Little Fockers
2010
*
Director: Paul Weitz
Cast: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand
Some things have changed, but mostly they've stayed the same. Greg and Pam Focker now have twins who are about to turn five. The grandparents come to Chicago for the birthday party, and the famously suspicious father-in-law Jack finds new reasons to question his son-in-law's credentials as a member of his extended family. Meet the Parents was a likeable and well-observed comedy, and Meet the Fockers was a repetitive but surprisingly funny sequel, which introduced the other half of the family. To call the third episode formulaic, would be an insult to formulas everywhere. This is a mechanical and uninspired studio product, which makes it to 90 minutes by padding up the usual son-in-law vs. father-in-law scenario with aimless side plots, in which Greg is incompetent as a parent, provider, or as the man of the house. This time the jokes revolve around poop, vomit, erectile dysfunction, and the word Focker. Not particularly funny. Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand briefly reprise their roles to provide continuity, and Harvey Keitel appears in a new thankless role as a laid-back contractor. Jessica Alba, on the other hand, is terrible as a bubbly drug company rep.
