4k-UHD/Movie Review: American Pie 2 (Deluxe Collector's Edition) [UK Import]

 

American Pie 2 is the 2001 follow-up to 1999's unexpected hit comedy, American Pie. All the primary cast members (Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Chris Klein, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Tara Reid, Alyson Hannigan, Shannon Elizabeth, Eugene Levy, Mena Suvari, Natasha Lyonne, and Thomas Ian Nicholas) return for the sequel, as do many of the supporting cast, including Chris Owen, John Cho, Casey Affleck, Molly Cheeks, Jennifer Coolidge, and Eli Marienthal. The new cast members in this film include Denise Faye, Lisa Arturo, JoAnna Garcia, and Joelle Carter. 

The story is set a year after the events of the first movie, as the characters' first year of college is ending, and they go back home for the summer. In an attempt to rekindle the post-high school weirdness, the friends decide to rent a house on Lake Michigan for the summer, with the plan to throw a massive blowout party at the end of the summer. Of course, hijinks ensue, and the group ultimately learn something by the end of the film. 

The 4K set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a regular Blu-ray disc. This is an import set from the UK, so while the UHD disc is region-free and can be played on a Region 1 4K player, the Blu-Ray disc is region-locked, so you will need a Region 2 player to watch it (which is really only an issue if you want to watch the bonus content, aside from the commentary tracks). The UHD disc includes both the theatrical and unrated versions of the movie and all four commentary tracks (one by the director J.B. Rogers, one by the writer Adam Herz, one by cast members Jason Biggs, Thomas Ian Nicholas, and Mena Suvari, and one by cast member Eddie Kaye Thomas) on the theatrical version. Both Rodgers and Herz's commentary tracks provide a lot of insight into the film and the process of getting it made, changes that were made, etc. The commentary with Biggs, Suvari, and Ian Nicholas is the most entertaining as they spend most of the time joking with each other. Thomas provides some insight into the movie, but he is a bit dry, and there are long stretches when he does not say anything (probably because he is by himself when it was recorded). The unrated version of the film adds about five minutes to the runtime and essentially extends a few scenes, but does not add anything significant to the storyline.

The rest of the bonus features are on the regular Blu-Ray. Some (like the deleted scenes, music video, trailer, etc.) were carried over from the original DVD release, but not everything from the original release is included on this release, so if you have the original DVD, you may want to keep it. Other bonus content includes featurettes on the changed Oz and Heather storyline, and the storyline with Stifler's dad that was ultimately cut from the movie.

The movie is a good follow-up to the original. While the tone (and many of the jokes) echo those of the first movie (especially in the beginning), it is not a carbon copy of the original film. There are some very funny moments and some dramatic moments in the film. The roles of the various characters underwent significant changes as the movie shifted its focus to Jim and Michelle's relationship. As a result, characters like Vicky and Kevin received much less screen time, while Hannigan's role expanded considerably in this movie compared to the first. Oz and Heather's story was supposed to be quite different, but it got changed during reshoots, as did Stifler's storyline, which changed the amount of screen time those characters received. Eugene Levy received similar screen time and served a similar function to his role in the first film. Shannon Elizabeth had a bit more screen time than she did in the first film (unfortunately, she does not get naked in this one), but she is mostly seen talking on the phone until the movie's third act. 

The movie does earn its R-rating, as it does have a lot of raunchy comedy, swearing, sexual dialogue, and nudity. Ultimately, it is a good movie about how life and relationships change after high school, whether you want them to or not. If you liked or loved the first movie, this one (while probably not quite as good as the first film) is worth watching.