The Portakalos family is back in this third and most likely final installment of the beloved film franchise. 

It has been some time since Maria and Gus Portakalos renewed their wedding vows and Paris Miller left for New York University. Sadly, Gus has passed away and Maria now suffers from dementia. Gus’ dying wish is for his children to go to his childhood village in Greece and find his old friends to give them his journal. Toula and Nick, along with Toula’s husband Ian, Paris, along with aunts Voula and Frieda head to Greece. Joining them is Aristotle, Voula’s assistant who had a fling with Paris at one point.

Upon their arrival, they meet their cousin Victory, who is the mayor of the village of Vrisi. When they get to the village, they find only six people, including Alexandra, an elderly woman who was an ex of Gus’s, her son Peter, his son Christos and Syrian refugee Qamar, who is in love with Christos. As the search begins for Gus’s old friends, Toula learns of a shocking discovery set to change the course of her life forever as this will be a trip she will never forget. 

In 2003, the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a sleeper indie hit film chronicling the marriage between Greek woman Toula Portakalos and non-Greek man Ian Miller. The film’s comedic moments and stellar cast helped make the film a success. Thirteen years later, we were treated to a sequel, which would focus on the do-over marriage between Toula’s parents as well as their teen daughter Paris dealing with high school. Now, as the 20th anniversary of the original came, we have this threequel, with creator and star Nia Vardalos also serving as director on this one.

The film’s opening sequence pays tribute to both Michael Constantine (who played family patriarch Gus), who passed away in 2021; and Bruce Gray (who played Ian’s dad in the first two films), who died a year after My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. In addition, Lainie Kazan’s hilarious and wise matriarch is relegated to an extended cameo and while the character suffers from dementia, she still manages to give a few laughs. 

Once again, Vardalos’ Toula has the carry most of the weight, but give more credit to Louis Mandylor’s Nick, who eeks in a few jabs at Ian, but has a personal mission in mind while in Greece. We also see a more somber Paris, reprised by Elena Kampouris, as she finds herself in a major bind not just with school, but finding ex-fling Aristotle, a down-to-earth fellow played by newcomer Elias Kacavas. Unlike the last film, John Corbett’s Ian is more supportive of Toula and even goes as far as forging a friendship with a local Greek Orthodox monk when he checks out the sea.

Melina Kotselou is quite the newcomer as cousin Victory, the non-binary mayor of Vrisi who gets a running gag. The film also reunites Vardalos with her co-star from My Life in Ruins, Alexis Georgoulis, who plays Peter, a Vrisi townsman who has a secret that is set to change the course of the family. Andrea Martin and Maria Vacratsis steal their scenes as aunts Voula and Frieda, the latter especially. Where Frieda was more a cameo in the original, she was given more screen time in the second, and here, she is a major character and her scenes are quite funny.

Along with some of the trademark antics from the previous two, there are some very emotional and tense moments that make up the heart of the film. Vardalos really knows the intention of the film and along with the classic characters along with the new characters, really makes this a great three-quel that is sure to please fans of the previous two. It is a reunion that fans will surely enjoy with Vardalos’ “kefi” and sentiment. 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, should it be the finale, goes out with a major bang. Nia Vardalos once again shines but both in front and behind the cameras. The gang is all back, but the new characters really help bring the heart of the film and franchise what it is today. If you enjoyed the first two films like I did, you will definitely love this 3rd film.

WFG RATING: A

Focus Features present a Gold Circle Entertainment/Playtone/Artistic Films production in association with Home Box Office. Director: Nia Vardalos. Producers: Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman. Writer: Nia Vardalos. Cinematography: Barry Peterson. Editing: Annette Davey and Craig Herring.

Cast: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Andrea Martin, Maria Vacratsis, Elias Kacavas, Melina Kotselou, Alexis Georgoulis, Stephanie Nur, Giannis Vasilottos, Anthi Andreopoulou, Lainie Kazan, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone.