“Meet the Fockers” (Universal Pictures)
The saga of Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) continues in the sequel to “Meet the Parents” which is titled “Meet the Fockers.” This time out it is time for Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) and her parents Jack and Dina (Robert DeNiro and Blythe Danner) to go together to the home of Gaylord “Greg” Focker’s parents, Roz and Bernie Focker (Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman). It is a clash of cultures and a battle of the wits.
The Byrnes of course are very conservative. Jack after all is former CIA. Bernie Focker is an ex-lawyer and stay at home dad. Roz is a sex therapist. Dina, well Dina is Dina and that is quite nice. Put these four together and you have a stand-off to end all stand-offs. They have nothing in common except their kids – or do they
The movie is basically this one joke premise. The Byrnes and Fockers are opposites – so what! Getting them to have a common ground on which to meet takes up the entire length of the film and that is a little tedious. If the actors were not so talented, the script would show more of the strain.
This is Streisand’s first film in almost a decade, and it is great to have her back. She looks mahvelous and seems to have a ball playing Roz. The only thing wrong with her performance is it is too brief. Every time she is off screen the movie slows down. And when she and Hoffman are both missing it comes to a crawl.
Hoffman has a heyday hamming it up. He takes obvious pleasure in every moment of his role. He is clever, cunning, conniving and cute. He mugs endlessly and seems to want to be the center of the film which he and Streisand are. De Niro and Danner get mowed over by these stars and are relegated to being only supporting players as far as entertainment goes.
Stiller and Polo are in the film but only as a means to devise the plot. Neither makes much of an impact. Polo seems to accept the fact she is just scenery while Stiller tries to edge his way into the action. But with four heavyweights throwing their weight around he is the odd man out.
The movie is rated pG-13 for profanity and sexual situations.
“Meet the Fockers” is not the fun filled film it should have been, but with Streisand and Hoffman on board it is till an above average comedy.
I scored “Meet the Fockers” an outlawed in-laws 6 out of 10.
