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“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” Review: Greeks don’t change

The original “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” remains the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time thirteen years after it’s release, with a box office gross of $368 million. (Courtesy of Universal Pictures)

Alexa Hyde
Connector Staff

March 25, Greek Independence Day, marked the release of the much awaited sequel, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.” 14 years after the original, the sequel returned to Chicago, Illinois to see an update on the extended Portokalos family.

The movie opens up to tension between Toula (Nia Vardalos), Ian (John Corbett), and their 17-year-old daughter, Paris (Elena Kampouris). Toula and Ian have lost the romance in their marriage and are hovering over their daughter, who is dwarfed by her big Greek family and wants to attend college out of state.

The Portokalos clan faces more trouble when the patriarch of the family, Michael Constantine’s Gus, finds out he and his wife Maria (Lainie Kazan) are not married in the eyes of the Greek Orthodox Church as their wedding certificate was never signed by the priest back in Greece. From there, the entire family engages in trying to get the now fighting couple officially married through Greek style.

While criticized by many film goers and critics, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,” is unable to weave its storylines together and live up to the original movie and the title. The Greek wedding is rush and several storylines, including Gus reconciling with his brother and cousin Angelo (Joey Fatone) coming out as gay, seem rushed and thrown in. However, the jokes stay true to the original movie concept and still bring forth laughter from its audience.

Nia Vardalos, also a writer for the film, is able to continue to highlight the fun, boisterous, and proud Portokalos family in true Greek fashion. Many lines pay homage to the original movie, including Toula’s overbearing nature to her daughter, the reappearance of Mana-Yiayia (Bess Meisler), and the comedic talents of Andrea Martin’s Aunt Voula. Gus still has his Windex and Voula is still telling her strange stories to newcomers of the family.

For the Greek community, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” allows them to see their lives on the big screen. Anecdotes of the movie mimic occurrences in real life, and Vardalos, a Greek-Canadian, paints the image of Greek gatherings well. Gus and Maria represent the stubborn, older Greeks that many families see in their parents of grandparents. The wisdom passed from Aunt Voula to her family can be found in a figure of many Greek clans. The movie gives Greeks a chance to see their families, customs, and traditions in the spotlight, even through all the jokes and humor.

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” is no work of cinema greatness with its rushed plot lines and mismatched stories. The film would even benefit from ditching the wedding idea as a whole since it didn’t garner much screen time. There will be no Oscar nominations for this franchise follow-up, but “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” still finds success. Ultimately, this sequel gets the job done by providing comedy to its audience and by paying homage to the Greek community that it draws its success from. It gives viewers a sweet, family tale that spans multiple generations and can get a laugh out of all generations.

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