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Flash Movie Review: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
THE FOOD WAS GOOD BUT THE conversation took a slight detour while we were eating. I had been invited over to a friend’s house for dinner. Of course, I brought a dessert with me, and it was a good thing since their kids had come over to join us. During the meal, I commented on one of the platters that had been placed on the dining room table. It looked like a platter my family used when company came over. I asked about its origins and was told it was part of a dinner set that was handed down from my friend’s great grandmother. I was immediately impressed that something so “old” had been carefully taken care of for all these years, since it looked so good. Plus, I loved that my friend had an appreciation for family heirlooms. I have in my possession a silver wine cup that came from my great, great grandfather who only used it on holidays. During the conversation, my friend turned to their two children and asked if either of them would like it. Both did not even pause to think about it before saying no. I did not say a word but thought it would be sad if the platter wound up in the trash heap or found its way to a garage sale or resale shop. I could see the disappointment on my friend’s face, so much for family history. I DO NOT REMEMBER WHEN MY interest in family history, heirlooms and such took on a level of importance; I enjoy learning about my ancestors and appreciate whatever small things they may have left behind for future generations to house and protect. For example, I have a framed photo hanging on a wall of my great, great, great grandmother who was alive when Napoleon invaded Russia. When guests are over and I explain the image to them, they each cannot get over the idea that this old frail woman dressed in a dark, floor length drab dress with a plain scarf tied around her head witnessed such history as a small child and that I am related to her. I ask you; how many people know what their great, great, great grandmother looks like? I feel if we can get some understanding about those who came before us, it will help us on our life’s path forward. Presently, I am debating how best I can distribute old photos I have of my relatives when they and their families were quite young. It is this idea of passing down a person’s history that I found so charming in this dramatic, comedy romance. WANTING TO FULFILL THEIR DECEASED FATHER’S wish to pass down his personal journal to his childhood friends, his children plan a trip to their father’s homeland, that will correspond with a family reunion. The problem will be how to track down these friends from a long, long time ago. With Nia Vardalos (I Hate Valentine’s Day, The Curse of Bridge Hollow) as Toula, John Corbett (The Messengers, The Silence) as Ian, Louis Mandylor (The Debt Collector, As Good as Dead) as Nick, Elena Kampouris (Before I Fall, Summer Night) as Paris and Andrea Martin (Black Christmas, The Good Fight-TV) as Aunt Voula; this sequel did not offer much to maintain my interest. The only two highlights were Andrea Martin’s performance and the beautiful scenery filmed in Greece. I did not find anything funny and thought there was zero-character development for most of the cast. The direction was poor because it felt like I was watching a series of vignettes. For the most part everything being done was predictable to the point where I was bored. I am afraid this movie would be something one does not want to hand down to a younger generation.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: 47 Meters Down: Uncaged
THE NEWS REPORTER SHOWED NO REACTION to the mother’s comments. I sat in front of my television in total shock. Did I hear correctly, was she joking; I could not believe she said such a thing. More shocking to me was the fact that she would even think it. The reason the mother and her daughters were being interviewed was because one daughter had survived a shark attack. What had stunned me was when the mother said she did not tell her daughters that the city they were vacationing in was known as the shark attack capitol of the world; she did not want to scare her girls. She even chuckled when she said this to the news reporter. I simply could not fathom why a person would choose to vacation at a beach known for shark attacks and then not tell family members to be careful if they go in the water. This made no sense to me; and get this, the little girl had to show the reporter where the shark bit her on the leg. The cameraman panned down to show the bite that went nearly around the whole calf of her leg. There were large, bloody welts forming an oval shape across the skin. When asked, the little girl said she cannot wait to get back into the water. CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN TO ME THIS desire people have to court danger? Having seen that news report made me further question the sanity of some people. I remember when I was younger, I did stuff that I am sure others would think was dangerous. Playing in a condemned building or riding down a snow-covered hill on the cover of a trash can are a couple of things that come to mind. So, does danger all come down to one’s perception? During winter I change my driving style to accommodate for snow and icy conditions; but I see other drivers continuing to drive the same way they do on a dry road. And the result is some pass me by while others slide off the road. I notice now how I have changed regarding seeing ice on the ground. When I was young, I did not give the ice much thought as I walked on it. Now, I walk like a penguin on icy sidewalks because I have a fear of falling and breaking a limb. Is it an age thing then? I wonder; but I can tell you this, I would not have done in my younger days what the main characters did in this dramatic, horror adventure film. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE A NEWLY discovered underwater cave was enticing enough to make four high school students disregard any kind of safety concerns. It could be a decision that kills them. With Sophie Nelisse (The Book Thief, Pawn Sacrifice) as Mia, newcomer Corrine Fox as Sasha, Brianne Tju (Make it or Break it-TV, Scream: The TV Series) as Alexa, newcomer Sistine Rose Stallone as Nicole and John Corbett (The Messengers, My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise) as Grant; this movie’s story had a strictly paint by number formula. It was your typical man vs beast scenario, except this one was cheesy and generic. There was no real acting from the four women; though, the script gave them nothing to sink their teeth into, so to speak. Since most of the picture was filmed underwater, it was difficult at times to see what was going on. This type of story inherently comes with a level of dread and fear; it was a shame the writers could not have written a better script to play on those emotions. It did cross my mind if the dads of Corrine and Sistine provided anything to get this movie up on the big screen. As far as I am concerned, I wish I would have stayed out of the water and think you should do the same.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
There are several names I am familiar with such as cousins’ club, sibling night or family day. All these terms mean essentially the same thing: time is put aside to spend with one’s family. When I was growing up Sunday was family day for me; every Sunday was spent at a different relative’s house. It was an occasion for relatives to spend time together. Meeting on a frequent and consistent basis allowed all of us to grow up together and be aware of each other’s daily life for the most part. It was fortunate that the majority of the relatives lived no further than 1 hour away from each other. Now there are some families that hold a reunion, so all the family members get a chance to get together no matter where they may live. A specific date is chosen and word goes out to everyone to meet at a specific place and time. When a long passage of time has passed between visits there tends to be a lot of catching up to do between the relatives. I know how fun and exciting it can be to meet relatives that one has not seen for a long time. The happy occasion lends itself for some family members to continue the euphoria of the visit and plan another get together shortly after, “shortly” being a relative term. It is these next meetings that can turn out to be a letdown, compared to the previous get together. All the bringing up to date information was already covered and one discovers that there is not much else to talk about because with daily life events not being shared so often, people start to grow apart. For example it has been a long time since I have seen this family. WHAT Toula’s, played by Nia Vardalos (I Hate Valentine’s Day, Connie and Carla); father Gus, played by Michael Constantine (The Juror, Room 222-TV), used to tell her he now was telling her daughter: that she needed to find a Greek boy and marry him. The family could not understand why the young girl wanted to go away for college. This romantic comedy brought back some of the fun characters we enjoyed from the original movie, such as Aunt Voula and Maria, played by Andrea Martin (Wag the Dog, Delivering the Goods) and Lanie Kazan (Beaches, My Favorite Year). Though I was happy to see Voula’s extended family, I quickly lost interest in them due to the lame script. What made the first film funny and charming was rehashed for this picture which made it goofy and boring. The same types of jokes were used so often that it was easy to predict what was going to happen next. A sense of heart was missing from the script, replaced with dull mugging and humor. If this family has another reunion down the road I may have to decline the invitation; I did not have any warm feelings for them in this movie.
1 ¾ stars
moviejoltz 