Not really a fan of the first movie, I reluctantly watched "Meet the Fockers" because of the addition of Streisand and Hoffman as Ben Stiller's parents. Their presence for me was the saving grace of that film, and even though it was rather silly at times, I found it to be really enjoyable. When the third part of the series (and hopefully the last) came out, my friends all warned me to stay away, as did the critical bomb it received. Finally, I broke down and watched it on DVD, and I felt that I had to fumigate my DVD player for all of the gross-out gags it contained and unlikable characters. I found DeNiro's Jack a bit mellowed in the second film (still stuffy, but more human), yet in this film, he is back to the unlikable King Lear he was in the first film. How the beautiful Blythe Danner could stick with this guy is beyond me. She still radiates sophisticated gentility (the epitome of what Dixie Carter on "Designing Women" describes as class: making everybody feeling comfortable) and comes off unscathed.
The major problem, other than the number of disgusting gags, is the fact that it really has no storyline. It is pointless from the start. DeNiro's patriarch discovers one of his sons-in-laws was unfaithful and decides to promote Stiller to patriarch, referring to him as "God Focker" (how repulsive is that?). Yet, nobody can live up to DeNiro's standards, and soon DeNiro is following Stiller around, convinced he too is being unfaithful. Sure, Stiller has become involved with the promoter of an erectile dysfunction medication, but for business reasons only, and this overly perky broad is annoying from the moment she is introduced. Jessica Alba plays the role as written, but her character is simply extremely unlikable. Laura Dern, in the small role of the head of an alternative school, seems to be having fun spoofing the idiocy of her character, so her segments are a bit more fun. As for Streisand and Hoffman, they are so underused that their roles are basically cameos. Yet, when they are on screen, the film comes alive. Other than them, a few bright moments from Dern, and the presence of the gorgeous Blythe Danner, this ranks as an embarrassment on every level.
The major problem, other than the number of disgusting gags, is the fact that it really has no storyline. It is pointless from the start. DeNiro's patriarch discovers one of his sons-in-laws was unfaithful and decides to promote Stiller to patriarch, referring to him as "God Focker" (how repulsive is that?). Yet, nobody can live up to DeNiro's standards, and soon DeNiro is following Stiller around, convinced he too is being unfaithful. Sure, Stiller has become involved with the promoter of an erectile dysfunction medication, but for business reasons only, and this overly perky broad is annoying from the moment she is introduced. Jessica Alba plays the role as written, but her character is simply extremely unlikable. Laura Dern, in the small role of the head of an alternative school, seems to be having fun spoofing the idiocy of her character, so her segments are a bit more fun. As for Streisand and Hoffman, they are so underused that their roles are basically cameos. Yet, when they are on screen, the film comes alive. Other than them, a few bright moments from Dern, and the presence of the gorgeous Blythe Danner, this ranks as an embarrassment on every level.