Review: Meet the Fockers

Directed by: Jay Roach

Written by: Jim Herzfeld & John Hamburg

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo

Rating: [2/5]

While not as important as meeting the parents, having the in-laws meet each other creates its own level of stress, as there’s only so much you can control. That’s especially the case when the two sets of in-laws are polar opposites in their behavior and viewpoints in life. All of this sets up a return of fun characters, but unfortunately this sequel doubles down on all of the weaknesses of its predecessor and cannot make up for it with whatever new elements it sought to bring to the fray. 

With their wedding right around the corner, Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), Pam (Teri Polo), and her parents head down to Florida to meet Greg’s parents. As they interface, they have many differences with Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) and Roz Focker (Barbra Streisand), having a much more laissez-faire approach to life that ribs Jack (Robert De Niro) the wrong way. 

At a certain point, you have to choose to trust someone and not put them through constant tests to appease some arbitrary standard set. The little tests and humiliation rituals Jack put Greg through in Meet the Parents, which had its charm initially as the patriarch tried to ensure the man dating his daughter poses no danger to her. However, as we get through this narrative, this film goes through the same tried trials Jack sets, but somehow it all comes across as even more mean-spirited than in the previous film. It begs the question of why Greg should even want to be part of this “circle of trust,” as the person at the center of it is not worth all of this hassle. The story makes the case to address the issue eventually, but it quickly shows not many great ideas remain within this overarching story. 

By far, the best element of the film was the addition of Greg’s parents as a complete lightning rod into the story in the way they take everyone aback with their openness and way of life. Barbra Streisand, in particular, was an utter delight. Roz works as a sex therapist specifically for elderly couples, and the level of discomfort this brings Jack is the best part of this entire film. Streisand is working on a different level than everyone else here, with her comedic timing peaking in all of the right moments. Her being paired up with Dustin Hoffman makes quite the dynamic duo as they do their very best to liven up this limp screenplay, but unfortunately they could not overcome the issues that plague this film. 

As much as the annoyance with Jack persists, this film continues its style of comedy, which basically consists of Greg continuing to embarrass himself or having others do the honors for him. From the revelations his parents make about his youth that is adorable in their eyes but horrifying to have shared for Greg to his neverending bout with clumsiness, this pattern becomes apparent. Even though it presents some level of consistency, it’s not exactly the best form of comedy, especially with the way it tries to push the envelope. I guess I just feel bad for Greg, and at this point, continuing to create humor at his expense has simply become tedious and has lost any remaining novelty.  

A tiresome film to get through and presenting signs of diminishing returns, Meet the Fockers takes all of the goodwill from its preceding movie created and demonstrated it does not have much else to bring. We get some new elements, such as the integration of the Focker parents and the bouts on how to properly parent when it comes to taking care of little Jack. However, Jack continues to prove to be such a bore, and his schtick begins to get old very quickly in the first act, and especially so when we get to the plotline of the parentage of a character introduced in the film. By the time we get to the conclusion and an inevitable redemptive arc arrives, it’s nowhere near good enough to make up for the crap he pulls here. It befuddles me why anyone else would entertain this crochety old man, but I guess that’s family. All of the major components other than the addition of the Focker parents gloriously fail, making for an unenjoyable experience.