My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (Kirk Jones, 2016): USA

Reviewed by Katrina Storton. Viewed at private Los Angeles showing at the Grove.

Promotional Poster for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Fair warning: Please watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) before watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016). Doing such will make the sequel much more enjoyable overall.

I was fortunate enough to acquire tickets to a private early screening of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 at the Grove in Los Angeles. Being a fan of the first movie, being Greek myself and having met writer and star of the films, Nia Vardalos; I was very excited to see the film before the general audience on March 25th.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 literally picks up 14 years after the first film left off. Toula and Ian’s daughter, Paris, who was 3 in the first film’s ending is now 17. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 showcases the trials and tribulations of raising a teen and raising her in a very large and self-inclusive Greek family. The film while most relatable to Greeks, is universally relatable to many other cultures and races. But because the movie is very ethnically based around Greek culture, if you don’t know much about the culture or its language, a few good jokes may go over your head. Nevertheless, the film is still enjoyable to anyone from any background as the topics of the film are extremely relatable.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding’s entire cast came back for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. When I say the entire cast, I truly mean every single person. No one was left out and for fans of the first film, this was a pleasant surprise. This made it feel like nothing had changed, everyone including the audience was simply just 14 years older. The plot was solid and never boring or cliché. There are also more inclusions of current topics such as the LGBTQ+ community and social media that weren’t touched upon in the first film. Fun elements like popular songs sung in Greek and not so subtle Greek innuendos (that are still understandable to everyone), made the film have an extra laugh factor. The inclusions of famous Greek actors such as Rita Wilson and John Stamos also gives the film an extra bump at the box office. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is just as heart tugging as the first one was but this one especially for any parents, teens or families in general. The film gracefully covers a lot of heavy yet common topics, in its hour and 34 minutes. I promise you’ll at least cry a little bit, at some point or another. Laughs will be heard and tears will be shed, but you’ll leave the theatre with a smile on your face.

I highly recommend the film and suggest seeing it with family and friends rather than on your own. Once more, it’s best to watch the first film (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) before seeing My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. Seeing the first film will help to better understand the characters, the plot and the family’s antics, (along with a few major jokes).

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Published:
03.23.16 / 9pm
Category:
Films