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Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kay Thomas, Eugene Levy. Directed by J.B. Rogers. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French), DTS 5.1. 105 minutes. 2001. Universal 21769. R. $26.08.

High school buddies Stifler, Kevin, Oz, Finch, and Jim are back after completing their first year of college, and what better way to spend their first summer out of school than drinking keg beer at a rented beach house and spying on lipstick lesbians? To bring this action to a head, the boys throw a beachside party that will bring the whole gang back together in an attempt to recapture their high school glory days, but what they soon realize is that practically everything and everyone has changed. They are no longer big fish in a little pond, but little fish in the sea.

While I loved the original American Pie—solidly in the tradition of such rowdy flicks as Animal House—American Pie 2 does not live up to the racy legacy of its predecessor. The film is nothing new. In fact, all the same jokes from the first film have been dressed up like an unenthusiastic prom date. There's also a schmaltzy theme of growing up, moving on, and letting go. The familiar "you can never go home again" motif mixes with the film's forceful comedic tone as oil does with water.

The acting is spotty in most cases, with the exception of Shannon Elizabeth, who plays the Swedish temptress Nadia consistently badly, and with a truly horrible accent. I'd prefer watching two hours of pure Stifler (Sean William Scott), who provides most of the humorous moments with his lewd tomfoolery.

Although AP2 itself is questionable, this DVD is a solid presentation, despite cumbersome menus. The 24-minute Baking of American Pie 2 featurette is pretty straightforward: interviews with the filmmakers and cast, etc. I really enjoyed the waggish outtakes, deleted scenes, and screen tests from the original American Pie (why weren't they included on that DVD?). A behind-the-scenes featurette, production notes, four different commentaries with the writer, director, and cast members, DVD-ROM features, and 3 Doors Down's "Be Like That" music video (in 2.0) are also available for the insatiably curious. "Your Favorite Piece of the Pie" features viewers' Top Ten favorite scenes—the result of an interactive poll conducted by Universal and MSN that seems unnecessary. Hunters of Easter eggs will be delighted by the find on the second page of Bonus Materials.

The 1.85:1 anamorphic picture looks fine and is very consistent. Colors pop in the party scenes, and skintones look natural, not overly pink. However, there is some edge enhancement in a few of the outdoor scenes that is noticeable even on a smaller set. Universal has included Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, both of which do the soundtrack justice: dialogue and ambient effects are clearly reproduced. The directional effects, however, are few and far between.

American Pie 2 is one of those films that you don't ache to turn off and may even find yourself laughing at, but, like most sequels, it's just not as good as the original.