Funny  but it gets difficult to laugh at Greg's misfortune

Rating: Null/10 (7 July 2002)

Greg Focker is ready to propose to his girlfriend Pam but before he does he finds out that she would expect him to ask her father first. On the visit to meet her parents however nothing goes to plan and Pam's father Jack dislikes Greg immediately. Matters are only made worse when Greg begins to realise what Jack used to do for a living.
I first saw this in a cinema and recently watched it again on video. In the cinema I roared and on video I laughed but not as much  the crowd helped the first time. However it is still very funny  Focker is the most put-upon man I've ever seen! However with this comes the main problem  I almost felt too sorry for him to be able to laugh at his misfortunes. This isn't help by the fact that most of Jack's doctor friends are really unpleasant obnoxious people who I wanted to slap. However much of it is still funny but the final act is difficult because he is so downcast you can't help but feel sympathetic rather than amused.
Stiller does a good character but really is almost too realistic  like I said, I felt a bit guilty laughing. De Niro and comedy are not always best friends (he has some good ones and some real bad ones), happily here he is really good sending up his tough guy image spot on. Of the rest of the cast I have nothing to say, except that Owen Wilson has a great cameo playing up his laid back character really well.
Overall this is really funny even if it lacks subtlety. However it is really a bad point that, once the misfortunes begin getting worse and more severe we do begin to feel for Greg and dislike those who mock him. However when we laugh we also mock him and therefore I found the second half a little harder to laugh at  mind you it was still funny for the majority.