Rank: 4.5/5
The “Greekquel,” released 14 years after its predecessor, reunited viewers with the Portokalos family on March 25. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” brings back the awkwardness, the baklava and the Windex from the first film.
The sequel, written by lead cast member Nia Vardalos, who plays Toula Portokalos, grossed $7.2 million on its first day in theaters. The film is thriving, even in competition with “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Like her character, Vardalos prioritized motherhood, which explains the 14-year gap between films. She found inspiration for the second film on her daughter’s first day of kindergarten and began writing that day, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Upon completing the script, Vardalos first called onscreen husband John Corbett, who plays Ian Miller, with news of a sequel. But by the time she got around to making the third and fourth calls to cast members, the entire cast already knew and was on board.
The actors lived up to the Portokalos motto, “telegraph, telegram, tell a Greek.”
This film, just like the original, shows the imbalance between Toula’s demanding family and her relationship with her husband. But just as the first movie brought them together, this one tore them apart, and it shows just how far Portokalos and Miller have drifted from each other.
Throughout the film, they struggle with the possibility of their daughter Paris going to an out-of-state college. The idea of Paris being so far away worries the entire Portokalos family, and, while trying to convince her to stay, they ultimately push her further away.
Meanwhile, Toula’s parents, Costas and Maria, realize their marriage isn’t legal. This predicament takes over as the main plot and, like the title suggests, the family teams up for yet another wedding — but this time, bigger and fatter.
The film has received mostly negative reviews from critics but has been a big hit with fans. Vardalos is already tossing around the idea of a third film — a Portokalos family “threekquel.”
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,” nostalgic as it is, has its fair share of problems. Toula takes a step back, almost fading into the background of her chaotic family. The empathetic, likable main character of the original isn’t as prevalent in this movie.
The writing spends so much time reminding viewers of the previous film that this one is almost suffocated by its numerous sub-plots and battling personalities. The film tries so hard to give each character their 15 minutes of fame that, ultimately, the final product ends up feeling rushed.
The “Greekquel” is not only comedic, but also pulls at the audience’s heartstrings. It pokes fun at Greek traditions but also delves into feminism, independence, the immigrant experience and family values.
The film portrays foreigners in a foreign land, a family grappling with — and eventually coming to accept — the union between a vegetarian Anglo-Saxon and a Greek, and one character coming to terms with his sexual orientation.
In a year which has felt jam-packed with hostility, aggression and intolerance, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” is able to show viewers that we’re all somewhat similar.