Meet The Fockers - Feels retro...Feels fun!

Rating: 7/10 (23 December 2004)

Meet the Fockers is a continuing saga of Meet the Parents. In this film, Pam Byrnes' (Teri Polo) parents, Dina and Jack, (Blythe Danner and Robert Di Niro) meet Greg/Gaylord Focker's (Ben Stiller) parents, Roz and Bernie (Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman). Greg, Pam, and Dina all road trip in Jack's custom RV, which looks more like a music band touring bus or "liberty coach" bus, accompanied by hidden CIA spy gadgetry. Roz and Bernie live in an eclectic tropical themed Miami home. Roz is a senior sex therapist, and Bernie is a retired trial attorney, who has found his touchy feely side, probably through his wife's advocacy of verbally and physically, expressing the emotional self. Barbra plays the role super. I feel like if she was asking me the intimate questions, like Dina, I actually wouldn't have any problem giving her answers, since her nature presents itself easy and helpful. Any over analysis would make me laugh in a good session of comic relief.
When the families meet, it is sort of like the Flintstones  Wilma and Fred (Fockers) meet the Bunkers  Edith and Archie (Byrnes). As for Bernie, he is so out in left field that I can't quite pass shock before finding laughter. But really, I still find laughter. The last movie I saw him in was Confidence, so it could have slowed my creative leap reflexes. Dina is the usual attention starved wife, from her husband Jack, who now appears to have an obsessive/compulsive fetish, with caring for their grandchild, little Jack. I wish Dina had a stronger role, possibly showing how she can rise above pouting over her husband's lack of obvious intimacy, and finding something that she likes, that will in turn, somehow have him take a better notice to his failings, in intimately recognizing her, sort of in that Vanessa and Austin Powers type of mode. Greg is portrayed as too much of the underdog, by Jack's regimented routine and his mother's free sex style questioning. Further, he thinks that he might be the father, to the exotic Hispanic cook, Isabel's (Alana Ubach) son. Even his Dad's homemade Greg wall shrine completely embarrasses Greg. Poor Greg. (sounds good in Marsha tone.) We look at him having the most fun when he is injected with sodium penathol, by Jack, since for most of the movie, he is suffering from family idiosyncrasy overload. Poor Greg (in regular concerned tone.) Much of the comedy attempts to center jokes around little grandchild Jack, which seems to be an odd emphasis, and misdirection. Maybe it reflects the situation when parents or grandparents do not have much going on in their own lives, so a child becomes a center to their world, which is an obvious intended comic hook, to the film. But, the idea does not play out all too funny.
The feeling of actor improvisation gives the film that more carefree and unscripted vibe, but nevertheless, the script in its entirety, never truly reaches full funny bone status, though good intentions are evidently prevalent. (How intellectually nerdy was that synopsis.) I enjoy all of these actors so much, and even more, for the fact that some having played serious roles, gladly warmed themselves up to moving, yet again, into the comedy role. The film may not have offered complete jelly-belly laughing humor to its audience, but it may have well offered "senior" sex tips to those in the frozen or frustration zone, thanks in part to the lead instructor, Roz! It's never too soon to start thinking about signing up for co-educational couples yoga.