Meet the Fockers DVD Review:

Even though they have been engaged for two years, Greg (Stiller) and Pam (Polo) have managed to keep their parents from meeting but now that the wedding was getting closer Pam’s father Jack (De Niro) has insisted that they finally get together. Wanting to see if his family circle of trust can connect with Greg’s family circle of trust, he has to make sure the resulting chain does not develop a kink in it. So Greg, Pam, Jack and Dina (Danner) head down to Florida to meet the Fockers (Hoffman and Streisand).

After the phenomenal success of ‘Meet the Parents’ we where bound to see a sequel hit the silver screen but can we expect from this comedy follow-up?

Reuniting Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and director Jay Roach, the further adventures of Greg and the Byrnes family move to Florida to meet Greg’s parents Bernie and Roz Focker, played by Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand. The casting of Hoffman and especially Streisand, who hasn’t acted in a movie since ‘The Mirror Has Two Faces’ in 1996, is inspired as both of them bring their exceptional acting talents to this comedy.

If you like the first film, you are going to love the second one as it is exactly on the same wavelength. Robert De Niro is on top comedic form as ex-CIA agent Jack Byrnes. The character is just as suspicious as always, especially when he has to except new people into his circle of trust. Ben Stiller’s Greg is as neurotic as ever, fearing what Jack will think of his very liberal parents. This is a role that Stiller always seems to play and his character is probably the least developed of the cast. Teri Polo has a bit more to do in this one now that she has to keep a secret from her overprotective father. As with the original, Blythe Danner doesn’t really have a lot to do but she does have some funny moments.

Stealing the show from the returning cast is the performances of Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand. Both gifted comedic actors, they bring a welcome freshness to the proceedings. These two infinitely talented performers make Bernie and Roz Focker exactly how you’d imagine a couple that would call their son Gaylord.

While fans of the original will revel in the comedic exploits of their favourite characters, others my find the humour a little too samey and not as outrageous as the first film. There are plenty of moments that will make you chuckle but nothing that will make you laugh out loud or have you quoting to your friends. Many of the jokes are excessively repeated, especially the use of the name ‘Focker’ and the scenes with Jack’s grandson, Little Jack, seem like they are just thrown in for a cute factor.

‘Meet the Fockers’ is a lighthearted romp that continues at the same breezy pace as the first film. With good performances from a star-studded cast and humour that amuses but never quite pushes the boundaries of bad taste, this is a sequel that will have fans raving and leave a smile on the face of everyone else.

Star Rating = * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, transfer is very good. The meeting of the Burns and Focker families is crystal clear throughout and the sound track has a strong emphasis on dialogue, as you would want with a comedy.

BONUS FEATURES

Feature Commentary with Director Jay Roach and Editor/Co-Producer Jon Poll
This informative, fun and chatty commentary has the director and editor talking about the more technical aspects of the movie, as well as revealing some behind the scenes gossip. The pair discuss most aspects of the film production including working with the returning and new members of the cast, the story, outlining what happened between the two movies, working with babies and a getting permission to use the ‘Focker’ name in the title. This is a decent commentary from two people who enjoyed making these movies.

Deleted Scenes (15.44 mins)

Twenty-one deleted or extended scenes that show more interaction between Jack and Greg, more of Bernard and Jack’s male posturing, extended police stop scenes with the hilarious Tim Blake Nelson and a scene in which we see Jorge’s father. Some of these scenes are very good and could have added to the comedic value of the film but without a commentary track or introduction we don’t know why they were removed.

Bloopers (11.04 mins)

A collection of gaffs and laughs at we witness Oscar winning actors Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand break out in fits of giggles or get their lines completely wrong.

Inside the Litter Box: Behind-the-scenes with Jinx the Cat (4.03 mins)

Director Jay Roach, star Ben Stiller and the crew talk about the most important member of the ‘Meet the Fockers’ cast, Jinx the Cat.

The Manary Gland (3.06 mins)

Director Jay Roach and prop master Eugene McCarthy talk about the design of Jack’s baby-feeding invention.

