If you've ever joined a group tour at some tourist destination, you know that the experience is a mixed bag: traveling companions you'd never ordinarily be with (both good and bad); lots of cheesy jokes; and a brain shifted into idle, knowing that all you have to do is turn your head and respond accordingly when directed to something of interest. Your expectations were likely low, but you may have left with a grudging admission that the trip was more fun and informative than you thought it would be. And coincidently, that's exactly how I felt about Donald Petrie's comedy, which packs us into a Greek tour bus, filled with mildly amusing "characters" under the tutelage of a tour guide named Georgia (Nia Vardalos). She's a mopey singleton and a Greek-history buff whose life is ... well, in ruins. On board, there is a widower who thinks he's awfully funny (Richard Dreyfus); the braying Australians; uptight Brits; nerd boy; and so on. Oh, and folks, please notice the totally hot bus driver who can't keep his soulful eyes off Georgia. You don't need a map to see exactly where this is all going, but the film is as light and sunny as a summer's holiday in Greece. (The gorgeous scenery doesn't hurt.) And hooray for a rom-com that features a relatable, likeable female protagonist, unlike the usual hysterically shrieking skeletons tottering around on heels who can find romance only through humiliation. Starts Fri., June 5.
