Meet the Fockers

It is a known fact that sequels are not up to par as the first. There are certain exceptions (Star Wars: Episode V: the Empire Strikes Back, Shrek 2), but most of them fall in to the disappointing category (Blade II, Star Wars: Episode II: Atttack of the Clones, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Jurassic Park: The Lost World).

This sequel is no exception. It’s not as good as the first movie, but it is indeed entertaining. Though it is less than 2 hours, I felt it was longer. Perhaps it was the constant pressure, or me relating to it and scaring the hell out of me. You could really see the constant pressure put on Greg (Ben Stiller) to impress the in-laws especially the father, Jack (Robert deNiro). Adding to that, he needs to make his parents (Dustin Hoffman and Bette Midler) impress them as well.

The two families come from completely different backgrounds, one being conservative and dictative, and the other being affectionate and open minded. It made me wonder about how it would be like if my parents meet my fiancée’s parents. