“American Pie” has always been _the_ teen comedy movie, both because it had a really memorable cast of characters, and because it was the first one that tried to push the limits of how raunchy or offensive a teen comedy could be. “American Pie 2″ showed everyone that it was possible to squeeze just a little bit more out of the formula, giving us still more raunch and even succeeding with some good bits every now and then.
This third entry had me scratching my head initially, seeing as how there weren’t any limits left to break. Rob Schneider, Adam Sandler and Jack Black had pretty much worked over just about every offensive or taboo subject in creation with their shock-humor comedies over the past 2 or 3 years, and I couldn’t imagine what else the Pie gang could bring to this long-past-full table.
The first hour of this movie is as chaotic and disconnected as a hastily-planned wedding, but you’ll be glad to know that, just like the ceremony in the movie, it does smoothen itself out towards the end. All the usual suspects are still present, with Jim, Stifler, Finch and Kevin all coming back. Tara Reid, Mena Suvari and Chris Klein are all no-shows though, but it’s not a big loss. Chris Klein’s character Oz always seemed forced to me, as he was the only one who had a story they didn’t really need to tell. (He may have been written in to pander to the sentimental, girly crowd, but maybe that’s just me.) In my mind, Kevin and Oz are essentially the same character, so I suppose just one of them is enough for this installment.
Although this is basically Jim’s story, it’s Stifler who saves this movie from being mediocre, and it’s a pretty narrow save at that. Seann William Scott is the only actor in the movie who is actually given a workout, and it feels a little thin because of this imbalance. Where the first movie gave equal emphasis to all four characters, this third movie knows what works and leans heavily on it for their money shots. The funny sequences basically involve a) embarassing Jim (6 times) or b) having Stifler act like a jack-ass (most of the movie).
Using our patented non-rating, I give this movie 2 out of 4 stars.
There are some choice moments to be sure, but unfortunately, none that will stick in your mind quite as well as say, the first time you watched Jim doing a warm apple pie.