American Wedding (2003) User Reviews

Chocolate truffles anyone?

[jotix100 · 6/10 · 5 July 2005]

This is the third installment in the life of Jim Levenstein and his friends. "American Wedding" seems to point out there will be follow up movies perhaps. Why not? This formula has produced three films and could "American Children", "American Divorce", "American Single Dad", etc. will be too far behind? Jesse Dylan directs this one.

The film is typical of the gross movie genre. The only excuse to watch this one is Seann William Scott, who as the obnoxious Steve Stifler, is at his nastiest self in the film. Stifler has great moments, such as in the sequence involving the rescue of the ring that one of the dogs has have swallowed! Jason Biggs, the groom of the film, seems to be playing second fiddle as Seann William Scott's part was made more important to his own, which in a way is what keeps the film alive because the nerdy Jim doesn't elicit much fun when he shows on screen. Eugene Levy, Fred Willard and Deborah Rush have good moments in the film.

Let's just hope the people behind these installments will see the light and put all these characters to rest and give us more of Mr. Scott in his own vehicles.

Too much Stifler .... slapstick with some of the gang missing

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 December 2013]

Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) are getting married. We get introduced to Michelle's family (Fred Willard, Deborah Rush, January Jones). The gang is back. Sadly for Jim and Michelle, so is Stifler (Seann William Scott). He insists on butting in on their lives. If only Jim doesn't need Stifler to teach him how to dance.

It's one outrageous setup after another. Certainly the humor level is the expected level we've come to love from the previous two movies. There are some missing actors like Chris Klein and the girls. The franchise is resting on much fewer hands. It is mostly Stifler going crazy and embarrassing Jim at every turn. Without the rest of the cast, this is too much Stifler. It becomes a slapstick sitcom with much of the heart missing.

The Best kind of Pie

[stevepkp4 · 7/10 · 10 September 2003]

It was lacking some ingrediants, or cast members, but only an AMERICAN PIE movie could make good of that issue.Its had a great soundtrack, like the others It is hard to say which AMERICAN PIE installment is the best cause there all just one outrageous saga. This is a great (supposed) finish to the AMERICAN PIE series. Id say AMERICAN WEDDING had more laughs that both its predeccesors, even though i never thought that would be possible. It also was a little sweeter. Id consider it more of a Wedding cake. if you liked the first one and second, or at least one of those two, u like this one equally or better. AMERICAN WEDDING delivers a super slice of guilty, raunchy pleasure. You laugh and laugh, and still laugh even the 20th time u watch it...

Long Live the Stifman!

[Buddy-51 · 9 May 2004]

There's one thing you have to say for `American Wedding': like the two `American Pie' films that came before it, it is unapologetically unashamed of its shamelessness. Here's a film that doesn't try to hide its gleeful perverseness under a bushel of coy double entendres; instead the film revels in its frank and openhearted treatment of sexuality and lust. `American Wedding' is clearly a comedy about sex and it doesn't pretend to be anything but. Whether this is a good thing or a bad will, I suppose, depend on your own affinity and tolerance for jokes and images that routinely push the boundaries of common decency and good taste. In fact, the film wears its tastelessness almost as a badge of honor. And just in case you're unfamiliar with this series and its brand of humor, subtlety and wit are not considered virtues in an `American Pie' world.

In `American Wedding,' Jim and Michelle - he a self-described pervert and she a self-described nympho - have finally agreed to tie the knot. The film centers around Jim's attempts to convince Michelle's square, uptight, sexually repressed parents that he is indeed husband material for their less-than-innocent daughter. The problem is that his efforts are consistently being undermined by the inane, out-of-control antics of Steve Stifler, the foulest-mouthed, dirtiest-minded professional adolescent this side of Bluto Blutarsky. Seann William Scott, in fact, steals the show as Stifler, providing an over-the-top manic energy that is both endearing and infectious.

