It’s been a decade since audiences were first introduced to neurotic male nurse Gaylord “Greg” Focker (Ben Stiller) in 2000’s Meet the Parents, but in all that time the character has become something of a cultural icon. Not only do we love to pronounce his last name, but the interaction between Greg and his ex-CIA father-in-law Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) has also proven to be a successful formula for box office success. Having previously met both sets of in-laws, it was now time for moviegoers to meet the newest and youngest members of Greg’s family, the titular “Little Fockers.” Marketing for the film was relatively straightforward, as even though the last installment of the franchise was in 2004 (Meet the Fockers), Universal was able to bring back the entire star-studded original cast. So, at the very least, audiences would be greeted by some familiar faces to see the next chapter in the always-hectic story of everyone’s favorite male nurse.
Now, I’ll admit that I am not the biggest fan of Meet the Parents or Meet the Fockers, so I went into this film with extremely low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Little Fockers. I have no problem labeling this sequel the funniest of the series, but then again, given my opinion of the whole franchise, that might not be saying all that much. The interaction between Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro is easily the most enjoyable part of the film, and Little Fockers took a significant step forward in toning down both Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman, who I felt were rather annoying past additions to the cast. That being said though, the film in its entirety still felt largely unnecessary, as both the story and humor came across as forced, in the end adding nothing new or wholly original to the comedy genre. Overall, Little Fockers is mildly entertaining, good for a few cheap laughs, and successfully plays-off viewer familiarity with big-name celebrities, but it is nothing that you should rush off to the theater to see this weekend.
For more information, please read the full review.
Overall Recommendation: Low
