My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Review

The family you love is back as united as ever with My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, so be prepared for more Portokalos nuptial amusement. In the sequel to the Canadian-American romantic comedy, written by and starring Nia Vardalos, parenting and marriage is becoming tougher and tougher for Toula (Nia Vardalos) and her husband Ian (John Corbett). This is not only because has their relationship has lost some of its spark, but they’re also dealing with their teenage daughter Paris (Elena Kamouris), who clashes with Greek traditions and might even leave Chicago to go to college in a city that allows her to detach from her clingy relatives.

For this sequel, which Kirk Jones has taken over directing duties for, the wedding at stake does not concern the younger generation like many might have epxected, but the elder members of the Greek clan. Gus (Michael Constantine) and Maria (Lainie Kazan) realize their marriage certificate was never signed. So, with the help of their daughter Toula and the ever eager Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin), more matrimony is on the way. 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 will serve you on a silver platter an overdose of delightful entertainment. You laugh, you sigh, and you ponder upon the passing of time, and how roles change when parenthood approaches, and at the same time we all remain children to our aging parents. In simple words, you confront all the nuances of family.

Back in 2002, My Big Fat Greek Wedding ended up becoming the most successful romantic comedy of all time, earning more than $245 million at the U.S. box office and accumulating fans worldwide. The reason for this success is a piece of cake (in this case of Kataifi). The themes of intrusive parentage are universal. The Greek cliché exemplifies a large tribe, and in the movie a great deal of irony is used to mock the way this culture reiterates that all ethnicities derive from the Hellenic land.

If you got attached to Gus Portokalos’ wisdom on how Greek is the mother of all languages in the first film, be ready for more of his linguistic lectures.

But besides the humor, the film also focuses thoroughly on the various forms of love. For example, how a parent’s love includes the moment of allowing the young ones to leave the nest. There is also the love that prompts to care for elderly parents whose tempers exacerbate with time: Toula has to deal with an irrepressible mother and cantankerous father.

And naturally there is a major focus on the transformation of romantic love in consolidated couples. We observe this especially with Toula and Ian, who have been so engrossed in the role of parents that they seem to have forgotten what it means to be a couple. The sandwich generation has to balance time between their teenage child, aging parents, not to mention the endless needs of other cousins and friends; to the disadvantage of the relationship.

Along these lines, the evolution of love through time is epitomized in the way the old aged Gus and Maria seem to have taken each other for granted after a long partnership, but realize how their companionship is truly meaningful and primary. In parallel to this, audiences also get engaged with Paris’ first high school crush.

Therefore, we get a full panorama of the stages of love along with the fact the three generations of family members are struggling with where they fit into their world. This brings to audiences a very raw and truthful aspect of reality, despite the film being drenched with buffoonery and caricature characters.

In real life, there is no Manichaeism distinction between heroes and villains. Conflict is usually within the internal struggle of a family and whatever problem comes up and needs to be solved by one member of the pack becomes a concern of the entire tribe.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is not just about Greek communities; it’s about all families. Vardalos’ sequel script captures all of this poignantly and is brilliantly orchestrated by Jones, who directs a terrific ensemble, allowing audiences see their own family onscreen.