American Pie 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

American Pie 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Better on the second bite

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 11, 2012

The one ingredient of 1999's "American Pie” that I disliked the most was its willingness to hide behind a declaration of reverence to the John Hughes oeuvre of the 1980s, a collection of features that are held in such high esteem today. The effort attempted to shoehorn serious drama into all the pie-humping and semen-guzzling, taking itself too seriously in the end to conjure a universal mood of maturing youth. I didn't find the movie funny and I certainly did not find it profound. "American Pie 2” uses its head this time around. Ditching the embarrassing sentimentality, this loose and comfortable sequel is played almost entirely for laughs. Thank heavens for the change in direction. The production has made a simplified sequel that’s miles ahead of its predecessor.

The first year of college is over for Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas). Reuniting back in East Great Falls to trade stories about sexual escapades and university life, the boys find themselves having to deal with the women (Tara Reid, Alyson Hannigan, Mena Suvari, and Shannon Elizabeth) they rudely left behind. Determined to make the most out of the promising summer, the guys, along with their revolting but affluent friend Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott), decide to rent a beach house to help sort out their confused, combustible lives. Running into mischievous lesbians, masturbation sessions stymied by Krazy Glue, the wonders of band camp, Jim's Dad (the invaluable Eugene Levy), Stifler's Mom (Jennifer Coolidge), and parties galore, the four young men learn valuable life lessons as they awkwardly navigate all the tomfoolery of their summer break.

Taking over for departing helmers Paul and Chris Weitz, longtime Farrelly Brothers co-conspirator J.B. Rogers assumes control of "American Pie 2," building on his time as a first assistant director on the original picture. In working with the Farrellys for most of his career, Rogers knows the value of a smutty, slightly silly joke. Although he failed to showcase any noticeable directorial aptitude in his 2001 debut, the incest comedy "Say It Isn't So," his flat, flavorless style fits in perfectly with this low-hanging franchise centered on the horndog exploits of teenagers. Dull looking and hastily assembled, Rogers doesn’t awaken the possibilities of the premise, but he does understand the need to keep the picture rolling along as quickly as possible, tossing out jokes like parade candy.

Rogers keeps "American Pie 2" on a surprisingly steady balancing act between the shock comedy audiences expect and the generous laughs he squeezes out of his enormous cast, with most of the ensemble returning for a second round of mischief. Set pieces of outrageous humiliation, including Jim gluing himself to his genitals or his adventures at Michelle's (Hannigan) band camp, should please fans who adored the rather outlandish (and intricate) attempts at big laughs that littered the original "American Pie." My pleasures with "American Pie 2" derived primarily from the situations between the booming gross-out scenarios. Fun stuff such as Finch's tantric studies, Oz's attempts at phone sex, and of course, adventures involving the incorrigible Stifler.

Steve Stifler, a small supporting character in "American Pie," has been upgraded to a leading character for the sequel, and the film benefits from his expanded presence. Vulgar, misogynistic, maybe even a little homophobic, Stifler is an abhorrent character brought vividly to life by Sean William Scott. Getting the lion's share of the laughs with his broad machismo and gloriously filthy mouth, Scott and screenwriter Adam Herz make a smart choice to never play Stifler as a complete idiot or monster. He's just a little dim and uncontrollably determined. The character impregnates "American Pie 2" with a bawdy vibe the rest of the film is desperate to master -- the best decision the production made was to give Stifler a little more to do this time around.

The entire cast of "American Pie 2" has done quite a bit of growing up since the original. Once gawky and amateurish, the ensemble now begins to reveal some genuine screen comfort. With the exception of the foggy Chris Klein, this group of young performers arrives ready to have fun and probe their characters a little deeper. Biggs and Hannigan show the most growth of the cast as Jim and Michelle explore an unexpectedly tender relationship, giving both actors a chance to be comical and sweet. On the other end, Reid and Nicholas suffer the most from the overflowing cauldron of characters. Either severely cut down or just not a priority to Herz, the two actors share the picture's most honest relationship situation (as former lovers trying to remain friends), yet the movie just isn't interested in them. It leaves the two with minimal screen time. The emphasis is placed squarely on comedy for the sequel, which is perhaps the best approach to the “Pie” concept. I'm willing to forgive a little shortchanging in the character development department if it means legitimate laughs this time around.

