"American Pie 2" -- Another Tasty Slice of Summer Fun by Homer Yen (c) 2001
"AP2" is a frequently bawdy yet often hilarious film about college freshman looking to have the summer of their lives. There's no better way to enjoy your first summer out of high school than at the beach, away from your parents and surrounded by bathing beauties, plentiful amounts of beer, and your best friends. There's unlimited opportunity to talk about sex, curse, and engage in generally bizarre behavior. Ain't summer grand? And if you think that such a film will never teach you anything worthwhile, you're wrong. Listen carefully: super glue and porn films don't mix.
"AP2" reunites the entire ensemble from the first film, led by likeable doofus Jim (Jason Biggs) who was taught that making love felt like warm apple pie. Meanwhile, his friends also came to grips with their changing lives and first loves. It's been a year since their infamous prom night (the setting of the first "AP"). Has college taught them anything? If not, perhaps this summer will teach them something themselves and about life. These guys have a lot of catching up to do and happily and funnily, we see that nothing much has changed.
Jim is still as klutzy as ever, and his sexual encounters amount to embarrassing debacles. Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), his one-time Czech girlfriend, is scheduled to return at the end of the summer. In their only session, he...uh...blew it pretty badly. He's naturally nervous. "She deserves filet mignon," he laments. "All she'll get with me is rump roast."
Luckily, he has the whole summer to prepare. He gets some sexual pointers when he revisits Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), his kinky prom date who always has a story about "this one time at Band Camp." She enjoys an expanded role from the first film and provides a sweet element of poignancy.
The rest of the lovable gang has their share of issues as well, although their screen time seems to be reduced this time around. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is trying to handle his feelings for former girlfriend Vicky (Tara Reid) who wants to be just friends. Oz (Chris Klein) and Heather (Mena Suvari) try to carry out a long-distance relationship while injecting a 1-900 spirit to their conversations. Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), whose sexual comeuppance with Stifler's mom made him a God among all High School dorks, studies about Tantric orgasms as he awaits her return.
And then there's the glorious, rambunctious Stiffler (Seann William Scott) who is 100% id. I believe that a bust of his likeness should be mandatory in every fraternity in America. This guy is the party animal that we all loved and simultaneously regretted knowing back in college. Our audience even cheered for him when he first appeared. Stiffler deserves his own sitcom or a recurring role on Saturday Night Live.
But we're here for its raunchiness. While the direction and pace is erratic at times, many of the scenes are daringly funny and gross-out memorable. The audience had a tremendous reaction to a scene featuring spilled champagne and was in an uproar during a sequence about libidinous lesbians.
"AP2" has lots of funny moments and the characters are all quite endearing. They try so hard to generate laughter, it's impossible not to like them. Everyone looks happy to be back, and like old friends that we haven't seen for a while, they are always welcome. Times may change; people may change. But thankfully, friends stay the same.
Grade: B S: 3 out of 3 L: 3 out of 3 V: 1 out of 3
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