Indeed, without Stifler, there would be precious little to recommend this particular `American' outing. The jokes and setups, for the most part, are crude and graphic without being very imaginative, and writer Adam Herz and director Jesse Dylan, even when they hit on an inspired piece of silliness (as when Stiffler winds up dancing mano a mano with a guy in a gay bar), end up diluting the humor by letting the scenes drag on well past the point where they're truly funny anymore. This is not to say that there aren't a few good laughs in `American Wedding,' just that they don't come often enough to really lift the film much above the ordinary. Luckily, the funny moments increase a bit in the final stretches of the movie. In the film's defense, I would also add that, like its two predecessors and unlike many sexually charged teen comedies, `American Wedding' conveys a certain affection for its characters. In addition to Stifler, Jason Biggs as Jim and Eugene Levy as Jim's befuddled but strangely tolerant and supportive father come across as decent, well-meaning and likable individuals.

The film itself may be uneven, but as a character actor who makes an indelible impression on the material at hand, Scott is the genuine article. He transforms what is essentially cinematic rotgut into sweet-tasting vintage wine. All hail the Stifman!

Fun

[jack_o_hasanov_imdb · 6/10 · 27 August 2021]

Although it was a bad movie, it was fun to watch.

I wouldn't recommend it, but I would also recommend it, if you want to have fun.

Still a Worthy Comedy Franchise!

[mjw2305 · 7/10 · 10 February 2006]

The gangs back together, and now there having to cope with life after college (sadly Oz, Heather, Nadia, Jessica and Vicki have all moved on, oh! and the shermanator 'but He'll Be Back! in Band Camp; but that's another story) So with a new environment and only half the original cast, how does the third in the series shape up? I'm glad to say that it still carry's on the Pie tradition, Jim still finds himself in the most embarrassing of situations, Stiffler's still hell bent on one thing and Jim's dad is still offering his own unique brand of advice to anyone who'll listen.

Overall the gags are lacking the freshness they once had, but with some new characters and some great comedy scenes the American Pie hasn't quite crumbled yet.

7/10

Not as good as the first two ...

[chamerski · 6/10 · 1 August 2003]

While it has it's share of terrific scenes and Seann William Scott is a comic genius - American Pie - The Wedding (which it's known as here in Australia) isn't quite as good as the first two. The reason seems to be that things seem much more contrived this time out, and not as spontaneous as the original was. The highlight is obviously the bachelor party scene which has some great moments for Finch, Stifler and Jim, but there aren't as many laughs as in the first two, which is a shame. Add to this a dull opening act (things don't get going until Stifler enters the scene) and lots of filler where not much really goes on, American Pie - The Wedding is a good but not great, possible end to a nonetheless fine comedy series. But here's hoping that Stifler and the rest of the team have one more of these in them, because they're such appealing movies even when they're not laugh-out-loud funny.

Wanted mightily to love it!

[jdimeo · 4/10 · 25 May 2005]

Let me start by saying that I am passionately in love with Seann William Scott. I think he's one of the finest pieces of man ever to grace the screen, for so many reasons.

Secondly, I'm a huge, HUGE fan of both American Pie I and II. I could watch both of them over and over again, and have, as a matter of fact.

But American Wedding SUCKED. It felt hollow, empty, and painful. It was like watching a former beauty queen drunkenly struggle into a pair of too-tight pantyhose. There was no dignity about this movie, no joy, no lighter-than-air charm. What happened to all the strong, delightful females? What happened to Oz? Nobody even mentions him. How sad, and what an unforgivable oversight.

Even my beloved SWS came across as gimmicky and self-conscious. Stifler isn't endearing anymore; the actor knows he's a hot commodity, and that all eyes are on him. Quite frankly, he buckles under the pressure. (I'm sorry, Seannie, but it's how I feel).

I came away from this movie feeling quite forlorn. I'd been expecting so much, but received so little. Even the audio commentary with SWS did nothing to allay my blues, because he ends up sounding like nothing more than a typical San Fernando Valley "like, ya know, oh man, dude, kinda like"...doofus.

Sigh. I've heard he's a doll in real life. And maybe he's a pistol in the sack. We can only hope.

I laughed, I laughed some more, I almost threw up, and laughed some more.

[Professor Chaos · 10/10 · 2 August 2003]

I gave this movie a 10 out of 10 because for a comedy it made me laugh continuously. Not a minute was wasted. Even if the situation was totally absurd, as many were, the conviction of the actors in their roles was enough to keep it going. Stiffler and Finch's rivalry reached new highs and lows in this one as they compete for the affections of Michelles virgin little sister Cadence. Fred Willards addition in this third movie was welcome, even if his role was subtle.

