American Wedding despite the issues I had with Stifler as he changed from obnoxious to plain annoying, still has some funny scenes and even though it doesn’t nearly stack up to its predecessors, retains some of the charm that made them so good and memorable.
American Wedding (2003)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Comedy, Romance
Universal | Unrated/R – 104 min. – $19.98 | March 13, 2012
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Jesse Dylan
Writer(s): Adam Herz (written by)
Cast: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas, January Jones, Fred Willard, Eugene Levy
Theatrical Release Date: August 1, 2003
DISC INFO:
Features: 2 Audio Commentaries, Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, BD-Live, DVD Copy, Digital Copy
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1), French (DTS 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 2.35
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc Size: 38.7 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C (unconfirmed)
THE MOVIE – 3.0/5
Plot Synopsis: The American Pie gang — including Finch (EDDIE KAYE THOMAS) and Kevin (THOMAS IAN NICHOLAS) — returns to wreak havoc with a new rite of passage when Jim (JASON BIGGS) and Michelle (ALYSON HANNIGAN) decide to get married. Of course, Stifler (SEANN WILLIAM SCOTT) will be there (bridesmaids!) and, more importantly, will throw the ultimate bachelor party (strippers!).
Quick Hit Review: The third and obviously NOT final installment in the American Pie theatrical feature film franchise (got to distinguish it from the crap direct-to-video movies) is certainly the weakest yet it retains a certain charm that the previous entries also had.
The biggest issue I had with American Wedding was that Stifler has gone from funny obnoxious to unfunny annoyingly obnoxious. Where I enjoyed his character in the first two, I found him almost intolerable for the most part and if not for the dance off sequence which was one of the great scenes, this would’ve been a complete crapshoot.
Outside of Seann William Scott, who I don’t really blame as it seems more how the character was written, the other cast members slide right into their roles yet still provide a freshness that doesn’t make this a mere retread as most sequels tend to do. Once again, Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan shine and Eugene Levy, joined by Fred Willard, headline a fun supporting cast.
As it stands, even with the obnoxious Stifler character, there were many jokes that still landed and although I don’t believe it quite measures up to the first two movies, it’s at least passable entertainment with a few truly hilarious sequences.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5
This release comes with a semi-glossy, embossed slip cover. As far as I can tell, all of the features from the previous edition have been ported over.
Audio Commentaries – There are two tracks included: 1. Director Jesse Dylan and Seann William Scott and 2. Stars Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Thomas Ian Nicholas and Eddie Kaye Thomas. Both tracks actually offer up some decent information with Dylan giving the more behind the camera aspect while the actors provide other insights.
Deleted Scenes (22:09; SD) – We get a few scenes, with intros by director Jesse Dylan, that didn’t make the final cut for one reason or another. They’re nice scenes but probably weren’t necessary.
Outtakes (6:07; SD) – Yep, its more line flubs and general on-set antics from our favorite American Pie cast!
American Reunion: A Look Inside (3:58; HD) isn’t anything special but you get some behind-the-scenes footage with comments by the cast as they talk about reuniting one more time. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
Stifler Speak (7:15; SD) – Seann William Scott and others of the cast/crew takes us through the various lines and vernacular used in American Wedding.
Enter the Dominatrix: Inside the Bachelor Party (9:47; SD) takes us behind the scenes of the big scene in the movie. It’s a basic featurette but you do get some insight into how the scene was constructed.
Grooming the Groom (6:34; SD) – For some reason, we get an entire featurette on the balls shaving sequence. Um, really???
Cheesy Wedding Video (2:59; SD) is kind of self describing consisting of behind-the-scenes footage set against some light, classy music.
Kevin Cam: A Day in the Life of an Actor (3:34; SD) – Actor Thomas Ian Nicholas shows off on what he does for the day, giving a tour of his trailer, etc. It’s not really anything exciting.
Nikki’s Hollywood Journal (9:55; SD) – Nikki Ziering (a.k.a. “Officer Krystal”) takes the viewer in another day in the life for the premiere starting with a workout in the morning to the actual getting ready.
And as usual, the rest in this set includes a BD-Live portal, DVD Copy (that’s already been released in other sets) and a Digital Copy (compatible with iTunes).
VIDEO – 3.5/5
Universal releases American Wedding with a good, if not unremarkable, 1080p high-def transfer. Presented in its original 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio, at times it would seem it looks better than its predecessors but throughout I couldn’t help but notice just how oversaturated certain scenes were. It’s not too far off from the DVD but at the same time, it doesn’t make for a pretty looking HD picture either. Even so, the film seemed to be void of flaws like artifacting, pixilation and the sort, and the black levels also look fine never exposing other flaws. So that front it’s probably a slight upgrade.
AUDIO – 4.0/5
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track might not be the best I’ve come across from catalogue releases but still, it’s a good track. Dialogue levels probably could’ve been better but when we get any sort of music – such as Stifler’s dance off –, the track really comes to life.
OVERALL – 3.5/5
Overall, American Wedding despite the issues I had with Stifler as he changed from obnoxious to plain annoying, still has some funny scenes and even though it doesn’t nearly stack up to its predecessors, retains some of the charm that made them so good and memorable. In regards to the Blu-ray, the video is OK, though nothing special while the audio is good and the features are superficial but decent.
The Movieman
Published: 03/15/2012