Not really a disappointment

Rating: 2/10 (18 July 2005)

Before reviewing this movie, I would like to make a few points:- Firstly, I am a big Robert de Niro fan. Ten years ago I would have stated unequivocally that he was the finest movie actor ever, with a number of powerful performances to his credit. These days I still cherish him, but am less certain of his greatness.
Secondly, I am not trying to be provocative or unpleasant or offencive in writing this review, but to simply put forward an opinion for discussion. I would welcome responses, of all kinds, to my email address (ba_hinks@hotmail.com).
Thirdly, I have to confess that I approached this movie with trepidation, with the prejudice that I was not going to like it. Nevertheless, when the opportunity to see it came up I was prepared to take it.
The first disappointment about this movie is the juvenility of its humour (humor for the Americans!), starting with its title, which contain a word which sounds closely like a crude Anglo-Saxon term for having sex (oooh, how rude!!), but is also a genuine surname arising from the Dutch aircraft designer Anton Fokker. I wonder what the target audience for this humour is - surely only children under the age of about 12 find the hint of coarse language amusing? Or is there a vast swathe of conservative middle-age matrons who, scared of using the 'F word' themselves find the threat of it dangling before their noses dangerously exciting? There is further 'nudge, nudge, wink wink' (as we Brits say, from the Monty Python sketch) sex-related humour through Barbara Streisand's character, and the over-amorous dog, plus some (dog-down-the) toilet humour thrown in for good measure.
The second disappointment is the sheer predictability of the plot. Two very different families, in terms of personalities, careers, background etc. are linked by a single commonality - their children wish to wed. Simple movie logic suggests that the differences will cause frequent confrontation and misunderstanding as both sets of parents attempt to dominate with their preferred version of reality, but that they will come together in the end, united by the love their children have for each other. And - surprise, surprise - the movie follows that immensely predictable path to a conclusion that could have be written within five minutes of the beginning.
The third disappointment is the involvement of two giants of the screen in Robert de Niro and Dustin Hoffmann (the other actors are appropriate to this level of excrement). I realise that de Niro is a producer of the movie, so has a vested interest additional to his acting role, but he is not a comic actor and his legacy is tarnished by performances such as this.
The only aspect of this movie which was not a disappointment to me was the fact that I predicted that I would dislike it, and that it would be embarrassing and unfunny. I was not disappointed to have been proved correct - although I would have preferred to have been proved wrong.