I can't think of anything bad to say about this movie. The plots were simple but believable.. How complex can a wedding story be anyways. It made sense, it was funny, it was definately funnier than the second american pie movie.. im not going to say it was funnier than the first but I definately laughed longer and harder in this one. Well done. Plus Alyson Hannigan is somehow getting hotter as the movies progress.

If you like the others you'll like this!

[muamba_eats_toast · 7/10 · 21 July 2020]

Not quite at previous heights but more than enough laughs to make this worthwhile!

The Weakest of the Series but Still Worth Watching

[christian123 · 5/10 · 6 July 2005]

American Wedding is the weakest of the series but its still very funny and very enjoyable to watch. Jim and Michelle are getting married and Jim wants nothing wrong to happen. Stifler is going to the wedding against the wishes of Jim and Michelle. He is more interested in Cadence who is Michelle's sister and one of her bridesmaids. The wedding is close and there are a lot of things left to do. However, some of the wedding plans go wrong and it looks like this wedding is going to be a disaster, Can Jim pull it together and make it through the wedding? The plot is interesting as one of the guys get married. With this type of film though, the plot is a non issue. People who see this type of movie just want to have a good laugh and they won't be disappointed. The bets thing about this sequel is defiantly Stifler. Sean William Scott gives a really funny performance and pretty much carries this film. He goes over the top sometimes but for the most part he is pretty good. Jason Biggs gives a god performance as Jim. He is pretty much the same as the first two films so if you liked him before then you will like him again. Alyson Hannigan plays Michelle and I find her character really annoying and not funny. Eddie Kaye Thomas does an okay job as Finch, he just isn't as funny as he is in the previous films. Thomas Ian Nicholas plays Kevin and he is sort of just there. He doesn't do anything memorable his character is kind of countless at times. Eugene Levy is back as Jim's dad and he gives a funny performance. Compared to the first two though, its not as strong. January Jones plays Cadence and does a really bad job. If she wasn't pretty then she probably wouldn't be in Hollywood. Fred Willard and Deborah Rush play Michelle's parents. They both are very funny and nice additions to the cast. Missing from the film this time around are Shannon Elizabeth, Chris Klein, Tara Reid, Natasha Lyonne and Mena Suvari. They are not missed and their characters wouldn't really feel right in this film either. James B. Rogers directs and does a good job. The jokes in the film may be funny but they are not as good as the first two. Its surprising how good this film turned out to be as the second sequel is usually stale and bad. Running time is 106 minutes with the directors cut and it's the version you should see. The movie is also a bit more serious at times then the other two. This isn't a bad thing but its just a little different mood then expected. In the end, this is a very funny sequel that's worth checking out. Rating 7.2/10

A decent conclusion to a decent series

[The_Void · 7/10 · 8 December 2004]

So, here we are then with the third installment of the American Pie series. The first one was a refreshing take on the teen comedy. I'm not a massive fan of the genre, but thanks to good writing and interesting characters, the film worked. The second one was more of the same, but in spite of that it still managed to be entertaining enough to be considered 'good'. This third part again can be considered 'more of the same', except this time there's a wedding theme and, thankfully, the writers have isolated the dead wood from the other two films and dropped it. The dumb jock, Mena Suvari (good actress, crap character), Kevin's girlfriend...you get the point, have been dropped. This leaves us to concentrate on the more interesting characters - Jim, obviously but more notably Stifler, Finch and Jim's dad; who are the real stars of the series anyway. As usual, they're the ones that are relied on to bring in the laughs, and they do it to the standard that you'd expect. None of them are quite as funny as they have been and Stifler's character seems to have become more outrageous, rather than keeping in with what's gone before...but who cares in a film like this? Character coherency isn't too much of an issue anyway.

