- Elena Kampouris, John Corbett, Nia Vardalos
- September 8th 2023
- Nia Vardalos
Toula Portokalos and her family go to Greece for a reunion in the village where her late father grew up.
When My Big Fat Greek Wedding launched in 2002, hardly anybody expected that it would still be going 21 years later.
But it has defied the odds! The cast reunited after 14 years for the sequel, which performed extraordinarily well at the box office, and they have returned to the fold once again for the third outing.
Nia Vardalos, who also directs this movie, is back as Toula, who goes to Greece with her husband Ian (John Corbett), daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris), brother Nick (Louis Mandylor) and aunt Theia (Andrea Martin), and a couple of others, to visit her late father Gus’ hometown for the first time for a reunion event. And, of course, there has to be a wedding somewhere!
The second Big Fat Greek Wedding didn’t do enough to justify its existence back in 2016 and the new third chapter is just as pointless – there is no reason for this film to exist except that it gives them an excuse to finally go to Greece for the first time.
Nobody calls into question a film’s existence when it is good. The threequel, once again written by Vardalos, is simply not funny enough. There are a couple of laughs here and there but most of the jokes are too silly or weird to really hit the mark, or they are not executed particularly well.
But it doesn’t just fail on the comedy side – it doesn’t connect on an emotional level either. Toula and her family are in Greece to learn more about where their father grew up and meet his childhood friends. It should have been sentimental but it doesn’t evoke those emotions, even though the rousing score tries hard to make it happen.
There are some positives though. Toula is as relatable and likeable as ever and her daughter Paris stands out as one who pushes against the norm. Martin also tries hard to sell Theia’s cringeworthy statements, although these have mixed results.
If you’re a fan of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you will probably love another chapter with the Portokalos family. Everyone else should look elsewhere for their light entertainment.
In cinemas from Friday 8th September.
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