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The third and concluding chapter of the American Pie theatrical saga. After this movie the series shifted to a string of Straight to DVD sequels labeled “American Pie presents…” Next year will see American Pie The Reunion bringing all the old faces back, some of which bailed out early in this installment. All the girls but Michelle are nowhere to be found and from the guys even Oz is gone without a trace or a mention. They don’t even show up for the wedding of Jim and Michelle.
As is tradition by now the pre-credits opening scene has Jim in a sexually awkward position. This time he wants to propose to Michelle during a diner but several hints by him are interpreted by her as a request to give him a blow-job from under the diner table which of course she immediately does. What was once seen as a mere band geek is now a chick all of us would like to have. After proposing in a full restaurant with his pants on the ground and an erection clearly visible it’s time to start planning the wedding and as Stifler mentions: a bachelor party.
American Wedding basically makes Stifler the lead character. This guy is funny in small doses and hilarious when he gets the short end of the straw. Being the most popular character of the two previous movies it’s not hard to see why they moved him front and center and the rest of the cast either takes a setback or doesn’t participate at all. I found Stifler here to be more mean than he was, even more of a loose cannon. Stifler in parts 1 and 2 might have been a douche as well, the Stifler in those movies didn’t seem to me to be a guy to go into a house and change up the letters on a wedding cake while laughing hysterically. Stifler was a guy following his dick, this Stifler seems disgruntled. Also he was a guy who was in control to a certain level, he organized parties and such, not the guy to walk into a room and flip a random set of switches accidentally turning a cooler off. That would be more something for Jim to do, who does get his fair share of mishaps in this movie as well.
The movie mostly centers around the guys and their bachelor party antics and Jim trying to make a good impression on his parents-in-law which seems kind of strange as they have been dating for three years now and he still doesn’t have to seem to met her parents and her younger sister Cadence played by a pre-Mad Men January Jones. She becomes the affection of both Stifler and Finch who mirror each others characters in order to seem more interesting to her.
As with all American Pie movies there are a couple of moments the movie really shines and those moments will be long remembered afterwards. In this case a dance off in a gay bar by Stifler and a bachelor party gone wrong featuring two surgically enhanced women in a police and maid outfit. There are also some in-laws and a covered in chocolate Finch included in that scene.
Yet this movie doesn’t really feel like an American Pie movie, it differs in tone and look from the first two movies and the movie centers on Jim and Stifler mostly. Despite being front and center on the poster and the one who is going to wed Michelle basically plays secondary character. Her sister Cadence gets more screen time as she’s the fuel to the feud of Finch and Stifler. Even Kevin, who did show up unlike Oz, is just there as a recognizable face returning for the audiences. He had little to do than just be a part of the gang. I can understand the others refusing to reprise their roles when they have little or nothing to do but then again did they have anything better to do? How did Rollerball work out for you mr. Klein?
Though not a bad movie, it really isn’t a great one either. It pales in comparison to the first two movies. Sure it tries to cover new ground unlike the second movie which was just a retread of the first one but I have the feeling there could have been more to it.