The central theme of the wedding is how most of the jokes come about, and it creates four big set-pieces; two of which work, and two of which don't. Seeing Stifler dancing in a gay bar is hilarious and sure to delight everyone that sees the film, but even funnier than that is the part where Stifler hires two exotic dancers to 'entertain' the boys...at the same time that Jim has invited Michele's parents round for a 'chat'...oops! The two that don't work are more disgusting than funny...and I'm sure you'll see which parts I mean upon seeing the movie. As you might expect from the conclusion (hopefully!) of a series and one that sees two of it's characters tie the knot, there's a degree of sentiment here; but it does work, and it's even kind of nice to see after watching the characters 'develop' (somewhat, anyway) over the last two films.

American Wedding is a decent comedy, and one that I would recommend to anyone that liked the other two films.

If you liked the other two then you'll like this one despite it being a weak end to the trilogy

[bob the moo · 2 September 2003]

Despite an embarrassing scene at a restaurant, Jim proposes to his long-time girlfriend Michelle. For their wedding Jim enlists the help of Finch and Kevin to make everything smooth – and keep Stifler out of the way. However a ceremony is hard work and is made harder when things just always seem to go wrong and when Stifler seems to be determined to f**k the bride's sister – even if it means pretending to be mild mannered and polite.

Trying to think about this film or the series itself is like trying to argue with mud, basically you just need to accept that this is a silly, stupid gross out comedy that relies on poor taste jokes and unlikely set ups. If this is a problem for you then don't watch it. If you have accepted it and are watching it then it all comes down to, is it a GOOD gross out comedy with poor taste jokes? As much as I know I should be above it, I did laugh at the other 2 films and was happy to go and see this and, for the most part, I laughed at this. However this was the weakest of the three and the silence in the cinema was quite often uncomfortable – usually silence in a cinema is a good thing, but this was often an uncomfortable `I should be laughing more' type of silence.

In my review of part 2 I said `lets not do a 3'. Watching this I'm sort of glad they managed to do it but I can see the strain despite their best efforts. The main set up sequences are gross and funny but the gaps between are where the silence comes, there ain't enough comedy to cover the whole film. I'm not talking about the sweet stuff near the end, I just talking about all the scenes between the banner scenes. Plus the sequences are very forced at times (many you can see coming for miles), but this isn't too bad as they still manage to be hilariously gross! For those who like the nudity (and who didn't like the bi-sexual teasing scene from part 2?) there is a long sequence of strippers with large fake breasts, if that's your thing (I'm a man, so yes!) which is funny but also serves up the mandatory t&a. There are also some scenes that are TOO forced – eg the dance in the gay bar is funny but is too long and feels like a good idea with average delivery.

The film bravely loses something like half the cast and makes the film better in that regard. In fact Kevin has so little to do that they could have lost his character all together. However this is offset by the change to Stifler. In the first 2 he is obnoxious and rude but he is also the brunt of more jokes than he is the punisher. In the first half here, he is very rude and annoying and you hate him for how he treats his friends. That makes all his early antics hard to laugh at because now all you can see is a jerk hurting people. In the second half this is less of an issue as he changes a little and gets what's coming to him (and how!). I have a theory that Scott knows he has been pigeon holed in this role and is desperate to get out of it – in fact when I saw Bullet Proof Monk I did think to myself that he is just playing a kung-fu Stifler. Knowing this I think he played Stifler at full volume so that his next role would be nowhere near this performance. Thus he has a weird crazed sneer on his face, he is ultra cruel and rude and is a real jerk – hard to laugh with (but luckily still easy to laugh at).

The rest of the cast do quite well. Biggs manages to make more of his role than the victim and is sensitive when he needs to be – I think it will be hard for him to shake off Jim (pardon the pun) but he shows he can do acting when he needs to. Hannigan's innocent girlie voice is a little grating now and doesn't sit with her image as a woman – it suited her to be a geek. Luckily she doesn't have that much to do after the funny opening scene. Thomas is OK but Nicholas just kind of hangs around with a half smile of his face and nothing to do. Levy is still brillant as Jim's Dad but misses his `awkward moment' relationship (which they give him with Michelle to repeat it). Jones is eye candy and the return of Stifler's Mon (forget her name) is pointless and a mistake that is happily kept to a few moments.

Overall this is as poor a film as you expect – rude, in poor taste, lacking a strong plot or performances, but none of these things are really fair comments as the film still manages to be funny. The character of Stifler makes the first half very hard to enjoy and there are too many bits that don't work or where I didn't laugh but I still laughed. Many viewers will feel that the series has simply fizzled out despite it still being funny.

