After traveling to Greece for a family reunion, a woman attempts to locate her deceased father’s childhood friends.
I remember when “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” came out in 2002: it was made on a $5 million budget, grossed almost $370 million worldwide, and became one of the top romantic films of the 21st century. It was a commercial and critical smash hit with likable characters and a charming script. With Part 3, sadly, the second sequel pales in comparison to everything that made the first movie so enjoyable.
This time around, Nia Vardalos, the writer, star, and creator of the series, steps into the director’s chair, a huge oversight in this critic’s opinion. It may seem like the next logical step for Ms. Vardalos, but it costs the film dearly. Undoubtedly, she is a very talented writer and actress, but she lacks the experience and proficiency needed to helm a movie of this size.
After the real-life death of Michael Constantine, who played Gus Portokalos, the family’s patriarch, his passing is incorporated into the new film, and we learn that he kept a detailed diary, filled with photographs and sketchings of his life from the time he was a little boy living in Greece all the way up to moving to the United States. His dying wish to Toula (Nia Vardalos) was to track down his three best childhood friends and give them the diary. Now, Toula and her large family must travel to Athens and locate the men so she can fulfill her father’s dying wish.
The problem with MBFGW3 is that it has lost all the charm and appeal that infused the first film. Even “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” retained many elements that made the original so endearing. John Corbett’s Ian, who was the outsider in Part 1, was accepted into the Portokalos family as Toula’s husband by the end of the first movie, but the filmmakers still try to make him the butt of Greek jokes, and they all miss the mark, like telling a funny joke over and over again and expecting everyone to laugh out loud every single time. The comic timing here is abysmal. So many times, we are presented with a set-up for a humorous scenario, but in the middle of said scene, we suddenly cut to a completely different situation altogether, and we’re left scratching our heads in confusion, wondering what just happened.
For example, early in the film, after the family arrives in Athens, they are all crowded into a small van while Nick (Louis Mandylor), Toula’s brother, is fast asleep on a baggage cart. One of the characters sneaks out of the van and slowly creeps up on Nick, giving the impression that he is going to play some sort of practical joke on him but just as he approaches the cart, the scene cuts to the family on the road. Scenes like this are abundant throughout; we witness the set-up, but before the payoff, we cut away. While it may be easy to point the finger at editors Annette Davey and Craig Herring, the director usually has the final say, so this all falls on Ms. Vardalo’s shoulders.
Cinematographer Barry Peterson captures Greece in all its stunning and picturesque glory, including its beautiful beaches, crystal-clear waters, and breathtaking and mesmerizing villages, but it’s the only redeeming element of the entire film. The drama is forced and never feels authentic. I felt like I was watching a first-year film student’s end-of-year project, and while it incorporated all of the necessary requirements: acting, directing, cinematography, score, and editing, it all felt superficial and in no way genuine. MBFGW3 will probably make money, thanks to its built-in audience, but nowhere near the record-breaking amount of the first film. After three movies and a short-lived TV show, it’s time to put this series to bed once and for all. Ms. Vardalos is a proficient writer, and I’d like to see her branch out into other genres, but I would only recommend MBFGW3 for die-hard fans of the series.
Available on Blu-ray™, DVD, and Digital October 31st
