This is how I like to describe this film. It’s like that guy (and trust me you know this guy) at the party who tells a joke and gets a big laugh so he/she continues to rehash the same joke for the rest of the evening hoping to stay the center of attention. This sequel to MEET THE PARENTS is a product of the first film’s success.
The plot of meeting the future in-laws is a logical step to go, but no one found a strong enough story to tell. The only strength of the film is just the joy of seeing Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand together on the screen. Gaylord “Greg” Focker (Ben Stiller, REALITY BITES) has made some decent progress winning over his fiancée Pam’s (Teri Polo, BEYOND BORDERS) father, Jack Byrnes (DeNiro). Greg, Pam, Jack and Pam’s mother Dina (Blythe Danner, HUSBANDS AND WIVES) set out on the road to Florida to spend the weekend with Greg’s parents Bernie (Hoffman) and Roz (Streisand).
I mean the set up is good. Jack and Dina are quite conservative and reserved while Bernie and Roz are flamboyant and unconventional. It’s this dynamic that makes the film work on some level. However, too many of the jokes are obvious or rehashes of jokes done in the first film. Just saying “Focker” a hundred times does not a joke make.
This film is a perfect example of what Chaplin said about humor. Sequence: A man walking down the street, cut to banana peel, man approaches peel, man steps on peel, man falls to ground. This Chaplin said was not funny. Second sequence: A man walking down the street, cut to banana peel, man approaches peel, man just about steps on peel then sidesteps the peel, man falls into an open manhole. Chaplin said that was funny. If you know the punchline it's not funny. The second Greg turns down the insurance on his rent-a-car we already know a punchline. Jokes have to be a surprise.
A great joke that I loved was a causal moment when Greg catches his mother talking to Dina. If you see the movie you’ll understand what I mean. The film is good-natured and I liked the characters, but it felt uninspired unlike the original. I only recommend this film to people who loved the original and just have to meet the Fockers.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