Not as tasty as the previous two movies.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 15 December 2005]

"American Wedding" is a still good and original comedy but it unfortunately never comes close to the high level of the previous two American Pie movies. There are several explanations to why this is.

The first thing is because of the formula that already has been milked out a bit now in the previous two movies. All the freshness is gone and because of that the movie also becomes predictable at times.

Second thing are the characters. For some reason the characters don't work out as good as in the previous two movies. They are not in college any more and they're no longer teenagers and are now part of the normal everyday society. The normal world doesn't exactly suit the characters and they work better in a teenage college environment. The characters had been changed a bit too much to fit into this movie with as a result that they are less funny and especially the sidekicks get very little interesting to do in this movie.

I'm sounding negative but it still is a good and enjoyable movie that has some well conceived moments in it that are good for some serious laughs. Also what makes this comedy better than the average movie is the Stifler character played by Seann William Scott. He brings real life to the movie and his character is even more prominently present as in the previous two movies. His character truly carries the movie and is the main reason why this movie is a fun one to watch, even though compared to the first two American Pie movies it isn't nearly as good and fresh.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Okayish conclusion

[Sandcooler · 6/10 · 26 June 2011]

This movie doesn't have that same irresistible "gang getting into trouble"-feel the first two had, but I reckon it's still pretty good. It really tries to recapture the "magic" once again, so it goes primarily for that good old gross-out factor we've learned to love throughout the original. The dialogues lack a bit of punch, but at least the awkward situations are still as awkward as can be. The characters have gotten weaker though. The whole Stifler/Finch rivalry has gotten a bit old (even though the Stifler's Mom running gag is still as hilarious as ever), Kevin is just barely there (seriously, he doesn't do ANYTHING) and even Jim has gotten a bit dull. It's mostly about the humor though, and I'm glad to say this movie provides a lot of laughs.

This One Time At Band Camp: No.

[joshua-halstead · 6/10 · 14 November 2013]

Yeah, so if you liked the first two as much as I did, you'll probably fin this movie fun and entertaining. Here's the thing though, it's not really an AP movie. The movie isn't about bro-mance, and it's not even REALLY about Jim, Keven, Chris, and Finch, it's about Stiffler. You can say whatever you want about how it's the wedding of Jim and Michele so it's about them but it's not. The majority of screen time is given to Stiffler and his antics which is too bad, because Sean William Scott can't carry a movie very well, and he because old and annoying quickly. This being said the movie has a lot of laughs, a lot of heart, and, yes, bestiality jokes. The main problem is that it is not original, or even really an AP movie. American Wedding is pretty much a slightly raunchier rom-com. I was let down a great deal by this movie, even though I liked it. I'm a huge Alyson Hannigan fan, so I was excited to see her as a lead, and had she have ACTUALLY been the lead, alongside Jason Biggs, the movie would have been much better. It's also not really an AP movie because it's not a bromance, and where the heck is Chris?! So yeah, watch it and enjoy it if you like the first two AP's, but don't expect anything as good as the first two. Basically, it should have been a bromantic comedy not a romantic comedy, and it's American Wedding, not American Stiffler.

A Pie With Missing Pieces.

[SittingStill · 4/10 · 9 June 2005]

American Pie works best as its own entity. It was a tight story in which each character was able to maintain his or her own story arch. Would Jim overcome his fumbling, goofy nature and lack of confidence and rise to the occasion with Nadia? Would Oz be able to pull off his facade as superficial jock to sentimental choir boy? Would Kevin, the only character in an establish relationship, be able to take the relationship to the next level? And just what was Finch up to? In defense of the people behind American Wedding, they simply did not have the necessary tools at their disposal to pull off a fulfilling third slice in the American Pie trilogy. In fact, signs of diminished resources were apparent by the second film-- and I am talking not merely about the absence of some of the key actors to reprise their role (which hurts this film greatly), but more importantly, there simply was not enough for these once central characters to do.

The strongest apparent example is Kevin, who, without any side plot whatsoever, is left with nothing to do but stand around and throw around toasts "to the next step." His character could have been completely removed from this film without it having any impact.

