My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 brings the lovable Portokalos family back to the big screen, only this time they are traveling to their homeland: Greece. Nia Vardalos, who wrote and starred in all three films, gets to sit in the director’s chair as well this time. It’s a film with lots of laughs but also has heart; it also highlights some serious family topics and the importance of family culture. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s one that the whole family can enjoy.
The Plot
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 reintroduces Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardolos) and her family to the audience as well as the central plot of the film. Toula’s father Gus (the late Michael Constantine) has passed away and his final wish was that Toula give his journal to his old friends back in his hometown in Greece.
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The Critique
My biggest critique of the film is the writing. Nia Vardolos did a pretty good job with the script, but some of the jokes are either repetitive or go on longer than they should. There are also too many storylines happening that it’s hard to keep track of them and have them get a satisfying conclusion. It’s clear that Vardolos loves this franchise and these characters, but it’s more evident through her direction and performance than her writing.
Nia Vardolos does a wonderful job directing the film; the first was directed by Joel Zwick and the second was directed by Kirk Jones. Vardolos takes full advantage of the international setting of the film and gets gorgeous shots of Greece, thanks to cinematographer Barry Peterson (whose most recent work was on Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves). Vardolos has terrific chemistry with the entire cast, but there’s just something about her and John Corbett that still works after 20 years. The two haven’t skipped a beat since the original and both of them give great performances.
It was also nice to see Toula and Ian’s relationship with their daughter Paris, played by Elena Kampouris. She gives a great performance as well and has a nice romantic chemistry with Elias Kacavas, who plays Aristotle and ends up joining the family trip (much to her dismay in the beginning). The real scene-stealer of the film, maybe the entire franchise, is Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula. She elevates every project with her natural comedic presence and timing, and it’s on display in full force here.
In Conclusion
Overall, I would say that My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is a film you don’t have to rush to the theater to see, but should see in the future when it comes out on streaming and Blu-ray. I would say Vardolos has created a fun, comedic franchise that shows the importance of family and how it changes over time. That being said, I would say this film acts as a nice ending to this story and these characters. I don’t know if there are plans for more, but I’d say this is the right film to end on.
Rating: 7/10
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