Meet the Fockers

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Steisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Owen Wilson (cameo)
Directed by: Jay Roach
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
2004

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: As the wedding of Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) and Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) nears, Pam's father (Robert DeNiro) and mother (Bythe Danner) travel to meet Greg's parents (Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Steisand). The two families obviously have a great many differences and these threaten to destroy the marriage before it happens.

Review:

Tim: If all sequels were as good as this one, the world would be a much better place. I know that might be a bit controversial, because there are some people who are far too critical of this film. I've heard people claim that this one tarnished the legacy of the original. That is completely absurd. Do you know how hard it is to create a good comedy sequel? Name 3 great comedy sequels- it is hard to do. This film might not be quite as good as the original, but it's amazing close. In fact, coming after the surprisingly good original, an even bigger surprise occurred when this film didn't completely suck. In fact, it is extremely funny.

A huge reason for this film's success (exactly like the original) is due to the casting. It was great seeing the continued complicated relationship between Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. These two actors work so well together, and it's just very enjoyable to see them on screen. I will say that one of my biggest complaints of this film is the portrayal of De Niro's character. This movie makes Jack Byrnes appear a bit too silly and ridiculous (the rubber breast, for example). While it hurts his character a bit, I understand what the film was trying to do- show that Jack is struggling with his retirement, and channeling his energies into nonconstructive channels.

The rest of the cast has some real gems. The choice of Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand as Greg's parents was absolutely genius. As good as DeNiro is in the role, Hoffman and Streisand completely steal the show in hilarious roles. They are the perfect foils for the uptight Byrnes. Hoffman and Streisand seem to truly have fun in their roles, and that energy plays out on screen. I thought they were wonderful additions to the cast, and I loved how they changed the dynamics of the relationships of the familiar characters. They were terrific.

Like the original, this film succeeds by playing up Stiller's bumbling likeable guy getting into embarrassing but funny situations. A great deal of humor comes from the whirlwind of craziness swirling around Stiller. While this shtick is old at this point, Stiller is still the master of pulling it off. So much of this franchise's success comes because we can relate to these characters. While the situations are a bit more outlandish here, at the heart, these are characters we can identify with.

One of the best scenes involves Stiller babysitting while everyone else is out. I laugh so hard every time. Stiller's speech at the party near the end is particularly funny as well. While this movie might not have the same level of hilarity as the original, it's still surprisingly strong. There's a good mix of funny lines, gross out gags, and other comedy staples. I might not have laughed as much as I did the first time around, but I still had a very entertaining time watching.

Meet the Fockers is a terrific sequel, improving on the original in some ways while maintaining close to the same level of humor throughout the rest of the movie. Watching this film, I did occasionally laugh out loud. Comedy sequels are notoriously difficult to pull off, but this film did a fantastic job. While some people might not like it, I am a fan. This movie is so good that a conclusion to create a trilogy might not be an absurd proposition.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Meet the Parents, Reality Bites, Analyze This