Of course, the other problem is that the absence of the complete ensemble (or even a mention as to what became of them), strikes at the friends-to-the-end theme of these American Pie movies. Who though, at the conclusion of the original American Pie, that if some day in the not-too-distant future Jim was getting married, Oz would not be in attendance. It rings hollow.

Hahahaha

[bretta23 · 10/10 · 7 August 2003]

I loved the first american pie, but was so dissapointed with the second. it was too direct, lacked creativity, and got old. (sorry to anyone who loved it). but ii was delightfully surprised with American Wedding. The sexual jokes flowed much better, it was all situational as opposed to 'hahaha look at my wang', and in general just got more laughs. It is a great movie to see in the theater while your in the mood for something like that, and a lot of fun. although half the original cast is now gone, the remaining few are a good mix for the last of the american pie trilogy. stifler is kinda crazy and unbearable in the beginning but bear with it, it eventually works with the story and gets better. This is such a cute movie.. and yes i use the word cute. Its hilarious, but not so over the top that it looses the sweetness of it, being the fact that the main point of this movie is the wedding of jim and michelle. What a great, mindless piece of entertainment!

Annoying and stupid

[chas77 · 4/10 · 2 August 2004]

If you watch the Unrated DVD of "American Wedding" check out the "writer's commentary." I just assumed this was a new writer who was brought in after the guys who did "American Pie I & II" got tired of this. Not so -- incredibly, the same guy wrote all three!

This is a tired movie -- it should be entitled "The Stifler Compromise" because, really, it's all about the writer's obvious love for the Stifler character who grows old and weary after 5 minutes. He's kind of like the funny friend you remember from junior high who never grew up. Do you really want to see 90 minutes of Stifler jerking around like an idiot, screeching potty mouth language and trying desperately to be funny? For some reason Ebert gave this a good review and I can't figure that out. The scene he cited as hilarious -- Stifler on the gay disco -- was dumb and pathetic. And this is from a guy who thought the first "American Pie" was and is a classic!

Pass on this. Save the dough and watch "Napoleon Dynamite" instead!

barely tastes better...

[mcfly-31 · 21 March 2004]

The debut was fair, the sequel fell in the gutter, this one digs itself out but is still in dire need. In usual sitcom or movie fashion, an impending wedding is met with nothing but disaster. For the "Pie" gang, they bring their usual naked and gagging humor along. Straight from the opening scene, Biggs butt is visible, the tired sex stuff is dove right into, and there's yet another new girl to lust after. But much as in part 2, everything is so labored and then lingered on. They manage a few more hearty laughs then the last film, but writer Herz's problem is that he can't help but kill the joke. Scenes run for too long 'till they're into the ground and not funny anymore. The gay disco sequence, the business with the grandmother, and Scott once again subjected to something disgusting. It gets a good laugh, but is forced and then won't die. The cast remains strong, though not always likeable. Stifler is once again a junior high school-ish moron, though not as hateful as the previous movie. He still can only speak in obscenities to his friends, again begging the question of who would let this guy in their group? Surprised Nicholas agreed to be in this, his character given absolutely nothing to do, he's pretty needless. The Finch and Jim characters stay middle-of-the-road, thereby being bearable. Though Finch gets to flex his uncharacteristic raunch muscle while competing with Stifler for the girl. Hannigan is a tad annoying as a girl who's only affection for Biggs is being "boned" by him, with not other deapth visible within her character. Levy again provides a good turn as the most horrified dad in screen history. But it all just barely passes as a fair time and hopefully the oven has been shut down on these. Even right down to the final moment, you're expecting one of those kingdom come jokes to end everything, they can't even manage that. If anything these characters can sail into adulthood with plenty of stories to share with their kids someday.

Lost the vibe

[stimpy_tr · 7/10 · 14 April 2021]

I don't know if it is due to the change of director or something else but this sequel to the legendary series morphed into a romantic comedy. The original cast is reduced and most of the characters except Jim and Stifler lost their vibes. The film is overwhelmed with romance, and the raunchiness does not go well. However, it is still watchable for American Pie fans.

