A perfectly passable way to pass the time

Rating: 6/10 (13 August 2017)

MEET THE PARENTS - 2000
Directed by Jay Roach
Starring Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Terri Polo
Plot Overview:​ Everything that can possibly go wrong for groom-to-be Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) does. The problems begin with Greg's disastrous first meeting with his girlfriend's family -- most notably her intimidating father Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and it's all downhill from there.
This is a fine movie. It isn't good. It is not great. It is a perfectly passable way to spend your time. There is an odd trend with comedy movies I have watched recently. A painfully long and slow start with no laughs or smiles but then then, when the ball gets rolling, I start to consistently laugh. I am confident that people will find this movie infinitely more funny and interesting than me but then I guess I am just not their demographic. And that is unfortunate.
The idea for this movie is pretty fun and I have no doubt relatable to many. As to the actual plot, it is competently written and has a flowing narrative but I think they set it up way too much to make Focker seem loathsome. The situations he gets into are logical with the plot and are sometimes funny but they went way overboard with making me dislike Focker. I like the ending; it's funny and works well within context of the plot.
I don't like Ben Stiller as an actor in most things he is in and that is no different here. His performance is pretty lazy and his character is so loathsome that I couldn't in good conscience root for him. I can not stand his character. He possessed no charming or likable qualities and was just an all around boring character.
Robert De Niro was great in this movie. He cracked the perfect balance of lovable and loathsome and did it with a smile. Jack is a really fun and interesting character and both supports and negates the overall stereotype that the film is about.
The performances from the supporting cast were all fine but I wasn't interested in any of their characters.
The editing and cinematography were both passable.
This movie started off REALLY slow and unfunny but, as time progressed, the jokes began to hit more and more frequently and I found myself laughing a lot more than I did in the beginning. That said, I didn't laugh nearly as much as I would usually do in a comedy. The gags became stale for me and it all relied on the characters being in 'hilarious and awkward situations'. This worked on occasion but the more they did it, the less fun it became.
De Niro's performance and the occasional funny moments give me enough to cautiously recommend this movie. See it if you must but I can't say you will become enlightened. I'll rate his film 6 Spray- painted cats out of 10!