Some movies are designed to stick strictly to their one original release and should avoid unnecessary sequels. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” is a prime example of a disappointing and unneeded continuation of the initial film. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” was released on March 25 and made over $17 million in the box office during the opening weekend. It was assumed this movie would be just as good as the first “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” which was released in 2002, but sadly, could not compare. Despite the efforts to re-create the beloved romantic comedy, the sequel fell a bit short.

Right off the bat, audiences learn that “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” is centered on family. Characters Gus and Maria find out they haven’t officially been married for the past 50 years due to a missing signature from the priest on their wedding document. The two decide they want a special wedding they never had a chance to have while in Greece. Meanwhile, their daughter, Toula, battles with her stubborn teenage daughter Paris, who is embarrassed of her family and wants to move far away to college. Toula also has to deal with her relationship with her husband which has lost its romance. The entire movie is focused on how the family works together to help plan the dream wedding for their loved ones. This sequel was nothing but cliché and predictable throughout.

If you’re looking for a laugh out loud good time comedy, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” is not the one to watch. Anytime the characters attempted to crack a joke, it only came out as dry and awkward. The anti-climatic and snooze fest-worthy one-liners left an uncomfortable vibe.

The first half of the movie was slow and hard to invest interest in. It lacks plot twists. The audience only learned basic information, that quite frankly has no relevance to the story.

Besides the main plot, we learn Gus wants to find his granddaughter, Paris, a husband. Gus also thinks he’s a descendent from Alexander the Great, and Paris gets accepted into NYU. Other than the marriage and ceremony at the end, nothing else exceptional happens in this film.

The acting was minimal and subpar. It’s difficult to feel a connection to the characters, let alone a connection between the characters. Usually in family dynamic movies, characters create a sense of happiness and overwhelming joy. The characters in this movie acted more along the lines of feeling annoyed, aggravated and troublesome. Not too sure if this was the tone the producers were going for or just how the actors personalities carried through, but I wasn’t too fond of the overall feeling. For example, the Greek family consisted of at least 15 people, which in most scenes bombarded and bothered those around them. This made me just as irritated as the characters dealing with them were.

One aspect that impressed me from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” was the creative cinematography and set layout. The opening and closing credits were written in a Greek font, which tied in the overall theme of the movie. The houses were designed with Greek architectural design and looked as though they could be in Greece. Even the mailboxes looked like fancy Greek buildings. The lighting on the characters faces were always bright and lit up whenever on screen.

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” was an interesting but unnecessary addition to the movie audiences have come to know and love.