Taking It Up the Aisle

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 28 May 2011]

The "American Pie" gang gathers for the "American Wedding" of hesitant perv Jason Biggs (as Jim Levenstein) and eager nympho Alyson Hannigan (as Michelle Flaherty). In the opening restaurant scene, Ms. Hannigan misinterprets Mr. Biggs' proposal as a request for oral sex. She goes under the table to give him lip and in walks Biggs' father Eugene Levy. With double-entendres spilling out of his mouth, Mr. Levy delivers his son's forgotten wedding ring. Soon, we discover Biggs has left "Stifler" off the wedding list...

The prospective couple takes the back seat as Seann William Scott's "Stifler" grabs the starring role. He endeavors to wangle himself an invite as Biggs' "best man" while romancing Ms. Flaherty's comely "Blonde on Blonde" sister January Jones (as Cadence). But there is competition from Eddie Kaye Thomas (as Finch). The raunchy comedy involving bestiality and dog excrement is done well, for what it is. The inevitable "bachelor party" sequence is hilariously written, blocked and performed. Some work, some don't...

****** American Wedding (7/24/03) Jesse Dylan ~ Seann William Scott, Jason Biggs, Eugene Levy, Eddie Kaye Thomas

Return of the Stiffmeister

[MovieAddict2016 · 7/10 · 4 November 2004]

After two successful first installments everyone just about thought "American Wedding" was going to be the ultimate cash cow. Surprisingly it received better reviews than both prior installments (check out RottenTomatoes.com) -- and although it is indeed a marketing product (aren't they all?) it's a lot funnier, and sweeter, than it could have been.

As far as stupid teen comedy films go, the "American Pie" trilogy is a lot of fun, mainly due to its quirky characters -- particularly Stiffler, who was originally intended to be the subject of jokes and cruelty in the original film (check out how he's just a co-character). His popularity grew, he was given a larger part in the sequel, and in "Wedding" he practically becomes the lead character.

This is about Jim and Michelle's wedding. It does get sappy towards the end, just like "American Pie 2" did, but the beginning (like "Pie 2") -- preferably the first hour -- is an absolute hoot.

Perhaps part of the reason these films are so successful is that they lampoon American traditions -- high school, sex, graduation, wedding, bachelor parties, etc. -- that have become awkward for first-timers and, as a result, can be quite funny when exposed for humor.

Stiffler eating the "chocolate" is one of the funniest things I've seen in years.

Just AWFUL!

[apir51 · 1/10 · 22 March 2004]

Hopefully, this awful movie will put an end to this mediocre series that has gotten worse with each sequel. Almost watchable until Stifler shows up. So tell me, you're in a restaurant getting serviced under the table when your Dad walks in and you jump up with your pants around your ankles and your girlfriend still under the table. Not only doesn't the restaurant throw you out on your a**, but the patrons give you a standing O when you propose to her, with your pants still undone? How charming! Funny? Not in the least! But I hang in there for a while until stifler shows up,ranting neverending curses like he was Joe Pesce in Casino. Whatever was appealing in the first two incarnations of this series is certainly missing here.

Good conclusion, but missing some good characters

[afaithfulday · 8/10 · 11 November 2004]

American Wedding is exactly the type of ending that suits the American Pie trilogy. It's not like the typical TV sitcom where it's feel good and lacking on humor. The traditional gross out honest humor is still present. Unfortunately not all the characters are due to scheduling conflicts.

The directors do a good job of covering the absent characters by simply not mentioning them but there lack of presence is felt. Oz isn't present during Jim's speech with the best men. Michele is the only returning female lead. Even some of the returning characters play a smaller role. Kevin is almost not seen in most of the film. He serves very little important role and is more in the background. Finch and Stifler seem to be the lead story, at times more than the wedding itself. It does work to create a funny story.

The story is well wrapped up and that hopefully means that no additional and poorly conceived sequels are made. There seems to be three rules that follow in all of these films.

1) Jim does something bizarre sexual act that embarrasses him.

2) Stifler ingest some bodily excretion

3) Finch has sex with Stifler's Mom

Obviously they've hit Stifler with about every funny excretion. The only options left are blood, pus, or earwax. Rule #2 is going to be hard to follow.