Ben Stiller in a good movie?! There's a first time for everything.

Rating: 9/10 (2 April 2001)

Meet The Parents is an excellent comedy, despite the fact that the casting director was not the most brilliant person in the world. A lot of the material in the film was clichéd or simply not creative, such as the fact that Greg's (Stiller) luggage obviously got lost, but the film as a whole is an excellent and very entertaining comedy. Robert DeNiro is horribly miscast as the overprotective father, but he is such a good actor that he makes his performance in the role work very effectively. He didn't get to really be the startlingly effective tough guy that he is so famous for, but at least he was introduced in a domineering low angle shot, as he looks down at Greg and Pam from his bedroom window (a very smart move by the film's director).

Ben Stiller plays the part of the charmingly named Greg Focker, who wants to marry his girlfriend but has to earn the approval of her parents first. His name is bad enough, but he has to constantly explain his job as a nurse, a profession which provides him little to no respect from Pam's family. The majority of the film relates the events of the weekend spent at Pam's parents house, and everything imaginable goes wrong for him. The thing that makes this movie so funny is the well-written script and the way that some of the actors deliver their lines, particularly Robert DeNiro. The casting director deserves little to no credit for DeNiro's quality performance, but he just did such a good job in an uncharacteristic performance that he really steals the show. Some of the situations and especially the dialogue in this movie are destined to become classic lines  `Not many men in your profession, are there, Greg?' `I have nipples, could you milk me?' And, of course, there is the hilarious way that DeNiro constantly calls Greg `Focker' or, in at least one instance, `Greg R.N.'
Meet The Parents is a film that a surprisingly wide variety of people can enjoy. Meeting the parents is a part of relationships that the vast majority of men go through, and this can either be a smooth or devastating experience, so they can relate to what goes on in this film. Also, the point of view of the woman whose parents are being met is thoroughly presented, so the female audience will not feel left out at all. Even parents can enjoy this movie, because what parents don't worry about their kids and their dating experiences? Some of the situations may go a little too far, I mean, it's not very often that an eligible bachelor meets his girlfriend's parents and nearly burns their house to the ground, and it's a little excessive that EVERYthing goes wrong, not just a lot of things, but the comedy is so good that these excessive things are okay.
Ben Stiller is actually a good choice to play the role of Greg Focker, because he is such an annoying actor that it is very effective in the way that he gets all of Pam's family and friends to hate him. He makes a good scapegoat, and his unfortunate luck produces a good portion of the comedy in this film. But it is DeNiro, above all, who makes this such a good movie. He is cast strongly against type, but Meet The Parents is still a very well-made comedy that is just a lot of fun.