There's something missing from this latest American Pie movie. I can't put my finger on it, but the fact is it didn't feel like an American Pie movie. Yes, the gross out humor was there. Yes, most of the cast was there. And yet, it felt more like a spin-off than a sequel. Here are a few reasons I've decided it comes off that way: for starters, the lack of half the cast is much more evident than I thought it would be. While it's completely understandable how Nadia, Vicky, and Jessica would be left out of this one, it really would have been nice to see Oz back with the gang (and by extension Heather, even if she just gave a cameo). I know he wasn't all that funny in Part 2 and writer Adam Herz said there wasn't a lot of comedic potential left for his character. I remember going in thinking "As long a I've got Stiffler and Jim's dad I'm a happy guy", but I really did miss the other characters. And no Sherman??? He could easily have had a small role somewhere. I mean Lord, they gave Stiffler's mom a cameo that makes absolutely no sense. So I'm not buying the "I couldn't find a way to work him in" excuse. It was a family reunion with only half the family. There's something strange about seeing Jim, Finch, and Kevin sitting at a bar without Oz right there with them. I wasn't expecting that. I thought by getting rid of some of the less amusing characters, trimming the fat if you will, sounded like a good idea. But the absence is felt. Oz should have been there. There was even a great oppurtunity to bring back Nadia had they chose to. There's a subplot that they start to explore and then forget about where Jim wonders if he's sure he's making the right decision. He asks his dad if he was wrong to pass on Nadia. I thought it would have been logical for him to test himself by contacting her. And of course he'd have realized his true love for Michelle in the process yada yada yada... but it would have been a better personal story for Jim. As it stands in the finished film, he does not have one. He, like the other friends, exist only to tell Stiffler what a horrible person he is.
Another thing that bugged me was the shifting of an ensemble story to a strong emphasis on just one character. And it's not even Jim. It's Stiffler. He is essentially the main character of the movie and while Sean William Scott is unbeliavably hilarious, that character worked better as a supporting role. I did enjoy seeing another side of him, but not at the expense of reducing Jim to his sidekick and cutting Kevin out of the picture completely. I know Stiffler's a popular character, but I think the film would have been better had it focused more on the pre-wedding fiascos of Jim and Michelle(Hell, that's the title!). I also didn't like how out of character some of the cast behaved. Michelle was just not herself. She was not the same person she was in the last one, which was a great performance. I know they had to make her the leading lady, but even when they try for some genuine "Michelle Moments" they come off as forced and illogical. This is the girl that shoved a trumpet up Jim's fanny. This time around she had little to do except cry over some dead flowers. They completely wasted her and Kevin. A lot of people didn't like Kevin in the last one and I say it's because they never gave him a chance to do anything good. His best scenes were cut from Part 2 and in this one he's just set dressing while the spotlight shines firmly on Stiffler. Big mistake. The whole bond of these four guys (Jim, Oz, Kevin, and Finch) is thrown out the window so we can see the sensitive side of Stiffler.
Don't get me wrong, the movie accomplishes its most important goal: it's funny. Very funny. I know this review sounds negative, but I don't feel like I wasted my $10. I came to laugh and that's exactly what I did. The gross out humor and fantastic one liners did not disapoint. I just wish it had stayed true to the tone of the first two. It's not a bad movie at all, but like I said it just doesn't really feel like an American Pie movie.
Another thing that bugged me was the shifting of an ensemble story to a strong emphasis on just one character. And it's not even Jim. It's Stiffler. He is essentially the main character of the movie and while Sean William Scott is unbeliavably hilarious, that character worked better as a supporting role. I did enjoy seeing another side of him, but not at the expense of reducing Jim to his sidekick and cutting Kevin out of the picture completely. I know Stiffler's a popular character, but I think the film would have been better had it focused more on the pre-wedding fiascos of Jim and Michelle(Hell, that's the title!). I also didn't like how out of character some of the cast behaved. Michelle was just not herself. She was not the same person she was in the last one, which was a great performance. I know they had to make her the leading lady, but even when they try for some genuine "Michelle Moments" they come off as forced and illogical. This is the girl that shoved a trumpet up Jim's fanny. This time around she had little to do except cry over some dead flowers. They completely wasted her and Kevin. A lot of people didn't like Kevin in the last one and I say it's because they never gave him a chance to do anything good. His best scenes were cut from Part 2 and in this one he's just set dressing while the spotlight shines firmly on Stiffler. Big mistake. The whole bond of these four guys (Jim, Oz, Kevin, and Finch) is thrown out the window so we can see the sensitive side of Stiffler.
Don't get me wrong, the movie accomplishes its most important goal: it's funny. Very funny. I know this review sounds negative, but I don't feel like I wasted my $10. I came to laugh and that's exactly what I did. The gross out humor and fantastic one liners did not disapoint. I just wish it had stayed true to the tone of the first two. It's not a bad movie at all, but like I said it just doesn't really feel like an American Pie movie.