Focker Family Portrait (6.01 mins)

Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand and Ben Stiller talk about their characters, the tone of the comedy and the onscreen relationship of the Focker family.

The Adventures of a Baby Wrangler (5.34 mins)

Baby wrangler Rhonda Sherman talks about working with the Pickren twins who played Little Jack on ‘Meet the Fockers’. She talks about working closely with Robert De Niro and reveals how she got the babies to say a certain word.

An interview with the Fockers (7.58 mins)

Ben Stiller, Barbara Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo talk about making ‘Meet the Fockers’. Hoffman and Streisand reveal how they became involved in the sequel and how they achieved instant onscreen chemistry. The cast talk about the script, the baby scenes and the dinner scene.

Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events Trailer (1.41 mins)

Watch a preview of the excellent family movie starring Jim Carrey as Count Olaf.

OVERALL

Universal/DreamWorks have done a good job with the DVD treatment of ‘Meet the Fockers’. The commentary track is good and the collection of deleted scenes, bloopers and featurettes complement the film extremely well. The absence of a commentary track or introduction for the deleted scenes is frustrating but fans of the movie will be happy with this DVD.

Jamie Kelwick

Within the first week of the success that was Meet the Parents a sequel was already in the works. Any avid film fan heard the news when it was decided that Dustin Hoffman was cast as Greg Focker’s (Ben Stiller) father. It seemed a cast made in heaven, and a sure-fire hit. The only problem was the script. While obviously written to fit the talent of every star involved, this often is done at the expense of the film, which simply ends up being a series of extreme situations, with no real solid protagonist.

When Greg Focker and his fiancé start out on their journey to introduce the parents to each other, things go perfectly for them. They get to the airport fine, get bumped to first class, and there are no troubles with taxis, rental cars, or carry-on luggage. Sadly though, this is just a tease to what any audience member who has seen Meet the Parents knows to be in store. Traveling down to introduce his family to ex-CIA agent, and future father-in-law (played by Robert De Niro); Greg is informed that things must go well in order for the wedding to happen at all. This is followed by news of an unexpected pregnancy which must be kept secret from the future father-in-law who strapped Greg to a lie detector in Meet the Parents. By the time they reach their destination to meet the ultra liberal parents, played by Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, there are many disasters looming over the weekend like a dark cloud.

The concept of disaster comedy was already established in the original film, so much so that it almost made for an unpleasant film watching experience, but in Meet the Fockers Greg appears to be more calm and calculated. He is not as easily shaken, even when he is caught in a situation which makes him look as though he was mistreating his soon-to-be nephew. While the confidence boost given to Greg’s character makes for an easier viewing experience there are many elements to this sequel which make it equally difficult to swallow without choking. Although the bathroom humor and sexual jokes are nowhere near that of many teen gross-out comedies, they are somewhat more of an adult version of that. While some of the situations are sincerely funny, despite the fact that they are slightly off-colored, there are just as many jokes which are simply uncomfortable and unreasonably forward.

Another strange problem of Meet the Fockers comes out of the greatest success of the film. The film has an amazing cast which seems completely able to handle anything that the screenwriters have written for them, but because of the legendary cast, director Jay Roach made the mistake of never deciding whose movie he wanted it to be. No one character is ever allowed to be the protagonist for fearing of wasting the precious talent, making for a slightly unsatisfying experience. Had Greg been given the front of the stage it would have taken time away from De Niro and Hoffman, but it also would have made for a more complete film.

The Meet the Fockers DVD comes packed with a number of special features which are similar to the ones on the Meet the Parents DVD. The cat featurette is back, giving more insight to the life of Jinx the cat, this time with a bit more silly fun. There is also a featurette on dealing with the child on set, and one about the “Manary Gland”, a contraption created for the film which is too ridiculous to even explain. There are also a number of deleted scenes and bloopers, as well as an extended version of the film. As if there needed to be more, there is also a director’s commentary track. The whole package is a steal assuming it is a film that you enjoyed, and despite the flaws in the film, audiences are sure to find it hilarious.

Ryan Izay