Meet the Fockers

"It's nice, all of us being here together, don't you think?"

Ben Stiller followed up the hit 2000 comedy Meet the Parents with a slightly lukewarm revisit of Gaylord Focker, this time with his own parents in tow. It's not as funny as the first movie, but it's also not a complete blight on the quality of the first film.

The plot this time around revolves around the meeting of Greg's and Pam's parents, as the soon to be in-laws have yet to be introduced. As you could probably guess, Jack (a returning Robert De Niro) clashes with the free-spirited and unorthodox Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) and Roz (Barbra Streisand). Conflict and the occasional humorous situation results.

With such a great cast, It's a little disappointing that this feels like such a re-tread, and that so many of jokes are hit or miss. Greg once again finds himself straying outside of the circle of trust, there are more jokes about him being a nurse, a dog that likes to hump things, and a baby who curses. It's a bit of an understatement to say that Meet the Fockers starts off slowly. Still, there are some laughs to be had, and at the very least, watching this will get you caught up on events before the third (and much funnier looking) movie in the series rolls into theaters this winter. 

Fans of the first movie or Ben Stiller should check this out, but you should also keep your expectations at a moderate level. The fresh faces add some fun, but the writing is a little stale.