My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 with general indifference.  But then, this movie was not made for me.  I know this.  It was made for the people who made the original 2002 movie a surprise runaway blockbuster, and have been waiting 14 years to catch up with these characters.  I think a lot of those people were at my screening, as the entire theater was roaring with laughter the whole way through. I'm honestly happy for them.  I love it when people have a great time at the movies.  I just found myself not caring much about the bubble-brained plot, and the equally bubble-brained characters.

Just like the first one, this movie is essentially a TV sitcom, only it lasts a little over 90 minutes, and the audience provides the laugh track.  It's harmless, kind of sweet, and more than a little dopey.  The big Greek family at the center of the movie are supposed to be charming in an embarrassing sort of way, and I guess I can see that.  But I also found them very shrill.  They're constantly mugging, and playing the jokes to the rafters.  If I had to be trapped on a bus sitting next to just about anyone in this movie, I would throw myself out the window.  I know these characters are supposed to be overbearing, but I think the movie takes it a little too far this time.  In one scene, the whole family shows up for a college fair at a school.  They bring Greek dishes, and all but bully the admissions representative to let the youngest member of their family be accepted to his school.  They're constantly talking over each other, and forcing people to take photos of them.  You know, after watching this sequence, I have to say that there's a fine line between charmingly embarrassing, and just flat out obnoxious. 

The plot: Lead heroine Toula (Nia Vardalos) has her hands full keeping her family under control, as well as dealing with her teenage daughter, Paris (Elena Kampouris), who is threatening to go to another state for college after she graduates high school.  Her relationship with her husband, Ian (John Corbett), just doesn't have the passion that it once did, and though they are trying to rekindle it, life problems keep on getting in the way.  Problems like the contrived situation that mostly drives the story, when Toula's father, Gus (Michael Constantine), finds out that he's actually never officially been married to his wife of 50 years, Maria (Lanie Kazan).  The priest back in Greece never officially signed their marriage license, so now the family has to come together to plan another big fat Greek wedding for the couple.

There are a lot of subplots in the film, much more than it probably needed.  You know your movie is overstuffed when there's a plot about someone in the family finding the courage to come out as being gay, and it barely registers.  Other plots include Paris finding a nice boy to go to prom with, some mean neighbors who talk behind Toula's back, and Gus being reunited with his brother, who he has been at odds with for years.  But the movie is not really interested in any of this.  They're all treated almost as a distraction from the Greek family, who take center stage whenever possible, and do their shrill comic shtick.  The various subplot are introduced, ignored for a while, and then resolved as quickly as possible.  I'm not asking for the movie to have some deep character moments, but it could at least slow down enough for these ideas to resonate.  But, this is the tone that director Kirk Jones strikes.  He wants to be silly and over the top, and every time the story has a chance for an emotion, he brings in the Greek family to be ridiculous and as over the top as possible.

If you were a fan of the original, than you have my permission to ignore this review.  The sequel will give you more of what you want, and you will likely enjoy it.  This movie was made for you, not me.  I will admit that I did smile from time to time, but on the whole, this movie just left me exhausted.

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