Meet The Parents: Little Fockers
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Jessica Alba, Teri Polo, Harvey Keitel
Director: Paul Weitz
Rather than a case of third time's the charm, this is more If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Stiller returns as Gaylord Focker in this final installment; he's now the head of his own household but is still having trouble asserting his authority. His daughter refuses to speak to him; his builder (Harvey Keitel) is jerking him around and all in all, Focker's struggling to be top dog. (Again.)
When a heart condition gives his difficult father-in-law Jack (Robert De Niro in sneering mugging mood) a scare and after his family heir's kicked out for cheating on Jack's daughter, he turns to Greg Gaylord Focker to possibly take over the household.
But just as Greg thinks he's got what it takes and can shake his midlife problems, Jack's suspicions about his son in law remanifest themselves. Throw in a visit from Owen Wilson's Kevin Rawley who's still got the hots for Greg's wife and the problems ensue...
Over the top at times and once again riffing on the "hilarity" of the Focker name, Little Fockers seems like the scripts and story have been phoned in. It's all been done before and with varying degrees of success.
Ben Stiller and De Niro still have the good chemistry and their rivalry is mined for every possible hilarity. However, most of the best jokes have already been done in two prior films so this one feels like a rehash and just the chance to throw in some vomit and poo gags. Plus over use of the phrase "The Godfocker" in a nod to the Godfather films.
Keitel is wasted - and Jessica Alba irritates as an annoying pharmaceutical rep who's determined to get Greg to help sell her erectile dysfunction drug.
The escalating misunderstandings lead exactly where you would expect with this film - and while there are some funny moments (including the credits scene with a youtube rap), there's not enough to make you feel this is a vital addition to the Meet The Parents franchise. If you're a fan of the series you'll enjoy this latest version, but everyone else may be left with a terrible feeling of deja vu.
Watch the trailer for Little Fockers here.
Watch a scene from Little Fockers here .
