Meet The Fockers

Plot Summary

After much embarrassment, Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) has finally won over his fiancée's parents, Jack (Robert De Niro) and Dina Byrnes (Blythe Danner). Greg has been accepted, by Jack, into the family and also into what Jack calls the "circle of trust". Jack, an ex-CIA man, is very suspicious and mistrusting of people, so very few are allowed into his "circle of trust". Before the wedding, Jack and Dina travel, with the engaged couple, to meet Greg's parents, Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) and Roz Focker (Barbra Streisand). Greg is a nervous wreck as he knows his parents are quirky liberals and with Jack being so uptight and straight-laced it could be a little awkward. Things get more than a little awkward when the future in-laws spend the weekend together...

Review

Meet The Fockers follows the same formula as its predecessor Meet The Parents in which Greg Focker spent the weekend in his girlfriends family home and met her parents for the first time. On that occasion every embarrassment imaginable befell the poor guy. This time Pam's (Teri Polo) parents are going to spend the weekend with his parents and, yes of course, Greg is in for a weekend of mishaps and cringe moments. Many of the jokes follow on from the original movie and the humour can be crude and basic at times with loads of sexual references and innuendo but it is nonetheless very funny. There are plenty of bits that will make you laugh out loud and plenty of bits that will make you cringe and have you thanking God that you're not in Greg Focker's shoes!

The contrast between the characters makes everything seem funnier. Greg's parents are friendly, easy-going and open. On the opposite end of the scale Pam's father, Jack, is stressed and uptight. Greg's parents constantly embarrass him with inappropriate stories and behaviour. The expressions of disapproval and disgust on Jack's face are priceless!

Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro might play the two main characters but Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand give them a run for their money and almost overshadow them. They work really well together as the quirky couple, and Dustin Hoffman looks like he enjoyed every minute as he gets involved with the funniest parts in the movie.

Lasting Thought: We can't live our lives trying to please others.

Bottom Line: Not an awful lot to the story but great performances create very funny characters that are guaranteed to give you plenty of good laughs. If you enjoy Meet The Fockers you might also enjoy Meet The Parents,  50 First Dates,  How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, and Dodgeball.

Reviewed by Niall Quinn, Premier Movie Reviews 2005.

RELATED MOVIE REVIEWS: JAY ROACH: Austin Powers - Goldmember,  Meet The Parents.  BEN STILLER: Meet The Parents,  Starsky And Hutch,  Dodgeball.  ROBERT DE NIRO: Meet The Parents,  The Score.  DUSTIN HOFFMAN: Confidence,  Finding Neverland.  OWEN WILSON: Meet The Parents,  Starsky And Hutch.  TERI POLO: Meet The Parents.  BLYTHE DANNER:  Meet The Parents.

Genre: Comedy

Director: Jay Roach

Certificate: Meet The Fockers is rated 12A by the Irish Film Censor's Office (www.ifco.ie). The movie contains crude comic sexual references and innuendo.

Official Movie Website: Meet The Fockers

~ Main Cast ~

Ben Stiller

Robert De Niro

Dustin Hoffman

Barbra Streisand

Blythe Danner

Teri Polo

Owen Wilson

RATING

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