Movie Review: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: Fun at Best, Nonsense at Worst

Following up on the success of the first two films (which premiered in 2002 and 2016), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 cashes in on fans’ nostalgia and the chemistry the cast possesses. The third film follows the Portokalos family as they travel back to their patriarch’s village in Greece for a family reunion. A significantly smaller cast from the first two films, partially due to the aging cast (Michael Constantine, who played the family patriarch in the first two films, passed away in 2021, and Lainie Kazan, the family matriarch, is in the film briefly, as her character is diagnosed with some form of dementia and unable to travel back to Greece) is still able to convey the joy and family dynamics that defined the first two films. Despite being released seven years after the second film, the movie is set only one year after the second, something that is not mentioned or explained in any way.

The film sets itself up for success with a potentially impactful plot but is edited in a way that makes it nearly incomprehensible. The movie feels like a poorly explained montage of scenes that have no real contribution to the plot. There is even a moment towards the middle of the film where the scene cuts to a dinner table with a few actors that are not introduced until much later in the story. This could be attributed to the movie being only the second that Nia Vardalos, the star of the trilogy, has directed; she has written and produced all three of the movies, but this is the first that she directed. Her directorial debut was a movie called I Hate Valentine’s Day (2009), which was released in only three theaters nationwide.

More times than not, I found myself laughing at the moments that didn’t seem like they were intended to be funny. The four other people in the theater seemed to be enjoying the comedy, which is more of a comment on the intended demographic of the film, which is middle-aged women.

Overall, I thought the movie was fine. The plot was predictable, the conflicts inconsequential, and the dialogue silly (although one of my favorite parts of the movie was the young mayor who would say “Number one. The best!” repeatedly). The movie certainly gets a boost from the natural beauty of the Greek islands that provides an easy win on cinematography and establishing shots. However, I was unable to look past the disjointed editing that complicated the viewing experience of a film that should’ve been a fun and easy watch. I would give this film 2.5/5 stars.