It’s been fourteen years since the world was first introduced to the Portokalos family, showing us that no matter how embarrassing, overwhelming, and nosy our families may be, nothing beats being a Portokalos. No wedding, no occasion, and certainly no relationship could ever be acceptable without the entire family involved in some form or another. But what happens when one of the family tries to leave?
In My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) have a child of their own, Paris (Elena Kampouris), who is about to head off to college. Feeling the pressure of her overbearing Greek family, Paris struggles with the decision of whether to go to school at home in Chicago, or to explore options out of state. Meanwhile Toula’s parents (Michael Constantine and Lainie Kazan) find out that despite many years of marriage, they were never officially married! The family kicks into high gear to plan another big fat Greek wedding, with more laughs, tears, and smiles that will leave you saying OPA!
Let me start by saying that the original is a classic! No matter how many times I watch it (which is more than I care to share), it still makes me laugh out loud. Being a sequel I didn’t expect too much from this film, yet it was still able to deliver what was expected from it. The film is a bit like a mountain, starting pretty slow and basic, then picking up pace and intensity, then back to being slow. Something I really appreciated about this film though is the fact that the entire cast from the original was in the sequel, which is rare. It made the film more wholesome and genuine, almost as if you grew up with them over the years.
In the first film, we knew very little about some of the other members of the family aside from Toula and Ian. However in this sequel we’re able to learn a bit more about some of the other family members lives and who they are as individuals. The film definitely has the feel of a sequel, with the storyline overall seeming like a bit of a desperate attempt to create a sequel. Nevertheless, it still serves its purpose as a wholesome family film and is entertaining to watch. It’ll also make you hungry for some Greek food afterwards…or maybe that’s just me.
Grade: C
