well, but at least they trimmed the majority of the dead weight that I saw in the previous films. The story isn't really as complicated as the previous films...where this film basically has a very linear storyline, and it doesn't cut off to any other side stories, like the first two liked to do. So again...that was a pleasure to see. Because, when you go into a film of this nature...it is immature, and we all know that...so we audience doesn't need a bunch of convoluting side stories to fuck everything up. So if for some reason, you haven't seen this film, as for fear of the bullshit that doesn't need to be there....it isn't, so feel free to watch it.
I will admit, I didn't laugh quite as hard during the majority of this film, as I did for the first and second film...even though many people think the second film was awful, and this is a huge leap forward. I think the story is better, but the laugh factor...not so much. That isn't me saying the movie isn't funny, because it is fuckin' hilarious. But it felt like it was missing something. And I think I now know exactly what it is. How hard can you laugh at the same joke over and over again. Sure the setup and the delivery are different...but when you get down to it...the punchline is the same with these movies. It has suffered the “Porky's Syndrome”. Where the first film you were in stitches because you couldn't believe what you were seeing. Then the second film came out, and you were happy to be with the same group of immature hellions. But when the third film came out...you had seen it...and yea, it was good...but it didn't have quite the same effect. And that is what is happening here.
But like I said...this one is more outrageous, and more vomit inducing. And that is where this film really had to go, in order to change the reaction from the audiences. So this time, let's make Stifler eat dog shit...in a very long, drawn out scene, that had everyone in the theater dry heaving like they could blow at any moment. And if that isn't quite enough, let's let everyone else off the hook for the most part, and make Stifler fuck Jim's grandmother. That scene actually made me gag more than the dog shit scene. And the part that really shocked me...and was the only thing that actually disappointed me...was the Jim sequence where he gets into a stick situation. I mean...you went from him fucking a pie, to gluing his hand to his cock...and we end up with him shaving his pubes, and the hair gets on the wedding cake. Sure, yes it's disgusting. But it is totally in the other direction from where it should have been heading...sure, you had the restaurant blowjob scene at the opening...but that is supposed to happen...that was a step up for the opening “shock” sequence. But for Jim's big embarrassing moment, I think people where looking for something more like...before the wedding he is nervous, and decides to “relieve some tension. And just as he is about there, his dad walks in, and nasty bits end up on both of their tuxedos. That would have pushed the bar further, and would have gotten the reaction that those equivalent scenes from the first two films had.
Of course there are other things here to take your mind away from that little bit of lacking creativity. You have an impromptu dance of with Stifler at a gay bar, that leads us to the bachelor party. This scene is fuckin' hilarious from start to finish. And I knew about the scene going into the film, but I was surprised with how long it actually lasted. And of course it goes all wrong...the parents come home, and random strippers start popping out left and right...and before you know it...all hell has broken loose. And Jim's future in-laws look down on him slightly...and everything turns out well in the end.
And that is one thing the original three films had going for them...you always knew that by the end of the film, everything was going to work out, one way or another. And the shocker...that every one of these films, does have a lesson to learn from it...and that usually comes from a very touching, although very inappropriate speech from Jim's dad.
So I do recommend this film very highly. I loved it in the theater, and I still love it to this day. I will eventually get the reviews for the “American Pie present” films, as well as one up for American Reunion...but for the time being, I am pooped with these characters...so I want to take a step back from them, and come back cool, calm, and collected. Check out the movie..and email me your thought about the film, or if there are any specific movies you would be interested in seeing reviews of.
Till Next Time Kiddies...
-RJ