American Pie 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The VC-1 encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation carries a certain age, lacking a recent scan that could pull out a little more freshness to an 11-year-old film. The viewing experience is slightly off, presenting a darker image with a muted color palette, bringing down the youthful energy of the movie. Skintones vary, looking unnatural at times, drained of life. Shadow detail is on the solid side, with limited clarity when approaching dense fabrics, hairstyles, and low-lit distances. Fine detail is acceptable but never extraordinary, good with facial textures and some beachgoing shenanigans. While certainly a step up from the previous DVD release, "American Pie 2" doesn't make a bold impression on BD, lacking the flat, crisp sense of colorful cartoonish mayhem it was meant to have.

American Pie 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix carries itself solidly, with a good frontal position for primary dialogue exchanges, maintaining a hearty command of performances with strong, deep voices sustaining placement without stepping over one another. Group activity tends to feel out into the surrounds in a mild manner, effectively registering echo and expanse, with comfortable rear activity for party and concert sequences. Soundtrack selections are powerful without introducing chaos, supplying crisp instrumentation and a solid low-end response, bringing some heft to the thin shenanigans. Nicely layered without expanding into a truly formidable sonic force, the "Pie 2" mix finds a secure level of engagement.

American Pie 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with director J.B. Rogers provides more of a filmmaker perspective, with the helmer (who worked on the original picture) walking through scenes, pointing out the tricks and challenges the production faced while attempting to rebuild the world of "American Pie." An affable fellow, Rogers is more conversational than hardcore technical.

• Commentary with writer Adam Herz offers a more personal approach, discussing the emotional foundation of the effort and the complicated juggling of characters -- a feat that required some uncomfortable pruning as the movie entered its editorial stage. Lots of dead spots here, but when Herz finds inspiration, he offers an interesting creative perspective.

• Commentary with actors Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, and Thomas Ian Nicholas is more of a party atmosphere, finding the three performers simply watching the movie, pointing out their favorite lines and scenes. Biggs is the most motivated commentator, but that doesn't mean much on this track, which tends to lose itself to unfocused chitchat and dead spots.

• Commentary by actor Eddie Kaye Thomas is the strangest offering on the disc, finding the performer tasked to talk up scenes he wasn't involved in. Thomas perks up when his character arrives onscreen, but the majority of the track is devoted to dead spots, empty platitudes, and more dead spots.

(Surely these four uneven tracks could've been edited into one super-commentary experience, right?)

• Deleted Scenes (10:58, SD) primarily fill out conversations between the characters, exploring college life, fear of the post-college future, and romantic neuroses. There are also a few comedic tangents to explore.

• Outtakes (5:28 SD) is a routine collection of mix-em-ups, capturing cast camaraderie, blown lines, and giggle fits.

• "The Baking of 'American Pie 2'" (24:01, SD) is a traditional promotional featurette, mixing on-set hijinks with backstage discussion, highlighting interviews with most of the cast and crew. The effort looks to reintroduce the world to these characters, highlighting their dramatic arcs and penchant for troublemaking. It's thin, but there's plenty of BTS footage to distract from rehearsed feel of the featurette.

• "'American Reunion:' A Look Inside" (3:58, HD) is a featurette/commercial for the fourth installment of the series, collecting brief interviews with the cast and crew, who essentially explore the plot and detail updated characterizations.

• "Good Times with the Cast & Crew" (5:17, SD) gathers BTS tomfoolery with the cast, who share big laughs and small pranks as they assemble to make a sequel.

• "Be Like That" (4:12, SD) is a music video from the band Three Doors Down, mixing performance footage with film clips.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:19, SD), with Jason Biggs intro, is included.

American Pie 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ditching a sense of significance to attack shenanigans with a jollier approach of summertime monkey business, "American Pie 2" bests the original in numerous ways. A side of sweetness doesn't hurt either, helping to expand this crowded movie into fresh realms of interpersonal communication and declarations of love.