Meet the Fockers (2007, HD DVD)

There are times when you need a good laugh...For those moments I d like to prescribe this movie,
Meet The Fockers. I have to say here and now that though I enjoyed the first in this series, Meet The Parents my laugh meter did not go off the charts as it did in this sequel.


I loved this movie for more than just one reason for there are many. First and foremost was the cast. Each actor played their part to the hilt without going overboard How can you go wrong with Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner and Ben Stiller in the key role, Greg (Gaylord) Focker? Even the actress Teri Polo who plays his fianc Pam, though not as well known as the other stars, does a super job as Daddy s pride and joy.


Funny thing, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Dustin years ago and watch him work in a comedic but serious role, the movie Lenny, and can attest to his true comedic genius, on and off camera. This movie was no exception with this charactor, Bernie Focker, an aging hippie living the good life with his wife Roz Focker, Barbra, a Sex therapist for old folks. When this laidback and free thinking couple meet Jack and Dina Byrnes, De Niro and Danner, Pam s up tight parents, the hilarities start


Well actually, the fun really begins the moment the movie starts and before the road-trip begins down to the Florida Keys to Meet the Fockers, when we meet for the first time the newest member of the family,the Byrnes' Grandson Jack, one of the most amazing babies I ve ever seen on film. This baby stole the show in more scenes then could be expected. How they managed to get him to do the things he did was amazing in and of itself. The dynamics between De Niro and this baby was incredible to say the least.


As they hit the road in an RV that De Niro had customized for his comfort and his other undercover deeds we are reminded just how talented De Niro really is, how he can play just any part, whether funny or deadly serious as if it was the easiest thing on earth. His face, his mannerisms are a sheer wonder regardless of the character he plays and this one is no exception.


The plot line is basically very simple. Greg Focker, with his fianc in agreement, know it is time for her parents to meet his...Off they all go for a "meet and greet" that will leave you weak with laughter.


There couldn t be any four people on earth that are any more different then these two couples. From the moment of their first meeting each and every scene delivers either a smile or hilarious laughter as they get to know each other in ways they really weren't expecting.


How can you not smile at a baby that is learning sign language, and, when he speaks his first word, repeats it over and over again to the dismay of De Niro since this word is not what he wanted to hear? Then, a small dog, the Focker s dog, his interaction with the famous cat Jinx (from the last movie) belonging to the Byrnes family, as he flushes him down the toilet in the RV, wrecking the entire place so that they have to actually stay in the Fockers house, in a bedroom filled with the toys, books and statues belonging to Mom Focker, the sex therapist. What happens when De Niro steps out of the shower to find Hoffman sitting on the only working toilette in the house? Just what was in that famous fondue? And, can Barbra help the Brynes' rekindle their almost non-existent sex life? All this and much more awaits your pleasure.


Other story lines unfold that lead to more hilarious moments, one after the other, until the final laugh filled conclusion and the answer to the question, can these two mismatched families actually co-exist?


The director Jay Roach, the same director of Meet the Parents does an incredible job with this movie but with such a cast how can he not? The editing is perfect and the movies scenery, filmed on location in South Florida, divine...Though I did wonder, in a few scenes where one moment they were in the Keys and another in Coconut Grove, with just a short drive between both, how could I also get so quickly from one place to the other without it taking as long as it really does...But that s just nitpicking and movie making.


All in all, I loved this movie and laughed until I practically cried...Even the DVD extras were hilarious from the deleted outtake scenes where you really get to see the personalities of these great stars, along with the featurettes: The Fockers family portrait , Matt Lauer Meets the Fockers , The Adventures of Baby Wrangler , where you get to meet that amazing baby well, actually twin babies, The Mammary Gland , you haven t laughed till you see De Niro wearing his latest invention for feeding that baby, and, Inside The Litter Box: Behind The Scenes with Jinx the Cat . Also included on this DVD is a Commentary by the director with his editor and co-producer, Jon Poll.


Yes, if you want a good laugh, many good laughs then I recommend Meet The Fockers just bring your sense of humor and a good time will be had by all.