Director: Kirk Jones
Starring: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan, Elena Kampouris
Running Time: 94 min
Rating: 12A
Release: 25th March 2016
It has been 14 years since MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING became an unexpected hit – quickly becoming the biggest-grossing indie film of all time with $400 million taken at the box office. The sequel has once again been written by lead actor Nia Vardalos who reprises her role as ugly-duckling Toula with John Corbett returning as her handsome American husband Ian.
The pair now have a 17-year-old daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris), but still live next door to her entire Greek family in Chicago. The entire family is back, and another wedding is on the cards when Gus (Michael Constantine) discovers that he is not married to Maria (Lainie Kazan) as their wedding certificate was not signed by a priest. The family rally round to give them the wedding they never had, although it is not without a few hiccups – particularly when Maria initially refuses to marry Gus unless he proposes to her properly!
Meanwhile, Tula and Ian are trying to work on their own problems. Juggling caring for her ageing parents, her frustrated teenage daughter and her own marriage issues. Gus is constantly trying to fix Paris up with a nice Greek boyfriend, between trying to prove that he is a direct descendant of Alexander the Great thanks to ancestry websites.
Fans of the original movie will enjoy the sentimentality of the sequel. There are plenty of throwback jokes including Gus’ obsession with Windex and proving every word has Greek origins, while John Stamos and Rita Wilson make brief appearances as a new neighbourhood couple. Some of the jokes do seem stale and the film does lack new material – but this is an entertaining film nonetheless. Being reunited with the Portokaloses is like seeing long-lost family, and I for one enjoyed being reunited with hilarious Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) and the other members of the over-the-top Greek family everyone first came to love in 2002.
Verdict
