Stiller Strikes Again

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2007)

It's not entirely clear why Ben Stiller continues to get work and acclaim for his performances, since he really doesn't do much at all. His main role in any given film is to stand there and look dumbfounded as the world falls apart around him. He played one of his most successful versions of this when he played Gaylord Focker. The first time was in "Meet the Parents", which was a remake of a little seen independent film. Stiller plays a male nurse, a detail that punctuates several of the running jokes. He goes home with his fiancée for a wedding, at which point Murphy's Law strikes, his patience is tested, and all of that.
Robert DeNiro is here too, fresh off his uncharacteristic comic turn in "Analyze This". He plays the fiancée's overbearing, ultra-critical, highly suspicious father. It's a role that was originally slated for Christopher Walken, who would have ruined it with an added sense of creepiness. The main meat of the film comes from the tug-of-war between DeNiro's psychological testing and Stiller's struggle to be heard and accepted. This is a classic formula that works surprisingly well as a modern-day screwball comedy, given the weaknesses in Stiller and his irritating and frequent co-star Owen Wilson.
"Meet the Parents" is a formulaic comedy with a bit of a dark streak. It's a decent movie with some memorable bits, but it's more of a trial to get through than enjoyable which is something ironed out in time for the sequel.