“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” is silly and sweet, with the same charm that made the first two films so beloved. But with numerous storylines jam-packed into 90 minutes, it feels disjointed and its characters flat outside of their endearing quirks from the first two films. Though the ensemble is separately great, the third installment to the sleepy-hit original watches like a chaotic episode of “Modern Family.”
The absence of late actor Michael Constantine, who played lovable patriarch Gus Portokalos in the original “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” films, creates the plot for this one. In the wake of his passing, the whole Portokalos gang is invited to their father’s hometown village in Greece under the guise of a family reunion; when they land, things are not quite as they seem, but the affable characters naturally make the best of it. While protagonist Toula searches for her father’s childhood friends to return her father’s journal to them, her daughter Paris finds herself in the midst of academic and relationship scuffles; her husband Ian collects gifts from the locals and remains a humorous presence; the Aunties make jokes and cast “Greek voodoo” on Paris; and a wedding is arranged for a pair of series newcomers.
Filmed mostly in Corfu, Greece, there is no shortage of beautiful vantage points and homages to Greek cuisine. It also celebrates Greek tradition, humorously highlighting the clash between old-world values and modern ideals. It occasionally relies on recycled jokes from the previous films, which some viewers might find predictable.
Overall, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” is a nostalgic reunion with the Portokalos family that may not live up to the first two films but will still warm fans’ hearts. As moviegoer Melissa Stubbs coined it: “All in all, it’s a reminder that family bonds can never be broken. It might miss the original wit of the franchise in some ways, but the deeper themes of love and coping with familial change are strong.”
Movie Times: Click Here
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Nia Vardalos
Actors: Gia Carides, John Corbett, Joey Fatone, Elias Kacavas, Elena Kampouris, Lainie Kazan, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, Nia Vardalos
Run Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Suggestive Material & Brief Nudity
