Meet the parents aims to high and fires too low, the most overrated movie in recent years.

Rating: 5/10 (24 June 2001)

Magazine reviews, word of mouth and trailers had me expecting to see the next all American comedy hit since 'There's something about Mary'. What i experienced when i sat down to watch this film was a film that aims to achieve such accalaids as its '...Mary' but instead offers a flat, dull comedy that does offer some very funny set pieces, (most of which had been used in the trailer).
Stiller is consistant as the likable romantic lead who cannot please his future father in-law, played by DeNiro, who although is fully competent in a comedic role, is let down by a very dull character.
The principle for the film is very good and the set piece ideas are all potential comedy classics, but the script (which excells in new levels of dullness) and the direction, hinder these scenes form fulfilling there potential.
If any of you have ever seen 'The Bachelor party' with Tom Hanks, the 10 minute scene where he goes to his future in-laws house, you will see the potential this plot had. The characters are all superior to Meet the Parents, which at the end of the day is the reason why Meet the Parents is a big let down.
Don't get me wrong, its no disaster, I've seen worse movies, but for a film that promised so much and aimed so high, it misses the target by far too big a margin for it to ever sustain its place in 'comedy-classic' territory.... 5/10.