News Summary

Verdict: It may be the least in the "Pie" series, but, thankfully, it's still got Stifler (Seann William Scott).

By BOB LONGINO
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It takes about 15 minutes before Stifler hijacks "American Wedding," the sometimes flat but fairly funny finale in the trilogy of embarrassing poop jokes and grossouts known as the "American Pie" movies.

Stifler's first name is Steve, but that hardly matters. As noisily played by Seann William Scott, this recurring "Pie" supporting character will be forever known as Stifler, the obnoxious, foul-mouthed, raging hormone of a guy who speaks only of sex and machismo and barfs blazingly harsh insults. We all have a Stifler, or, rather, a Stifmeister, as he calls himself, in our lives. He's a character so ingrained in the mindset of American youth, Scott himself is often referred to offscreen as Stifler.

In "American Wedding," Stifler takes command at a bar where our gang of familiar guys, including Jason Biggs' Jim, the lead Piester who's eventually gonna get hitched, has by chance gathered.

It's not just any bar. It happens to be a gay bar. But full-of-himself Stifler doesn't notice. And once his macho gets stomped, he challenges an imposing hulk of a homosexual to a dance-off.

Truth be told, it's pretty funny, almost entirely because Scott dances just as you would expect Stifler to dance - out there, with furious confidence and only a smidgen of rhythm.

From this moment on "American Wedding" is Stifler's movie. He's the guy who gets the best jokes, the best slapstick moves, the best grossouts and the film's best-looking girl (January Jones as Cadence).

There's not really much more to an "American Pie" movie than that.

We're talking penis jokes, fellatio jokes, bestiality jokes, pubic hair jokes, dog poop jokes (trust me, it's really disgusting), sexist jokes, bondage jokes and hard-core sex toy jokes. Oh, and don't forget exposed breasts and humor at the expense of an old woman in a wheelchair.

Some of these jokes are indeed laugh out loud funny.

The movie's problem is bigger than the troubles in the first two "Pie" films. First, who had the bright idea to disavow "Pie" and jettison it from the movie's title? Secondly, there's really not much of a story. The planned nuptials between Jim (Biggs) and Michelle (the flute-playing band-camp honey played by Alyson Hannigan) is merely an excuse for broad set pieces to display the film's raucous jokes.

Sadly, when there's not a gag to show off, first-time "Pie" series director Jesse Dylan ("How High") allows his movie to go as flat as a pie crust. Musical interludes arrive to fill time. It's dunderheaded to hire the very funny Fred Willard ("A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show") only to have him play potential father-in-law and straight man to the far less funny Biggs.

You don't even want to imagine what "American Wedding" would be like without Stifler. This movie might not even be a whole pie, but with him at least it got one ingredient totally right.