AMERICAN PIE 2 - Blu-ray review

After the massive success of the original film, it was inevitable that the gang would return for a sequel. Screenwriter Adam Herz returns to pen "American Pie 2" though the Weitz Brothers serve only as producers. The director this time around is J.B. Rogers, who had worked as a second unit director for the Farrelly Brothers, making him a wise choice to helm this second helping of dirty jokes and gratuitous nudity.

It's been a year since the events of the first picture and the quintet of Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and Stifler (Seann William Scott) are reunited for a summer of fun at a lake house in Grand Harbor, Michigan. At first, their vacation might not be as exciting as previously thought. Oz misses his girlfriend Heather (Mena Suvari), who is studying abroad in Europe. Kevin has broken up with Vicky (Tara Reid) and can't deal with being stuck in the friend zone. Finch is unable to find love as nothing can compare to his one night tryst with Stifler's Mom (Jennifer Coolidge). Jim is as hapless as ever, but things are looking up when Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) comes back to the United States and wants to drop by for a visit. Not wanting a repeat of their last encounter, Jim seeks advice from the girl that busted his cherry, Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), the band geek.

"American Pie" wasn't a particularly clever or inventive comedy and the sequel is a pale imitation filled with recycled gags desperately trying to recapture the feel of its predecessor. In a franchise tradition, "American Pie 2" opens with Jim being embarrassed yet again. This time, he's awkwardly trying to have sex in his dorm room when his parents and the girl's parents walk in on them. Later, he tries faking his way through a trombone solo at Michelle's band camp and gets his hand superglued to his penis. The Nadia sequence is replaced here by a scene where Stifler, Finch, and Jim break into the house of two gorgeous ladies that they believe to be lesbians. The women tease their trespassers with girl on girl action by forcing them to perform similar acts on each other. Rather than being shown on the internet, the scene is broadcast over radio waves to nearby residents.

"American Pie 2" feels like a haphazard cash grab with little thought put into the actual story. It seems like the filmmakers thought up a few gross-out gags first, then built the rest of the movie around them. None of them are particularly funny either, unless you find the idea of Jason Biggs getting a trumpet up his ass hilarious. The sequel also suffers from a lack of interesting female characters with Heather, Vicky, Jessica (Natasha Lyonne), and Nadia barely factoring into the film. At least, Alyson Hannigan gets a bigger role this time around even if, some of her eccentric personality has been dulled.

Video:
The video is presented in 1080p with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Much like the transfer for the first film's Blu-ray, the sequel suffers from a soft image and a muted color palette. Universal likely used an existing transfer rather than giving it a fresh coat of paint.

Audio:
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The sound is solid, primarily driven by crisp dialogue and complimented by the soundtrack.

Extras:
The Blu-ray features four audio commentary tracks though the producers should have taken heed of the old adage of quality over quantity. You'll get three solo tracks with director J.B. Rogers, writer Adam Herz, and Eddie Kaye Thomas as well as a group track with Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari (who is barely in the film), and Thomas Ian Nicholas. They would have been better served to edit these tracks together and pick out the gems.

The Baking of American Pie 2 (24:01) is a vintage behind-the-scenes look at the making of the sequel.

American Reunion: A Look Inside (3:58) is the same promo for the new film that's available on the other "American Pie" Blu-rays.

Good Times with the Cast and Crew (5:17) looks at on-set shenanigans as the cast and crew goof around during production.

Rounding out the disc are deleted scenes and an outtakes reel. Released as a combo pack, the "American Pie 2" also includes a DVD version of the film and a Digital Copy.

Just like the other "American Pie" releases, the Blu-ray does not feature a main menu. Instead, the unrated version plays automatically and bonus material can only be accessed through the pop-up menu.

Film Value:
Fans of the first "American Pie" will argue that the movie is more than just bare breasts and poop jokes. It had heart. While I don't necessarily agree, I understand how someone could come to that conclusion. I cannot possibly understand how anyone could come to the same conclusion about the second film.