Meet the Fockers is a forking bad film.

Rating: 3/10 (5 January 2005)

Meet the Fockers is the second weekend from hell for Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), a male nurse engaged to marry Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo). The first weekend-from-hell was Greg' introduction to the parents of the bride Jack and Dina Byrnes (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner}. respectively. Greg and his future in-laws, traveling in Jack' million dollar bus, head south to meet his parents Bernie and Roz (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, respectively) in their Florida home. A cultural collision awaits both families. Jack, a retired CIA agent strung as tight as a drum, and his wife Dina are in a word, WASPs. The Fockers on the other hand are Jewish; Bernie is a stay-at-home civil rights lawyer and Roz is a sex therapist with a home 'office'. Greg Focker just wants to survive this weekend with all his body parts in tact. The Byrnes' would be happy if they avoided all bodily contact. The Fockers intend to wash the families' dirty laundry and share Greg's teenage sexual exploits with the Cuban maid.
Meet the Fockers is a forking bad film with a shop-warn story line, obvious gags and a predictable outcome. The story line is a knockoff of the TV situation comedy now in reruns, Dharma and Greg (1997) sans the talented Jenna Elfman. This film is a casting nightmare. Barbra Streisand in the role of a sex therapist is a casting oxymoron. It's well known that Streisand suffers stage fright; perhaps this is just a survival instinct at work. Dustin Hoffman paired with Streisand gives the film ethnic overkill without expanding the scope or characteristics of the cast. Robert De Niro demonstrates why sequels rarely work; his character is stale and he looks like he's in pain. Blythe Danner is perfectly cast, but her role is marginal and there are few opportunities given her to rescue the film. Teri Polo as the young bride-to-be projects as the 36-year-old bleached blond actress that she is, not as virginal young bride. Conversely, Ben Stiller at about the same age is a pretty good fit.
Meet the Fockers is lowbrow comedy that milks a pretty successful and creative prequel for all it's worth. The best scenes and lines were cherry picked for the previews, so frequent moviegoers may feel like they've already seen this film.