HOLLYWOOD—Back in 2002, it was the indie flick that exploded in movie theaters. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” generated so much word-of-mouth buzz the comedy starring Nia Vardalos earned over $368 million at the global box-office. One would have expected a sequel right away, but not so fast people. Vardalos who wrote the first screenplay noted a sequel would happen once she nailed out a script.

Wise choice for Vardalos because taking the appropriate time to craft a narrative for “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” with returning and new characters that is just as entertaining if not better than its predecessor is worth the wait. Yeah, waiting 14 years before bringing another chapter for a beloved flick is risky; I mean a ton of people could have totally forgotten about the movie. However, those characters of that ‘Big Fat Greek Family’ all return, wiser, older and wittier than ever.

The bulk of the narrative revolves around Toula (Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) raising their teenage daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris), who is on the cusp of graduating from high school and heading to college. As with any teenager, the overbearing love from her parents has her wanting to run to the farthest college possible.

Trust me I know the feeling, because I had the same thought process. Paris learns as the time progresses, we can’t choose the families we are born into. You have to take the good with the bad, but when it comes to family, they know you better than anyone else.

What I absolutely loved about this comedy is the return of all those kooky characters from the first flick who were an absolute delight. We have Maria (Lainie Kazan), Toula’s mother, Gus (Michael Constantine), Toula’s father, Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin), Toula’s aunt and Maria’s sister, as well as Louis, Angelo and Nick who all return to prove that being Greek is a ton of fun. At the heart of the movie is the wedding in the making for Gus and Maria who discover they were never legally married all those years back in Greece. Yep, the duo plan to have the wedding that they never had, hence the film’s title.

Throughout the process we get a ton of hilarious moments involving Toula and Ian who do all in their power to reignite the spark that has fizzled in their marriage. Yeah, you know things are bad when you’re behaving like a teenager and making out with your hubby in the backseat of the car and your parents catch you. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” proves that you don’t have to be Greek to understand the dynamics of this family; family is universal regardless of your cultural heritage or background. Things might be done slightly different, but the love of family, that bond is unbreakable.

In case I forget, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” has some great cameos, laughs that will keep you talking, and a narrative that connects with parents and teens about dealing with an empty nest. Of course we can’t forget about the importance of love. Simply put, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” is worth every moment of your time, not just for sharing the importance of family, but because the laughs delivered are so genuine!