14 years after the release of the highest-grossing romantic comedy, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the loud and proud Portokalos family make their long-awaited comeback with the promise of an even bigger and Greeker wedding in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.
I tried so hard to remember what the first film was all about, but all I could recall was one scene – a young, badly dressed woman working for a travel agency. That’s it, that’s all I got. So I wasn’t expecting much from the sequel and sadly, there wasn’t much on offer.
Picking up years after Toula (Nia Varldas) marries the non-Greek Ian (John Corbett), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is a plethora of “trying too hard”. Now facing the challenges of a teenaged daughter, an ageing father and a marriage that has gone stale, the second edition of one of the craziest culture shocks to hit the big screen was anything but comedic.
Yes, there are a couple of funny moments here and there (the grandmother is quite the character), but the family drama that unfolds in almost every scene seems to outweigh and overshadow any of those moments. Toula is still the centre of attention and the burdens she carries and her inability to just let them go is frustrating to no end.
The plot is shallow, the one-liners weak and the storyline is exhausting. The message was predictable and the wedding… well, it’s not that big! But the Greek viewers, who happened to sit next to me in the cinema, were the highlight of my evening, especially because they seemed to agree with me. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 = lame.
Rating – 2.5/5
Cast: Nia Varldas, John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Joey Fatone, Rita Wilson
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director: Kirk Jones
Age Restriction: PG 13
Studio: Universal Pictures
Running Time: 94min
