I enjoyed My Big Fat Greek Wedding back in 2002, and the same is true for this long-delayed sequel.  The Portokalos family returns, older and slightly wiser, represented by a new generation (a daughter) who finds the whole ethnic extended family thing a bit much.  Happily, the charm, wit and good feeling that made the original a box office phenomenon is present once again, and while it will not equal or even come close to the success of the original, it is a worthwhile movie.

Again scripted by its star, Nia Vardalos, this comedy directed by Kirk Jones mixes screwball shenanigans with more heartfelt family situations.  Aging patriarch Gus (Michael Constantine) and matriarch Maria (Lainie Kazan) have different reactions when they learn that they are not legally married; Toula (Vardalos) and husband Ian (John Corbett) have grown apart; and their daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) is considering colleges both near and far to escape the constant familial attention.  While all of this is familiar territory, some of it works surprisingly well, a testament to the actors involved.

Most impressive is Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula, who steals every scene in which she partakes.  On the other hand, I didn’t feel that Corbett and Vardalos had much chemistry, at least until the parental wedding scene, where they mimic the actions of her parents at the back of the church in a sequence perfectly directed to entice lumpy throats.  Kampouris is excellent as the daughter who’s had enough, but never so much that she will abandon her kooky family.  And the film provides several well-timed belly laughs, including one at the end which was just a howl.

It’s always difficult to bring a fresh spin to such familiar material, and while My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is not very original it is entertaining.  Occasionally it is wise and even profound, amidst scenes that are amusing and fun.  Coming so late after the original it doesn’t have the impact that it might have had a decade ago, but then again, now it seems like a visit from relatives that one only sees at big family events.  It’s a nice, big, fat, pleasant visit.  ☆ ☆ 1/2.  25 May 2016.