What you'd expect from a sequel, but less

Rating: 3/10 (16 December 2007)

When you hear friends saying "It wasn't bad for a sequel," you should know what your getting yourself in for. And that's about the best you can say for this one.
I've never been a great fan of comedies that think humiliating the characters is funny. And Meet the Fockers uses the embarrassment shtick all the time. Mom Focker (Streisand) talking about how her son lost his virginity. Then later her son catches Mom and Dad having sex. And since Mom Focker is a sex therapist, we get to watch her getting the up-tight WASPs to loosen up. So pathetic.
Stiller is exactly as you've seen him in every other movie. The rest of the cast is better. The real trick is to see which actors walk away from this one without embarrassing themselves. Dustin Hoffman and Blythe Danner are both quite good-- genuine and fun to watch.
Streisand is hard to watch. De Niro isn't bad except for the bit with the fake boobs. That is so out of character for the CIA agent he's playing that you just cringe.
The deeper problem though, beyond the endless bad shtick, is the premise. So many movies have done the whole romance where the lovable ethnic family shows the uptight WASPs how to get in touch with their true feelings. Big Fat Greek Wedding did it well, this one just reminds you of what a sad cliché that plot is.
This film has four good laughs and nothing that seems to capture the human heart.