Fits-and-Starts

Rating: 5/10 (2 November 2000)

The shock value Farrelly Brothers filmmaking that spawned "There's Something About Mary" is in abundance here, even going so far as to have Ben Stiller essentially reprise his role as a put-upon nebbish who can never seem to catch a break and winds up in the middle of disasters. "There's Something About Mary" was funny in spots but when it hit, it hit: the gags were so outrageous they compensated for the slow spots. "Meet The Parents" has the same fits-and-starts rhythm but the gags are merely pleasant and don't make up for the dead air that comprises most of the film. Stiller is an entertaining performer but he's beginning to typecast himself and is beginning to wear thin. Robert DeNiro, as the former CIA man whose daughter Stiller intends to wed, is enjoyable but he never manages to convey his intensity to the audience so they never feel completely, deliciously enthralled by him. Jay Roach directed, in a style typically subservient to Hollywood dictates. Not recommended.