After 14 years of waiting, fans of the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", finally got what they were looking for. The release of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" was highly anticipated, but star Nia Vardalos had gone on record saying that there would be no sequel until she felt she had the script just right. As a huge fan of the first movie for more than a decade, one could say I was beyond ready for the second movie to come out. Upon its release Friday, my sister, mother and I all decided to head to the movie theater and check out the sequel. Would it live up to the hype and huge anticipation, or would it fall flat?
I was able to read a few of the reviews on the film before I got a chance to see it, and there were definitely some mixed reviews about it; some thought it was a great addition to the first movie, others thought it fell flat. I quickly shook off the haters and got myself ready for the movie. Though I may be biased due to my love for the first movie, nothing that these reviews had to say deterred me. For those trying to go see the movie this weekend or later in the month, don't keep reading for fear of spoiling the fun!
Arguably the best part of the movie is the consistency between the first and second installments. Even though there was a 14-year hiatus since we last caught up with the Portokalos family and their antics, most of the characters felt like old friends and the actors seemed to slip back into these roles like an old pair of jeans. Better yet, the wardrobe consistency was fantastic, as all the aunts, uncles, cousins and parents seemed to be wearing the same clothes they were in 2002.
The movie is centered around Toula and Ian parenting their senior in high school, Paris, as she prepares for college. Of course, the family continues to be either in the way or buzzing around the action, causing Paris to drift further from her mother and closer to leaving home. (Cue the jokes from Toula asking why her daughter wants to leave her, just like her parents responded when she began taking college courses in the first movie.) In the midst of the college decisions, Gus and Maria, the patriarch and matriarch of the family, find out that their marriage license in Greece has never been signed, and decide that they should get remarried. What would "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" be without another wedding, of course?
**SERIOUS SPOILER ALERT** One of the best parts of the movie for me was Angelo's character development. Angelo, played by the always lovable Joey Fatone, is the only cousin that was not married in the 14 years between the first and second films, and we discover towards the end of the movie that his business partner, Patrick, is also his romantic partner. Though it was a subtle addition, it was a great touch in my opinion to showing the way that families can both be a difficult group to navigate and a source of support for everyone. Angelo, in turn, is able to help pull off the parent's wedding while the Miller side of the family works towards getting Paris to NYU for college.
Some of the story lines were tired or a bit worn out, but that may just be because there have been dozens of Windex jokes made in the last 14 years. However, there is so much to love about this movie that I would recommend it to everyone. The same reasons that "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was so successful are here again in the sequel, so make sure to head out and see it! In theaters now!
