Little Fockers

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba, Laura Dern, Harvey Keitel
Directed by: Paul Weitz
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: As Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) contemplates his legacy, he realizes the future of his family depends on Greg Focker (Ben Stiller). He tries to pass the torch to his son-in-law, but unforeseen antics create doubt in his mind about Greg's ability to lead the family.

Review:

Tim: I was a very big fan of Meet the Parents and I was able to look past Meet the Fockers' flaws to really appreciate that film as well. Unfortunately, I can't do the same for Little Fockers. This is the point where the franchise has completely run out of steam. I pray this is the final film in the franchise. There's no turning back from this point- this should be the final hurrah of the Byrnes-Fockers clan. This franchise ended on a low note, unfortunately.

This movie really is a shame. When it first started, I was truly excited about seeing all these characters again- Jack and Dina, Greg and Pam, Bernie and Roz, even Kevin. Over the last two films, these characters became important to me. I liked them, and I was excited to see their continued adventures. Sadly, it soon became apparent that the magic inherent in the first two films ran out. This movie is an unfunny, slow, boring mess of a movie. Gone are the hilarious, memorable moments. Everyone and everything seems to be running on autopilot. There's nothing to get excited about here.

I really believe a huge amount of this film's decreased quality is because director Jay Roach passed on this film. Roach brought so much of the humor and the intelligence to the films- those intangibles that set it apart from the many other failed comedies littering the cinematic landscape. Paul Weitz might not have been a bad choice (I really liked American Pie and About a Boy), but it's clear from the very beginning of the film that Roach is badly missed. This film doesn't have the laughs of the previous films. Too much time is spent on unfunny sequences, and the film's "highlight" gags almost all fall flat. We've seen this all before.

The cast try, but I felt like even they knew this would not be a very good movie. Robert De Niro needs to make some different career choices. I'm so glad he chose to play this role, and play it so well. Unfortunately, this film makes it apparent that it's time for him to move on. What he's called to do here is clearly beneath a man of his talent. Ben Stiller is mostly good, but he's saddled with a poor script. There's not much he can do. Owen Wilson gets way too much screen time. I've never found him particularly funny in these films. He's best in very small doses, and appears on screen far too much for this film's own good.

Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand appear reluctantly, and in very small roles. Their presence is welcome, but they don't add much to the film. Still, this one would have been worse without them. Blythe Danner and Teri Polo are fine, but neither creates anything special. Jessica Alba is a new addition to the cast, and she brings some much needed energy and spark to the film. Unfortunately, she also brings some of the silliest, worst acting I've seen in a long time. Her performance is forced, unnatural, and hurts the movie. I give her props for the energy, but I wish she was a good actor. Laura Dern adds almost nothing to the film, and Harvey Keitel follows suit. These are both good actors with pointless roles. They should have passed.

The Little Fockers story is the weakest of the trilogy. There's not a whole lot that happens, and even less is particularly interesting. The Focker kids aren't very exciting, and I was glad they had relatively small roles. This movie is a huge drop in quality from the previous films. That being said, I also want to say that I didn't completely hate this film. There were a few humorous moments (and one or two laugh-out-loud ones), but these are far, far too few. I am also being kind, because I genuinely enjoy these characters, and I liked seeing them again, even if the package they came in was pretty bad. The goodwill from the previous films only goes so far, and is ultimately completely squandered in this one.

Little Fockers is a sad ending to a great comedy franchise. I didn't like this movie very much. It represents a huge drop in quality, and really should be the death knell for this franchise. I pray no more movies get made (although I'm sure someone somewhere is trying to pitch a prequel or something awful like that). This franchise was great, but with this disappointing film, it's time for it to end.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers