It’s time for a big fat Greek homecoming! Whether you’re Greek or just wish you were (you know, the two types of people in the world), you won’t want to miss My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. 

The third film in the franchise brings back Toula (Nia Vardalos) and the Portokalos family. Following the recent death of the family patriarch, Toula has been tasked with getting her late father’s journal to his childhood friends in Greece. When they receive an invite to a Portokalos family reunion in his hometown, the gang hop on a plane and finally head to the motherland.

Star Vardalos wrote all three films in the series. She also directed My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: Your Favs Return (+ Some Great Newbies)

Fans keep coming back for more in the MBFGW pantheon because the Portokalos family is just so fun and loveable. And you definitely get your dose of all of their loud, chaotic, and endearing moments in this movie. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’ll watch Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula any time. She steals every scene she’s in and has most of the movie’s best lines. 

The third film in the franchise also introduces us to a few new characters — which could be risky, since this series is already jam-packed with characters with big personalities. But it added some nice variety to the character dynamics we’ve become familiar with over the last two films.

The Portokalos family takes a selfie in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

I immediately fell in love with Victory (Melina Kotselou), the endlessly optimistic and enthusiastic young mayor. On the full opposite end of the spectrum, we also meet Alexandra (Anthi Andreopoulou), whose intensity and stoicism also bring plenty of funny moments. 

In the end, the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise survives because of these characters. Whatever shenanigans they get up to, they really do feel like a family. And when you watch the movies, you get to feel like a Portokalos, too.

A Surprisingly Emotional Undercurrent Drives The Story

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 probably has the strongest emotional undercurrent of the entire franchise. This isn’t just a family vacation to Greece; it’s a pilgrimage of sorts to honor the passing of the family patriarch, Gus. (As well as the late Michael Constantine who played him in the first two films.) At the same time, Toula and her siblings are dealing with the fact that their mother Maria (Lainie Kazan) is losing her memory and doesn’t always recognize her own family.

So, the backbone of MBFGW 3 is a story about navigating family dynamics as an older adult: confronting the mortality of your parents, letting your kids find their own path as adults, and feeling the nebulous pressure to “step up” in some undefined way. With their father gone and their mother losing her independence, Toula and her brother Nick struggle to figure out what that means for the Portokalos family dynamic. The nuance and complexity of these issues is sometimes lost throughout the film, but when these moments do appear, they really help ground the story in something relatable and real.

Toula and Ian ride donkeys in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

As a film? Well…

Arguably, this movie is more of an elaborate “visit Greece!” tourism advertisement than anything else. You’ve got plenty of beautiful shots of colorful homes staggered on Greek hillsides, sweeping olive groves, and sandy beaches with the gorgeous blue water of the Mediterranean Sea. And of course, more than enough close-ups on Greek food to have you ready to Yelp the nearest Greek restaurant when you step out of the theater.

Objectively speaking, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is… probably not that great, as a film. The plot, already fairly thin, comes in starts and stops, as does its emotional throughline. The jokes and gags can be hit-or-miss, and — perhaps unsurprisingly — it never comes close to reaching the heights of the 2002 original (though I personally prefer it to the 2016 sequel).

And yet… I really did have fun watching it. And isn’t that what this kind of movie is for? 

Put simply, if you fell in love with Toula and the Portokalos family, you won’t want to miss My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. At the end of the day, joining the Portokalos family in Greece is probably a lot more fun than going to your own family reunion.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 premieres in theaters September 8.