Opening this Week: “Titanic 3D” and “American Reunion”

It’s nostalgia week for those who came of age in the late 90’s.  James Cameron’s Oscar-winning and box office record-setting “Titanic,” originally released in 1997, will be back in theaters as we observe the 100th anniversary of the ship’s tragic collision and the loss of 1517 lives.  And “American Pie,” a ground-breaking 1999 release, will be followed up this week with “American Reunion,” a fourth in the series of sexcapades involving Jim (Jason Biggs), his friends, and some dessert.  What made the first one so original was not its sexual humor, though it did go further than previous teen sex farces like “Porky’s.”  The real step forward was its treatment of the girls in the film.  They were not the usual sex objects and bimbos of sex comedies.  They were confident in themselves and their sexuality.  The movie and its sequels wisely combine outrageous raunchy humor with a sweet and even monogamous heart.  Poor Stifler (Seann William Scott) is the player who gets played and some of the characters get embarrassed but the movie comes down on the side of love.