t sounds like a strange football result...The Nun 2, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. Those were the two movies I watched back-to-back this week, and it was a bit of a mixed bag, if I'm honest.
If you do make a habit of watching films from the Conjuring universe, I'd recommend watching The Nun II in 4DX, as it's a fun way of watching horror hokum. The seats move about, there are puffs of air in your ears to startle you, and you even get sprayed with water! Sadly, whilst better than its 2018 predecessor, this film just isn't that scary or original in my book, and a couple of the best jump scares had already been lit up in neon lights in the trailer.
One stylish scene at a magazine stand is extremely effective, but too much of it relies on horror cliches we've seen a million times before. We follow Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) as she tries to stop the nun on the run in the locked up old chapel at a boarding school, which also used to be a winery.
It was reported this week that Bonnie Aarons, who first played the nun in 'The Conjuring 2' before getting her own spin off film, has filed a lawsuit against the movie's makers, claiming she has not received her "contractually required share of merchandising revenues". I wonder if this is a reason why she was barely in this sequel for five minutes, out of its running time of almost two hours! It's like watching a Lassie film without a dog in it. The demonic force mainly manifests itself in brief glimpses down long flickering corridors, but mainly inhabits the body of groundskeeper Frenchie.
The characters are quite likeable in this sequel, but the scares are few and far between. I hope they don't make a habit of milking this franchise dry, as the ending certainly leaves open the possibility of a third film. Reasons for that to exist? Nun.
Meanwhile, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is not world-changing, but it's a nice addition to the franchise, in my humble opinion. I say that having not seen the second film, and only having watched the first from the early noughties this week (it's on ITVX currently!).
I immediately liked the humour and storyline, and portrayal of a chaotic family, however stereotypical and contrived some of it might be. It's enjoyable fluff, and sometimes I'm in the mood for that. This sequel has been savaged by critics, but I enjoyed the tour of Greece, as a reunion is organised to hand over Gus's journal to his friends from back home. Don't take it too seriously, and I think you'll enjoy a bit more time with the Portokalos family as family secrets are unearthed, and Nia Vardalos gets daytime drunk as the always likeable Toula.
The storyline involving the integration of Syrian refugees was well handled, as was the introduction of Victory, the village's non-binary mayor. it won't change the world, but not every film needs to. Now, where did I leave my Windex?
