Stars: Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Dustin Hoffman
In 2000, Ben Stiller (Meet The Parents) introduced us to Greg Focker, the awkward male nurse running onto a wild affair at the home of his girlfriend’s parents. With the sequel, the roles are reversed, & the results aren’t quite the same.
The original film was truly a beautifully orchestrated trainwreck of hilarity, even if Robert De Niro (Meet The Parents) proved he was less than suited to comedy. On the return, however, the efforts from some of the cast, & in particular the script, have lost a certain gloss. But fans need not despair, because arriving to save the day is the inexorable Dustin Hoffman (Sphere), stealing the show as Stiller’s liberal retro father, well-intentioned but hopelessly embarressing.
Adding to the salvation is Barbara Streisand (What’s Up, Doc?), surprisingly effective after a long stint in the film-making wilderness. Her imposing role as a sex therapist specialising in older couples is as inappropriate & amusing as it sounds. But really, the difficult & often tenuous relationship between Stiller & De Niro, always intended as an anchor for the movie, may leave some a little disappointed.
Ultimately, Meet The Fockers doesn’t hold the standard set by it’s pioneer, but it does find a lift in Hoffman who carries it through as an amusing, if not exactly hilarious, ninety-odd minutes.