As we look back in history at the great things that happen, you often associate it with a where you were at that time. This next sentence you are expecting to read is me talking about some major moment in history, but what I want to know is where were you in 2002, where we all became a little Greek. Of course I am referring to the run away hit “My Big Fat Greek Weeding” which made $356 million world-wide and helped us learn how every word is based on a Greek word. Which such success you have to wonder why there never was a sequel, well wonder no more because everyone is back again for part two.
Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) are still together and have survived Toula’s family, and started one of their own. Their daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) is about to graduate from High School and is in the process of choosing where she goes next when a crisis hits the family. The priest who married Toula’s parents, Gus (Michael Constantine) and Maria (Lainie Kazan) never signed the marriage certificate, which means that are not married. While that seems like an easy fix, with this family nothing is easy and things get complicated quickly. Once again Toula must bring everything together with plenty of antics along the way, as this family shows again what being a family is all about.
A lot of things have changed in the last fourteen years, mainly expectations. While repeating the success of the first film might be difficult, the idea is not impossible. The reason why the first film did so well, was because of its charm and originally, but above all because it was a good movie. Well it seems in the time between sequels Nia Vardalos hasn’t lost her touch. The charm and originally are still there, as is the entire cast from the original. While all the things they we love are back, fourteen years has brought a lot of changes in our society, and adds a side of the story that seems forced and feels like it doesn’t belong. This minor bump doesn’t ever really knock the film off track, as it feels like more of an extension of the first one than a cash-grabbing sequel. When you look at the what is coming out the same weekend as this movie, it might look like a true David vs.Goliath story, as “Greek Wedding Two” opens up opposite “Batman v. Superman.” Looks though are deceiving, as “Greek Wedding Two” offers perfect counter programing to two superheroes fighting one another. This film doesn’t have to be that though, as it stands on it’s own, and if you are a fan of the original you are going to be more then happy to hang out in Greek Club once again. If Vardalos chooses to make a third chapter to this story, I hope it doesn’t take another fourteen years, but If this one is any indication of what the next chapter would be like, then it would be worth the wait.
