Well, America’s favorite dysfunctional families are back whether we like it or not in “Little Fockers,” the third installment of the “Meet the Parents” franchise. “Little Fockers” is very much like a knock-knock joke; the set-up is the same but it’s the punchline that helps deliver this one home.
It has been five years since the Byrnes family and the Focker clan joined together. In the wake of a heart attack, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) realizes that he must find a successor to the family throne. Once again Jack puts his son-in-law, male nurse Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), through the ringer to see if he has what it takes to the patriarch. Greg steps up to the challenge, but when Murphy’s Law once again takes effect, he has a hard time showing Jack that he has what it takes. And when a beautiful drug representative (Jessica Alba) steps into the picture, the Byrnes’ circle of trust could be broken forever.
While “Little Fockers” boasts an all-star cast including Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand and Teri Polo, it is ultimately Stiller and De Niro who once again steal the show. Both actors feel comfortable in their roles and their performances show it. De Niro seems to have a lot of fun poking fun at a past role. He also embraces his role as an ex-CIA agent, and it is tickling to see just how much his character is a fish out of water. A scene where Jack learns the existence and power of Google is quite tickling. Stiller does great job of bringing a sense of maturity to the role of Greg. When Greg is given the opportunity to cut a turkey for dinner, he ends up slicing off more than he intended. One of the best parts of the movie is when all of the pent-up frustration between the main characters finally culminates into an all-out battle royale.
It’s sad to see that everyone else in the movie is quite wasted. There is a hilarious scene where Greg’s kids go through an interview process for a prestigious school and his son shows he’s got a lot more Focker in him than Byrnes. All of the supporting players feel like they are obligated to be there. The biggest case would be Hoffman and Streisand. Due to late negotiations, there had to be re-shoots to add their characters to the story and it definitely felt that way.
The story itself was definitely under-developed. The overall theme of finding a patriarch is constant, but it seems like the story doesn’t know where to go from there. Jessica Alba and Owen Wilson are thrown in the mix to add some tension for Greg but both are used fleetingly. The story then shifts to the future of the children, and while they both steal their scenes, they seem to only be there to pull at the old heartstrings.
Fans of the series will have a lot of fun with this movie. It is definitely an improvement over “Meet the Fockers.”
The special features are a pleasant surprise. The gag reel is hit or miss along with the deleted scenes. Fans of the series will like the two featurettes, “Bob and Ben” and “Ben and Owen.” They both give a deeper look into the relationship between the actors.
Film: 3 Yaps Extras: 2.5 Yaps