Did we need a MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3? Somebody thought so. Sure, the first one was charming, a word-of-mouth surprise hit romantic comedy, with both laughs and love in a big, close Greek-American family, when a young woman, Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), upends family expectations by marrying a non-Greek man, Ian Miller (John Corbett). There has already been one sequel, and despite the sequels’ titles, Toula is not getting married again, as she is still married to that first non-Greek guy from the original movie. What both sequels do is let us spend more time with the large, close Portokalos family as Vardalos mines it for comedy, inspired by her own Greek-American family. Vardalos wrote as well as starred in the first two but she adds director to her credits for this new one. This time, Toula, Ian, and some of her family, including the couple’s college-age daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris), travel to Greece for a family reunion in her late father’s hometown.
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 is a harmless, warm, feel-good movie that revisits this close-knit Greek-American family, but there are few big laughs, mostly chuckles and warm feelings, amid the beautiful scenery. The plot makes little sense and exists mostly as a framework for the comedy and romance, and yes, there is a wedding. Again, the family is the source of the humor, particularly over-sharing Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) with her pal Aunt Frieda (Maria Vacratsis), and Toula’s oddball younger brother Nick (Louis Mandylor) who provides much of the weird humor with his tenuous grasp of appropriate social behavior, and a penchant for both unexpected nudity (in PG-13 form) and public personal grooming. The romance aspect centers on some younger members of the extended family, including (but not only) the couple’s daughter Paris, who just broke up with her Greek-American boyfriend, Aristotle (Elias Kacavas), yet finds him tagging along on the trip, thanks to her Aunt Voula, who has hired him as her travel assistant, in a match-making ruse.
Arriving in Greece, they are greeted by the mayor of Dad’s home village, a quirky, enthusiastic young woman named Victory (Melina Kotselou), who transports them to the island village by way of a colorfully decorated but decaying truck. In the village, there more friends and relatives, and some surprises. Toula hopes to find her father’s three childhood playmates, and give them a journal her father kept of his experiences in America, as he wished.
Fans will be pleased that many of the cast from the original have returned, and they are joined by new characters too. The film deserves credit for largely casting Greek actors or ones of Greek ancestry (or at least Greek names) for the Greek and Greek-American characters but, alas, no Tina Fey (yes, she’s Greek ancestry). Returning cast includes Lainie Kazan as Toula’s and Nick’s mom Maria but while Maria is in the movie, Mom is in poor health and doesn’t go on the trip. Missing is their Windex-wielding father Gus, played by the late Michael Constantine. Constantine was the great charmer of the first film, and the father-daughter relationship was a big part of its appeal, so his absence leaves a big gap, even though his memory is a constant presence in this third comedy.
Filmed on location in Greece and vicinity, beautiful scenery abounds, adding a special visual delight to the film’s lovely art direction, and perhaps even making the audience feel a bit like they have joined the family on vacation. But while the locale is fresh, the humor is familiar as it continues on its journey with Toula’s big, fat Greek family.
If you enjoyed MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2, you likely will enjoy this sequel too. It offers warm, mild enjoyment if you just want to spend more time with the Portokalos family but don’t expect the big laughs and charm of the first one.
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 opens Friday, Sept. 8, in theaters.
RATING: 2 out of 5 stars
