Starks

I went into this film expecting the worst. The critics panned it and after Little Nicky I had my concerns. But rest assured, this movie is very very funny. Is the story predictable? Definitely it is a movie formula we've seen 80 million times... and there certainly aren't any deep intellectual plot twists... with that said, the movie delivers some of the biggest laughs I have had all year. Sandler does what he does best. For my money it was all of the supporting players who really made this movie hum. Major props to John Turturro, who delivers big laughs throughout. I also gotta say that with a few exceptions there was very little toilet humor... most of the laffs come from cartoon-type fisticuffs and physical comedy. To all of the critics who panned this film, I just wanna know what they were expecting and how they allegedly sat through the movie without laughing... it was amazing!

Expectations for this sequel were very high. American Pie 1 took me completely by surprise - not only was it a throwback to the old teen-sex comedies of the seventies/eighties but it had a certain charm about it, characters who were fun and who you wanted to see again. Well we have all the characters back and after viewing the sequel I am a fan again, this is a fun summer picture with all of the raunch and fun of the 1st edition back. Some great moments (not all appeared in the previews). My only problem with the movie is that besides Jim (Jason Biggs - this is your movie all the way), the core group of friends with maybe the exception of Stifler don't really do anything... For example... Oz's story was one of the best parts of AP1 but in this one he has nothing going for him except a girlfriend (Mena Suvari) who is in Europe for most of the summer. What could have been an opportunity to put Oz in a tight situation (being tempted by women) is lost, Oz does nothing except a few phone bits. What a waste of Chris Klein (you kinda have a feeling he was busy wrapping up Rollerball while making this movie - same thing with Mena). And Oz isn't the only wasted character. I guess what I'm saying is that while there are a ton of laughs (really Jim and Stiflers movie) the story didn't do the other likeable characters justice. Plus it would have been acceptable to add a couple of new characters (besides the "lesbians"). All in all though, a fun movie with a couple of scenes that top the first AP. After seeing AP2's high box office numbers perhaps AP 3 is on the horizon - an American Pie bachelor party before a big character wedding, would be a lot of fun.

All I have to say is I saw Made Saturday nite and it was hilarious. I great follow up to Swingers, but please do not expect the same movie. This is a different kind of flick, somewhat of a send up of the old crime/mobster movies. Favreau and Vaughn (especially Vaughn) are in top form, the two have a great chemistry and are a wonderful on screen comedy pair. As a New Yorker I especially liked the fact that this is a New York picture where as Swingers was a West Coast pict. Locales all across the city are used to tell a great tale (indeed one of the funniest scenes in the movie took place right outside the movie theatre). Also, big praise to Peter Falk (perhaps this is an Oscar worthy supporting actor role) who provides many humorous comments and gets the comedy rolling. And P Diddy, Sean Combs... I was ready to hate him, but a funny thing happened, he is excellent in his role as a NYC crime big. Funny movie, funny lines, funny moments. Definitely go seee it - a great follow up to Swingers.