AMERICAN PIE PRESENTS THE BOOK OF LOVE (2009)
Stars: Bug Hall, Kevin M. Horton, Brandon Hardesty, Beth Behrs, Melanie Papalia, Jennifer Holland, John Patrick Jordan | Written by David H. Steinberg | Directed by John Putch
This all-new slice of American Pie, the seventh in the long-running series, follows the trials and tribulations of three hapless East Great Falls High School virgins Rob, Nathan and Lube as they attempt to score with the girls of their dreams. After a succession of rejections and frantic fumblings they discover “The Bible”, a mythical guide for sexual success updated by East Great Falls pupils throughout the years. But an accidental fire results in some missing pages and some hilarious antics. Peturbed by their distinct lack of sexual knowledge the guys try to reconstuct the bible’s contents with a little help from its original author Noah Levenstein (Eugene Levy).
It’s been ten years since the original American Pie hit cinemas across the world and reinvigorated the teen sex comedy genre – a genre that had been dormant since the early days of VHS that now seems to have never gone away. The two sequels that followed built upon the fanbase and the box-office and the cinematic trilogy is seen as the best teen comedies to ever grace the big screen in years. Since 2005 the franchise has remained a strictly straight to DVD affair, following the misadventures of various members of the Stifler family – first Matt Stifler, then Erik Stifler. However American Pie Presents The Book of Love resets the Pie story somewhat, following a new set of students at East Great Falls High School some 10 years after the adventures of Jim, Kevin, Oz, Finch and Stifler.
It being the tenth anniversary of the franchise you’d think that there’d be something special planned for the series but if there was it’s definitely not this film. American Pie Presents The Book of Love is, unlike the other DVD entries in the American Pie franchise, merely a rehash of the plot of the first film rather than a wholly new story. We get three new friends, a new Stifler and even a new Nadia (well actually her cousin), as well as the return of “The Bible” that was originally passed into the hands of Kevin in the original film. Oh, and lets not forget the appearance of American Pie stalwart Eugene Levy, the only actor to have appeared in EVERY entry in the franchise.
What really disappoints about his this entry in the American Pie series is whilst it is called American Pie Presents The Book of Love, said book only appears in the later part of the film and even worse Eugene Levy is reduced to a mere cameo, appearing for only five minutes of the film’s 90 minute running time. Worst still the film retreads a lot of ground covered in the original film: a peanut butter sandwich fulfils the same purpose as the pie in the first film, the first film saw Jim suffer indignity via the internet, this time it’s via mobile phones – you get where this is going…
Whilst the original American Pie ressurected the teen sex comedy genre, this entry in the franchise may just bury it again. Judge for yourself when American Pie Presents The Book of Love is released on DVD
** (2/5)
Reader Comments
Though you don’t expect much from these “American Pie presents” movies, although “Beta House” was quite enjoyable, it is so sad that this time round all they did was rehash the first movie. Like you I expected something more seeing it had been 10 years since the original and like you was very disappointed with this latest unoriginal offering. Hopefully if they do make another one maybe they can get the old gang back together for a reunion, something I am sure more people would like to see.