Simply can't carry the weight of a sequel to Meet the Parents

Rating: 4/10 (1 July 2005)

The problem with sequels is that the audience already know a lot. To keep them happy you have to come up with something more than the norm, more than just a continuation. The elements of surprise, the twists have to be inculcated to keep the viewer from boredom. And this film fails miserably on all accounts of that. To make things worse the entire movie is so obvious from the trailer that it makes one wonder why nothing was left to the imagination. Definitely the WORST trailer ever. If you've seen the trailer or even if you haven't, you will now before seeing the movie that its about the Byrnes meeting the Fockers(OK if you haven't seen Meet the Parents, you're not really going to get most of the characterizations). Well anyways, what you're going to be expecting is the strict methodical Mr. Focker will meet the laid back hippie parents of Ben Stiller. You're going to expect most of the humor being derived from this mismatch, and you're going to expect everything ends OK. That's exactly what happens. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzz. Its almost as if you can predict everything. This has got to be the most unimaginative pathetic sequel ever made, and should be taught in film schools how not to make a sequel. Even the 'humor' is so predictable. Still the same nurse, name jokes and the obvious embarrassment Ben Stiller is going to face from his parents care-free style while trying to keep it under covers throughout. The only extra character they introduce is a baby who does sign language, and has no relevance to the plot. For example what they could have done is possibly beating Mr. Byrne in his own game by making Dustin Hoffman to be a sophisticated martinet himself something which Robert De Niro couldn't handle. Or the Fockers could have been this super successful couple that would feel Pam isn't good enough for their son, and turn the tables on De Niro reminding him of his poor parenting... or something which would have had punch. This movie is just lame, and its as if they're trying to get you to laugh by laughing themselves instead of being funny.