Movies, talk shows, doesn’t matter. He just makes me laugh. A lot. And I mean that in a the very best way possible. I *heart* Seann!
As such, his character of Steve Stifler was one of my favorite things about this delightfully obscene and often wickedly cringe-worthy second sequel to the movie that made everyone look twice at the multiple uses for an otherwise benign apple pie. This time around, the gang is reunited for the match-made-in-heaven nuptials of previously sex-starved Jim (the wonderfully neurotic Jason Biggs) and erstwhile nymphomaniac Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). Stifler – as boorish, crass and prolifically profane as ever – isn’t invited, but wedges himself into all the proceedings nonetheless, waging a personality war against Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) for the affections of Michelle’s virginal sister (January Jones) along the way. And, naturally, Jim’s dad (Eugene Levy) hovers throughout to offer his sage, paternal advice to anyone looking to listen.
Typical wedding-related hijinks ensue as the boys wreak havoc on everything from Jim’s engagement party to the search for Michelle’s dream dress to a bachelor party that flies off the rails almost immediately. An extended sequence in a gay bar drags out the journey to its inevitable punchline, but still plays well. Gross-out humor and sexual innuendo are, of course, packed into just about every frame, and I guarantee that no one will ever be able to think of chocolate truffles in the same way again after seeing this film.
But beneath the lighthearted and irreverent tone lies a kind of sweet little romance between Jim and Michelle. And – dare I say it? – one scene, in particular…well, one shot, actually…had me a little choked up. It’s right near the end of the movie, as Michelle’s tearful parents watch their newly married daughter share a dance with her husband. Something about the quiet emotion in their eyes got to me! In an American Pie movie, for crying out loud! Who’da thunk it?
So why only 5 slices?
Well, the plot is fairly thin, and the story is basically a set up for one gag after another. Some of the sequences run too long and others, despite having the audience in stitches, feel derivative of moments from the first two films. January Jones sports an extremely distracting wig throughout the film, Nikki Schieler Ziering (who plays a dominatrix) sports surgically enhanced breasts that may frighten some moviegoers, and Thomas Ian Nicholas (who plays Kevin) is relegated to nothing more than set dressing. The poor boy has all of about three lines of dialogue and doesn’t seem to serve any purpose in the film beyond fulfilling the requirements of his contract by showing up.
Overall, as far as low-brow sex-comedy films go, American Wedding isn’t half bad and easily meets all of its requirements (sex? check! nudity? check! profanity? check!) in a timely fashion. While it might not be for everyone, and sensitive viewers may wish to skip it when making their multiplex selections, it does deliver on all the promises established in the first two sex-centric outings of Jim and his pals.
