Nia Vardalos

(Video on Demand, July 2016) The original My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a perfectly likable romantic comedy, but it’s a bit of a disappointment to realize, fourteen years later, that writer/star Nia Vardalos never quite made the leap to superstardom following the success of that film. A look at her filmography since then has revealed a stream of work (hey, I’ve seen Connie and Carla in theatres!), but nothing approaching the massive success of her breakthrough feature. I suppose that a “generation later” sequel was inevitable, and now that My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is available, we’re left to contemplate a sequel that pretty much delivers exactly what anyone could have expected from it: A gentle and familiar brand of humour equally devoted to cultural differences and family obligations. Here, the plot has something to do with unsigned wedding papers and the need for the protagonist’s parents to marry again, but it’s really an excuse for sequences with eccentric family members, reflecting on the rigours of an established marriage in which the only child is about to leave the nest, and throwing a few sitcom moments. Among the performers, Vardalos is just as likable as in her breakthrough role, but it’s Andrea Martin who gets the laughs as Aunt Voula. John Corbett once again look pleasantly bemused by the Greek-themed madness around him, while Elena Kampouris establishes her character without too much trouble—a feat given how loud the other actors can be. Some of the Greek-community jokes would approach stereotypes if they weren’t so affectionate. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is not particularly good, but it’s certainly not bad, and if the result feels too much like an extended television series finale, it does provide viewers with what they were expecting from such a sequel.