Remarkably good sequel to the original movie

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2005)

Of course this film is a sequel, and sequels are generally less better than the originals - not so in this case, this is almost as good as the first film without the "novelty" aspect. Robert De Niro is the best of the lot but I thought Barbara Streisand and Dustin Hoffmann were very interesting additions to the family ! Of course you can't produce a clone of the first film ! Novelty has to be introduced but there are several re-hashes of jokes from the first film and recurring themes but with new additions. I don't think the Director could have done better as far as sequels go !! I have seen the film twice in the last three weeks, once in the UK and the ten days later in Paris, France. Second sitting, I caught up on some jokes I missed the first time round ! I'll definitely be adding this one to my DVD collection when it comes out !! It's the "clash of characters" between De Niro and Hoffmann that really wins the day in this one, plus the expressions of the little baby boy ( which is a novelty ) compared to the first film.
What WAS missing was a nice theme tune to replace the INIMITABLE "WHEN YOU'RE A FOOL IN LOVE" from the first film. I think sound-track-wise this sequel is far less well endowed than its predecessor. In France the film has the curious title "Mes Parents, Mon Beau-père et moi" ( My parents, my father-in-law and I !!!)