The Kings of Mykonos

I attended the premiere last night. I was a big fan of the first, so I knew this could never live up to it - I still enjoyed it.

The Kings of Mykonos clearly had a higher budget than the original, but a lot of charm was lost in this. The plot revolves around Steve & Frank heading to Mykonos to claim an inheritance from a long lost relative and the predictable hi-jinx ensue.

I don't think anyone was expecting an Oscar quality movie here, and it won't exceed those expectations. There are still sufficient laughs to be had, but it is certainly not the laugh-out-loud-only-in-Australia humour of the original Wog Boy.

Nick G & Vince C are starting to show their ages, but it works in the context of the film.

The two female leads are absolutely stunning in any language but you never quite buy the chemistry on screen. Kevin Sorbo has an amusing role as the King of Mykonos, and Alex Dimitriades's Mihali character had so much potential but barely has a line in the film considering the pivotal role.

The ending of the film was confusing and abrupt and I'm not quite sure what was supposed to go on there. It might be worthwhile waiting for the DVD version to see if there was an alternate ending. I also read that there was a sex scene filmed, but this certainly wasn't in the edit I saw last night.

All in all, I recommend it - particularly if you enjoyed the music and oh-so-Melbourne "wogginess" of the original. The scenery is breathtaking which is a nice change for the film. Don't have exceedingly high expectations and you won't be disappointed.

I'll admit this may be more like a 6 or 7 but from a cinematography point of view their are some great shots that would probably go unnoticed by most. Add to this images of my home town and some very funny one liners this makes better viewing on the 3/4th attempt on DVD.

There was a lot of juvenille comedy and coarse subject matter which is cringe worthy but that is the kind of style for ethnic comedies.

I gave it extra points for the simple fact that there where multiple characters that were exact representations of people I know, which is what these close to home films are meant to express. Just a shame the rudeness didn't qualify for a family viewing.

"watch where I'm going" Superb

Diane and I watched this lovely, unpretentious film yesterday and we both enjoyed this movie experience greatly. The comments about the movie and its low result from viewers illuminates the difficulty of contemporary movie appreciation. Yes, this film will not win awards nor will it win plaudits from reviewers but this raises the hoary question about what we the viewers want in a movie. I do not want to watch Disney movies with lifelike drawings of people; I realize that this movie making technique is a method of not spending huge salaries on actors for their roles in a film but I like our movies where real people do real things on the screen.

In this movie I have read complaints about the sketchiness of the plot and the paucity of acting in the film by some of the leads but I will have none of those criticisms. We loved the film; the island and the people and the buildings should be nominated for an award for best actor. The setting was magnificent and the actors blended into this beautiful background with ease. The script was a vehicle, not so much to challenge us intellectually but to present a canvas into which these fine Greek actors could play out their roles in the beauty of Mykonos. The script is merely the vehicle by which the true star of the film, Mykonos, can take centre stage. This is the best thing about film; it allows the viewer to remove themselves from the contemporary world and escape into something more than us.

It appears Hollywood's obsession with unnecessary sequels has hit Australian shores, with the recent release of perhaps the most unnecessary of all follow-up films: Kings of Mykonos. Nick Giannopoulos and Vince Colosimo reprise their roles as 'Wog Boys' Steve and Frank, who embark on a trip to the beautiful Greek island to claim what is theirs: a beach Steve has apparently inherited following the passing of his relative Panos. While trying to get around some red tape, and the evil intentions of Alex Dimitriades' Mihali, each learns a little something about love, friendship and family (it is a film about Greeks, after all).

Prior to viewing, this film carried with it the lowest expectations I've had for some time. That being said, I have to say that it wasn't terrible. Acting-wise, both Nick and Vince fail to convince in the opening scenes, but they eventually pick up where they left off in the original as the movie progresses. Dimitriades (best known as 'The Running Man' from the first season of Underbelly) comes along for the ride, and seems to relish bringing some comedic value to a non-traditional villain.

Fans of the original will enjoy cameos by Frank's wrestler-turned-pizza-store-owning dad, as well as the compensation-seeking uncle, both of whom make enjoyable references to The Wog Boy. The standout, though, is Tony Yugoslav, who benefits from a larger role in the sequel. He's still fat. Still a con artist. And still loves to swear. And yet, it works wonders in a film that plays to his style of humour.

Speaking of which, it almost goes without saying that the majority of humour in the film is targeted at Greek-Australians, and it helps to be of that nationality to appreciate the jokes. Despite this, some of the film's most comedic moments arise from playing off Greek stereotypes that even non-Greeks should recognise. Our laziness, obnoxiousness, love of food and (in the most memorable scene of the movie) hatred of Turks is all on display, delivering some hearty laughs in the process.

The dialogue is painfully cliché-ridden at times, particularly when the film takes a more sentimental as opposed to humorous approach, but innovation in this department was not exactly a priority of the filmmakers, nor was it expected by the audience.

Unfortunately, the film falls apart in the climactic act as director Peter Andrikidis tries to rectify the fact that the film has too many story arcs going on, and vainly attempts to solve them all in a limited time span. Indeed, he does just that, but not without the help of more than one application of the deu ex machina plot device, whereby an aspect of the story is quickly wrapped up by an inexplicable or highly implausible event. Simply put, it's a big no- no in the Dummies Guide To Filmmaking.

Finally, this is by no means a film to be taken seriously. While it can be criticised for many reasons related to the technical aspects of filmmaking (dialogue, story development, etc.) its main purpose is to generate laughs, and it does just that as frequently as one would expect from a film marketed as a straight-out comedy.

*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review.*

Nick Giannopoulos and his team have crafted another genuinely funny movie. This is a character driven, rare comedy whose simplicity belies its talents. Rare because Giannopoulos' humour comes from the heart. This lends much pathos to the characters we meet in 'Kings of Mykonos'. It warms us to, and sustains, our interest in a storyline that is clever without being contrived, is flawed without ever being pretentious.

The enjoyment Giannopoulos and his cast get out of every moment and every scene should be in the textbook for comedy filmmaking. It's a skill many bigger names in the industry will never master. Giannopoulos is an Aussie gem, and Kings of Mykonos reflects every facet of his talent.