Lighten Up, Folks

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2005)

After reading some of the reviews here, I have to wonder how some of this site's reviewers of Meet the Fockers misunderstand the intention of the filmmakers. The Fockers movie is a farce that deliberately suspends reality, is helium-weight, its "sexual" and "bathroom" references rooted in the tradition of vaudeville wackiness, and any comparison to Battleship Potemkin or other referenced "art house" movies is a waste of time. There is room for films that have no particular statement to make other than to amuse, be sophomoric and slapstick, and entertain. It's a sad day when a bean-brained absurd comedy becomes the fodder for those who want to talk about the moral split in America. On the other hand though, if Meet the Fockers is supposed to be a satirical piece about modern mores, then "yeah, the filmmakers probably failed because their ideas on the subject don't agree with 'yours'". So, lighten up fledgling film critics, let those who want to laugh without guilt do so.