Good acting covered up by poor writing and terrible directing.

Rating: 5/10 (15 May 2005)

For those of you that have not yet had time to go out and rent "Meet the Fockers", don't sweat it and just wait until it's on TBS. If you're a fan of the original, you'll be severely disappointed and if you haven't you'll either be sick or confused with some occasional chuckles. "Meet the Fockers" probably looked good on paper and probably had a high demand since the original was so successful, but it failed to meet expectations and forgot what made the first one such a comedic hit.
"Fockers" stars the original cast with the addition of Dustin Hoffman (Bernie Focker) and Barbara Streisand (Roz Focker), as the Byrnes family takes a trip down to Miami to meet Greg's parents and plan the up coming Focker-Byrne wedding. That's really as deep as the plot goes, with the additions of few side elements that take place during the vacation.
The first was practically a classic as it featured Ben Stiller in his usual "everything goes wrong with me" role that makes the audience stress out beyond belief which is supposed to induce laughter. It did work though, as Stiller's position of meeting a potential spouse's parents can be nerve-wracking is somewhat believable. In the sequel, the main comedy was focused on the Byrnes family meeting the Focker family, trying to hit it off and with Greg caught in the middle still trying to impress Jack with his usual antics and trying to change his parents.
The main reason this movie was near unbearable was the the intelligence insulting writing, especially the gag bits, that still revolved on Jack's borderline OCD and over protectiveness of his daughter, constant sexual innuendos, the drenching use of the word "Focker", and the just plain fact the whole situation was totally implausible. To start with, the sexual innuendos (and I use this term loosely) was way out of control, which this tactic was practically non-existent in the first one. I have no problem with sexually laced jokes and gags mind you, but the jokes in this movie were too forward, not funny, over used and didn't fit: Jack's fake boob to feed his grandson (don't ask), Bernie's missing testicle story, the awkwardness between the conveniently placed babysitter with breasts big enough to make Pam Anderson blush who Greg lost his virginity with, Greg's infant foreskin than landed in the fondue pot during dinner, and Roz's and Bernie's open sexuality that is present throughout the whole movie. Was there really a need to write in a scene where Greg has to stop his parents from having sex with Streisand covered with Cool-Whip from the waist up like strawberry shortcake, due to the fact his future in-laws where sleeping right below, on the first night? All this movie needed was an apple pie and Stifler and it would been complete.
Also, as may read in several other reviews, was the constant use of the word "Focker" which was practically run into the ground in the first one was in full affect this sequel. Not only is it in the title, but it it's also used like every 5 minutes. Yes, we all get it, it kind of sounds like a similar four letter word that may be considered vulgar. So, if we get it, why doesn't entire cast get it? This is where my entire beef with implausibility comes in. Both in-laws doing various gags through out the movie was down right idiotic and insulting, as all four the parents seem like sophisticated people; including one being a lawyer and one being ex-CIA. Would a house host really go to the bathroom (....#2) while their guest is taking a shower? Would a potential father-in-law jam a syringe filled with sodium pentathol (truth serum)into his daughter's finance during their engagement party just to solidify his "circle of trust?" During the entire movie I was chomping a the bit waiting for one of these parents to grow up, which was unfortunately in the final scenes.
On a lighter note, the acting was quite good with DeNiro of course but the roles played by Hoffman and Streisand were quite impressive. Unfortunately the teen-movie writing and bad directing overcame any evident of acting. This film may have been a little bit easier to swallow, if the the original didn't exist which set the bar and the tone of the comedic level. Unfortunately it's another sequel that misses the mark and depends on the addition of other "A" list actors in the cast and the success of the original to draw in audiences.