Nia Vardalos and John Corbett star in a scene from the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2." The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. (CNS/Universal)

By Catholic News Service

The close-knit Hellenic family featured in the 2002 original — loving, clingy, earthy and in your face at all the most inopportune moments — returns in this romantic comedy, but without the zest of that first outing.

The problem is not so much the ambling plot, which involves marital strains between star and screenwriter Nia Vardalos’ self-sacrificing character and her husband (John Corbett) as well as a technical glitch requiring that her long spliced parents (Michael Constantine and Lainie Kazan) go through a fresh wedding. The real difficulty is that Vardalos only manages the occasional adept gag, while director Kirk Jones can do little with the rest of the project. As a result, the story comes down to a few pithy quotes interspersed with half-hearted physical comedy that has the taste of stale moussaka.

Sexual references and light banter. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Click here for full reviews of this and other current movies by Catholic News Service.