I'm sure it has something to do with the way I'm wired, but in my opinion, most comedies that gross a gajillion dollars (and everyone tells me I've just GOTTA see) are never very funny. I don't consider myself a snob or anything, but they are usually high-concept, low-risk, sitcom-style products designed to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, many of whom are happy to be spoon fed the same stuff over and over. That's how I felt about "Meet the Parents." It was mildly amusing, and I chuckled a few times, but it had nothing that hadn't been done better before, and I mostly sat and wondered what everyone I knew thought was so great about it. Does this make me the wrong guy to review the inevitable follow-up, "Meet the Fockers," an unnecessary by-the-numbers sequel, which also grossed a gajillion dollars (you know there's something wrong when a movie's box-office take is more highly-touted in the press than how original or clever it is)? I don't think so, because even though the movie is the very definition of a contrived & cynical cash machine, I can safely say if you liked the original, you'll like this.

"As the wedding day of Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) & Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) draws near, the two arrange for their parents to meet at Greg's parents' Florida island home. Robert DeNiro & Blythe Danner return as Pam's uptight parents, which is in start contrast to Greg's. Dustin Hoffman & Barbra Streisand play Bernie & Roz Focker, two aging, free-spirited hippies who embarrass Greg at every turn, mainly because Greg still struggles to impress future father-in-law Jack, a former CIA agent who still doesn't trust him (and this time resorts to ridiculous methods to discredit him). Bernie & Roz are open about their own sexuality, as well as their methods of raising children, which is decidedly different from Jack's...where Jack feels a child should be raised to be competitive, independent & self-reliant (exemplified by his militant training of his grandson), the Fockers are touchy-feely parents with no qualms about sharing the most embarrassing episodes of Greg's childhood...they saved his foreskin in a scrapbook, and happily talk about his loss of virginity to their former housekeeper (the latter being a key plot point when Jack tries to use his CIA connections to expose skeletons in Greg's closet). Much of the intended humor of "Meet the Fockers" depends on this clash of lifestyles and viewpoints. The movie milks the premise for all it's worth, aided in no small part by the high-wattage star power of the cast; it had to take a hell of a lot of cash to snag both Hoffman & Streisand, both of whom are given ample opportunity to chew up the scenery with their cliched and calculated 'outrageousness' to contrast DeNiro (who is even more of a caricature than he was in the original). But I would have appreciated more of an attempt to use the movie's budget to try and concoct a screenplay that wasn't so predictable. All the usual plot devices are here...the hilarity of polar opposites clashing, the double-entendres, the slapstick crudities, the revelation of one character forced to 'lighten up'...but you know there's something wrong with a movie when the biggest laughs come from seeing a dog humping everything that moves. The final third of the movie is truly awful, featuring a phenomenally stupid run-in with the local police which forces the formally warring factions to see eye-to-eye. In fact, when you look at the story, all the movie really has going for it is star power, but even then, said-stars are misused. Stiller essentially plays straight-man to DeNiro, Hoffman & Streisand, all of whom earn their paychecks, but nothing beyond that. Yeah, DeNiro is sometimes funny, but he was a much more effective comic actor back when we didn't expect him to be funny ("Midnight Run"), or when he satirized his own image ("Analyze This"). As for Hoffman & Streisand...both of their roles are performed with such over-the-top gusto that they practically scream "look how outrageous I am". Still, the movie offers many of the same slapstick moments as the original, and there's no denying everyone's enthusiasm about the project. As with the first film, there are some laugh-out-loud scenes (even though you might later feel stupid for thinking they are funny), and the movie moves along at a brisk pace. Again, if you liked the original, you'll probably enjoy this one. "

This is one of those discs where commenting on the picture and sound is probably pointless. The film is rendered in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and the image is predicably good, with accurate color and few discernable scratches. The audio is rendered in 5.1 Dolby Digital (in three languages), and is serviceable, considering the content of the film. Will it blow your socks off? No, but does it really need to?

Most of the extras included are of the 'fun' variety for those who enjoyed the film, but aren't likely to care if they learn a hell of a lot about the making of it. The most useful extra is the commentary by director Jay Roach & editor/producer Jon Hall, both of whom offer informative details about the movie's production. Also included are features about Jinx the cat (intended to be funny, and maybe worth watching once), a documentary detailing the direction of kids in a film, a sometimes-amusing featurette where Hoffman, Stiller & Streisand discuss the movie, and a featurette about DeNiro's 'Manary Gland' (the fake breast used to feed his grandson). There's also a 10 minute blooper reel and some deleted scenes. The disc also includes two versions of the movie, the original version and an extended cut.

"Meet the Fockers" isn't exactly a bad movie, since it gives those who loved the original more to enjoy. But it's also indicative of all that's wrong with the movie industry...a product calculated to please the undemanding masses...the more we shell out our money for stuff like this, the more we'll be subjected to it. Is that a bad thing? Not always, but one can only take so much of a good thing before it begins to undermine the original. Here's hoping "Meet the Focker Kids" ain't waiting in the wings.