American Pie 2 Review
By Joe Lozito
"Pie" and "Pie" Again
Writer Adam Herz must have had a very strange childhood. For him, it seems, sexual experimentation and humiliation go hand in hand. In his 1999 "American Pie", which updated the "Porky's" genre for a new generation, the would-be hero Jim (Jason Biggs), in his quest to lose his virginity, has his first sexual encounter with the title pastry and is caught in the act by his father (Eugene Levy). Apple Pie only has a brief cameo in the sequel "American Pie 2", but the sexual shenanigans continue in full force.
"American Pie 2", like most sequels, follows the structure of its predecessor almost to the letter. Despite losing their collective virginities in the previous film, Jim and his friends are no less randy here. Not only are jokes rehashed, but situations are only slightly retooled. Again, Seann William Scott's boisterous Stifler hits rock bottom at a party; again a sexual moment is broadcast (this time, in an odd technological leap backwards, a CB takes the place of the internet) to the community; and again Jason Biggs' put-upon Jim is held up to unbelievable public shame. Really, it's amazing Jim can even walk out of the house. Perhaps it's a tribute to Jim's father, played again by Eugene Levy, who steals every scene he graces with his masterful comic timing.
In a sense, Mr. Herz' writing structure follows that of a porn film - just exchange the climaxes with scenes of utter embarrassment. The writer had the unenviable task of somehow incorporating a large cast of characters believably into the sequel and he does manage to squeeze them all in. But believability doesn't seem to have been the foremost on Mr. Herz' mind. And regardless, his cast - most of whom are making a career playing variations on these roles - somehow makes the material work. Mr. Herz knows these characters and so does the audience. For this sequel it's enough fun to sit back and watch them go through the motions, as humiliating as that might be for all involved.
