by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
I, like many women my age, absolutely fell in love with the first My Big Fat Greek Wedding movie. Based on the one-woman show by Nia Vardalos, it inspired a great love that has spanned generations, whether you’re Greek or not. The family antics, story of self-improvement, and general lighthearted nature ensured that it had a high level of rewatchability upon its initial release, as well as years after.
This is the only reason for which we have gotten not one, but now two, sequels illustrating the continuing adventures of the kooky Portokalos family over the years. The second one was tepid at best, terrible at worst, in both story and execution. However, it wasn’t enough to temper the love of this Greek chorus, and there seem to still be fans willing to give them another chance on a third movie, this time in the homeland.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 follows Toula (Vardalos) and her family as they travel back to Greece for a family reunion in order to locate her deceased father’s friends, and return a journal collating his life in America.
Most of the cast returns this time around, some in smaller roles, and some getting a little more time to shine. The standouts are definitely the two theias — Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) and Aunt Frieda (Maria Vacratsis). They essentially act like a sassy Greek Chorus, commenting on everything happening around them, and adding some true levity when the story, the tone, or to be honest the characters start to wane. The performances from Martin and Vacratsis are worth the price of admission alone, if you’re a big MBFGW fan.
Toula and Ian (Jon Corbett) return and are fine. They’re still kind of at the center of the story, but to be honest, they don’t really do anything that has any significant effect on the plot overall. It seems like the story was meant to be about Toula coming to terms with her parents’ mortality, and taking the reins as the next head of the family, but I just didn’t care enough for it to have the emotional impact this required.
The rest are fine, save a funny insert of the curmudgeonly Greek matron, Alexandra (Anthi Andreopoulou), who serves some laughs from time to time. Toula and Ian’s daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) makes another appearance to about the same effect as last time — which is to say, not very much. I’ve always felt there was potential with her character, as a second generation child, but it is never even explored to any potential.
Speaking of where the movie is lacking, there is infuriatingly disjointed directing, helmed by Vardalos herself. The quick cuts during conversation, the random spin-arounds that have no motivation, and the almost crazed way of filming seems to be eons away from the simple yet strong storytelling that was present in the first movie.
This is also indicated in the story itself. I hate to keep comparing, but the first one is just miles above both this and the second movie. After a simple story that everyone could relate to and enjoy, the subsequent movies have added way too much to what’s happening over 90 minutes to allow audiences any time to grab on. The new characters are barely introduced, conflicts are presented and ended within the same scene, and the motivation for the entire trip seems to take a significant backseat for almost the entire movie. In fact, it feels like an afterthought that keeps being shoved in to give some form of momentum. Momentum that just didn’t work.
This film’s real problem is that it’s clearly uninspired. The first one was evidently Vardalos’ passion project, with so much care given to each detail. The next two, but particularly this one, feel like they were thrown together in an attempt to get a free trip to Greece and cash in on the nostalgic love that many fans, like myself, feel for the original.
That’s why, even though there is a lot wrong with this movie, I still can’t say I hate it. Between the exceptional aunts, and the deep love I feel for the Portokalos family, I still managed to have a good enough time, even though I didn’t quite understand what was happening for most of it. It’s definitely a movie you have to ride for the vibes, and that’s only if you’re an original MBFGW fan. Following your viewing, you will likely just want to go back and experience the first film so as to reignite your love, and remind you where it all came from in the first place.
Rating: Didn’t Like It
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is currently playing in theaters
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