Movie Review by Neils Hesse
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand
Director: Jay Roach
Greg aka Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller) is still a male nurse and he is still engaged to Pam (Teri Polo) which means that he is still trying to impress his nosy, paranoid future father-in-law; Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro). Greg has to tackle yet another obstacle before he can marry Teri, he has to get his in-laws to meet his parents, the Fockers! Bernie Focker (Dustin Hoffman) is a former lawyer turned stay-at-home dad and Roz Focker (Barbra Streisand) is a sex therapist – exactly the kind of people that Jack simply can’t stand. In order for Greg to marry Pam he has to make sure that the Fockers and the Byrnes hit it off and soon enough everything gets way out of control.
Returning to direct the sequel to MEET THE PARENTS, Jay Roach doesn’t miss a beat even though he plays it safe by sticking to sure fire gags such as a little horny dog trying to shag an Einstein doll and a cat amongst other things, but for me just watching Dustin Hoffman tackle Robert De Niro in slow motion was worth it. He keeps the film going at a steady comedic pace, never allowing it for one moment to drag. The dramatic aspects of the film are mixed in well with the comedy enabling the film to be enormously funny but not silly.
De Niro is in top form as the amusingly paranoid ex-CIA operative who never lets his guard down. In one memorable incident the look of utter disgust on his face when he is about to step out of the shower only to find Bernie Focker (Dustin Hoffman) going to the toilet and being told that he is nearly done, is priceless. Ben Stiller is very good once again although this time around his character is not put in as many embarrassing situations as he was in MEET THE PARENTS. Dustin Hoffman is hilarious playing Bernie Focker as an obviously extremely loving and hippie like father who just wants to help his son. His comedic timing is perfectly matched by Barbra Streisand as Roz Focker. She is a revelation as the sex therapist/mother/kinky wife and is a triumphant return to the big screen for her. Blythe Danner and Teri Polo are back as well and they both give equally good supporting performances but the movie is more or less stolen by Hoffman and Streisand.
Thoroughly entertaining, MEET THE FOCKERS is an all round crowd pleaser with varying levels of humour to suit the youngest to the oldest of viewers. If you are after a good laugh then you should be running to catch this one, so get going and let the Fockers Fockerize you!
