My expectations were not high when I walked into the theatre to watch Meet the Fockers , I was only hoping to laugh my heart out for the next two hours. The director Jay Roach did not disappoint me. Meet the Fockers is a well made comedy movie which can entertain anyone for a couple of hours, provided the expectations are not too much. The movie is better known as the sequel to Meet the parents.
I have not watched Meet the Parents, so this review will be free of comparisons.
The movie is about with Greg Focker s( Ben Filler ) attempts to win a place in the ’circle of trust ’ of his to-be father-in-law Jack ( Robert De Niro ). Starting with the drive to Florida, where the Fockers live, till the end, the movie is filled with a comedy of errors and dialogues, many of them adult and some of them downright raw. The methodical and neat Jack Byrnes is in for a surprise when he meets an energetic yet clumsy Bernie Focker (Dustin Doffman) , Greg s father. Bernie s wife, Roz Focker is a sex therapist, much to the scare of Greg himself and the irritation of Jack. How Greg marches ahead with his intentions with the odds stacked against him is presented with a mix of adult and good humour.
The movie does not stand out for its excellence in any aspect, including comedy, but is definitely worth watching. Jack s CIA instincts are portrayed with his investigation of a young look - alike of Greg. His daughter Pam’s(Teri Polo) love for Greg stands out as she handles the shock of her fiancée having a fifteen year old son positively. Her role is conspicuous by its under-development.
Greg, projected as a man with a clean heart, is blessed with a better role and he does play his part well too. There is nothing spectacular about cinematography or screenplay - they all border on mediocrity.
Still, the movie still manages to win your admiration simply with its wit. The characters, especially the Fockers, infuse a lot of life into the movie and still they are believable. They succeed in making an impression with their open minded and breezy roles. Marriage always comes to everyone with a baggage - the in laws and this movie has projected the tougher aspects of it in an attractive package named humour. The adult jokes were perhaps a little bit overdone, but it can be excused considering the fact that one of the Fockers is a sex therapist by profession. However, it makes the movie unfit to watch with parents ( at least in India !!) .
In spite of all the minuses, the Fockers are definitely worth the meeting, especially if you have a liking for comedy without worrying too much about the content or without expecting anything breathtaking. Though my weakness for humour tempted me to give a higher rating, the fact that the movie rests on one strength alone makes me feel it does not deserve anything better.