Dir: Peter Andrikidis. Aust. 2010. 101mins

The_Kings_of_Mykonos_Wog_Boy_2..jpg

This blokey hard-working farce features two sex-obsessed mates amid the beach bars and bikinied dollies of tourist-magnet Greek island Mykonos. Made primarily for an Australian fan base untested for a decade on the big screen since the original Wog Boy hit, this follow-up was shot mainly on Mykonos with a number of well-known Greek actors. It has potential for business in Greece where local distribution is handled by Odeon Films. The movie opens wide and with a large advertising budget in Australia on May 20.

Family skulduggery and mildly comic confusions.

The slang term ‘wogs’ in Australia once referred disparagingly to Mediterranean migrant groups. Nick Giannopoulos, comedian son of Greek migrants, embraced and helped to diffuse the insult in the late 1980s and ‘90s with his stage shows (Wogs Out of Work, Wogarama, etc) and long-running TV series (Acropolis Now). His 2000 feature The Wog Boy is currently at 16 ($A11.5 mill) in the Top 100 Australian movies ranked by takings at the local box office. It is unlikely to be challenged by this late, warmed-up sequel.

Engaging idiots Steve (Giannopoulos) and his Italian/Australian mate Frank (Vince Colosimo) are now well into their 40s. Grey hairs undercut their continued devotion to chasing Melbourne girls and tuning flashy automobiles. When Steve gets an international phone call from an uncle telling him he’s inherited a two-and-a-half-million euro stretch of prime sandy beach, off they boldly go to inspect their ‘united nations of pussy’.

The ensuing family skulduggery and mildly comic confusions are intercut with many terrific helicopter shots of the rocky centre and sun-kissed beaches of Mykonos.

The two love interests, statuesque Greek actress Zeta Makrypoulia and flashing-eyed Italian Cosima Coppola, are great value, and far better catches than our half-witted, overgrown boys deserve. It could only happen in the movies.

Production companies: G.O. Films, See-Saw Films

Australia/New Zealand Distributors: Paramount

International sales: Arclight

Producers: Emile Sherman, Nick Giannopoulos

Screenplay, Chris Anastassiades, Nick Giannopoulos

Cinematography: Mark Wareham

Production Designer:Adele Flere

Editor: Nicole La Macchia

Music: Amanda Brown, Nick West

Main cast: Nick Giannopoulos, Vince Colosimo, Alex Dimitriades, Zeta Makrypoulia, Dimitris Starovas, Cosima Coppola, Costas Kilias, Kevin Sorbo