American Pie - Rated Version

Rating:
Summary: A Film As Wholesome As Warm Apple Pie...Sort Of
Review: This was one of the best teen flicks I have seen since Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Eugene Levy is hilarious as the nerdy horny father who is always helping his son.

But I guess I won't be sending any of my kids to "band camp."



Rating:
Summary: People pay money to see this?!
Review: I think this film says more of the insecurities of the film makers than anything else. This film made me realise why many people don't like America, and is little wonder why Americans seem to relate to it. The high school "dudes" treat women in the same way that their politicians treat foreign countries.

Rating:
Summary: Never gets old!
Review: If my husband and I get bored on a Saturday we just pop in the American Pie series. It's so funny how watching these crazy guys try and lose their virginities by prom night never gets old! This movie is also highly recommended for parties, because with a group of people it gets so much more funny!
Though, if you are not entertained by crude humor and language then this movie is not for you.

Rating:
Summary: A teenage movie with lots of laughs for adults
Review: There have been a lot of movies about frustrated teenage virgins, but American Pie is one of the better, funnier ones. A parent could find fault with some parts of it; for example, none of the negative consequences of teenage sexual activity is shown, and the concept of abstinence is a total joke. But who says that all movies, especially funny movies, have to preach? There is a certain honesty and sensitivity in this movie that is refreshing. Also, if watched together, American Pie might serve as a good icebreaker between parents and their teenagers - in preparation for that "serious" talk.

Rating:
Summary: Someone help me with this noose!
Review: Sweet Beejesuz this is one bad movie. I suppose it appeals to an age bracket oh, roughly 14 years and 1 day old to 14 years and three days old. They'd find it a riot. If you're over 14 and still find it funny, get help imediately since you must suffer from retarded development. I'm male myself and like some female reviewers I despise the ida of portraying women solely as sex objects. Y'know if George Washington had realized that his fledging state would get as desperate as this he'd have packed his bags and emigrated to Canada right then and let the British rule America. I still blame the British for starting the whole gawdawful genre with garbage like Benny Hill. Oh hee hee it's all sooooo funny!

Rating:
Summary: Want some laughs?
Review: I'm not entirely sure why I decided that I had to see this film for myself, and the usual explanation of insanity doesn't quite work in this case. To be honest with you, when this film was finished, I wound up hating it a lot less than I honestly thought I would, although the content of this film still doesn't quite sit in my stomach too well. I had been told that American Pie was the best comedy of 1999 by various people, but the advertising campaign had led me to believe that it was just another film created by the sorts of minds that believe all human beings between the ages of 15 and 21 have identical motivations and personalities. While the film didn't quite go far enough to counteract this impression, it is entertaining enough to make the average viewer forget about the shallow characterization and enjoy the story as it unfolds. The story, such as it is, revolves around a foursome of male adolescents who are about to graduate from high school and step out into the big bad world of college and so on and so forth. Essentially, after being led to believe that the class nerd has just succeeded in talking a female into going to bed with him, these four teens make a pact to do the same before prom night, come hell or high water. The main characters are introduced to the viewer at a breakneck pace, and it takes some getting used to before the film settles comfortably in one's mind. In the end, most of the characters are relegated to props, with only Jim, his friends, and the young women they pursue gaining any real significance in the picture. Still, this is a better arrangement than some films I could mention, such as The Crow: City Of Angels.
However, this is probably the biggest problem with the film, as the vast majority of the characters are never quite fleshed out enough for the viewer to feel any particular sympathy for them as they go through their inevitable humiliations and struggles. I also found it difficult to relate to these characters, as there was no real detail to their portraitures, which makes the changes and developments in each character that are meant to advance the story seem more like a change in hair colour than any genuine change in character. However, Jim (Jason Biggs), the character that much of the story is told from the perspective of, does manage to carry the story because of the way we see him change as a human being from the beginning of the film to its end. His father (Eugene Levy) also manages to inject a dose of welcome humour into the proceedings. Other characters, such as Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), Oz (Chris Klein) and Jessica (Natasha Lyonne) help to flesh out the story of the film enough to sustain interest. As entertaining as the film was, however, American Pie seems little more than an updated clone of such direct-to-video B-grade releases from the 1980s as Porky's or Hot Chili. Sometimes things from the past are better off remaining there, if you know what I mean.

In any case, if you're after a quick, brainless laugh, then American Pie is a film designed with you in mind. It is crude, it is ugly, and it is shallow, but the comedic factor of the film makes it a reasonable way to spend ninety minutes. It is worthy of a rental, at least.


Rating:
Summary: It's safer then a tube sock
Review: Choosing a title for the review for this movie was one of the hardest jobs for a review I have done so far. "Hey Stifler, how's the pale ale?" or "he pets the old one eyed snake four or five times a day." I settled for "it's safer then a tube sock," but it was a tough choice, just for the record, on to the movie review.

Paul Weitz directs this movie, and really, American Pie is his only mentionable work as a director. He produced American Pie 2, American Wedding, and wrote the screenplay for Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. In terms of directing, he did also direct About a Boy. Weitz did a very good job in this movie not over working any one particular character. I would even say there isn't one lead character, though it seems to be Jason Biggs (Jim) because it delves into his family life. However, you aren't so focused on his character, that he bores you, as Stifler, Oz, Kevin, and Finch get enough camera time that you have a solid feel for their characters.

You have to give Weitz a lot of credit for the way he develops the characters, and their personalities enough so that you feel you know what kind of kid each character resembles in the movie from your own personal experiences. I must say, the high school has a very strong "Gap," feeling to it, with little to no minorities in the movie other then the kid from Harold and Kumar, and you see no one walking around in "Hot Topics" clothes, with crazy piercing or anything. Nevertheless, you still feel some sort of way towards each character, I would have hated him, he would have sat at our lunch table, etc, etc.

American Pie was developed very well, with really strong characters, that seemed like ordinary kids, in an ordinary high school, with ordinary parents, in less then ordinary situations. It is definitely a very entertaining film, funny film, with funny characters, but also makes you realize how quickly your high school life flashed before your eyes while you were too blind to notice it. This is a movie that belongs in everyone's DVD collection, young (older then fifteen) or old.

Grade: A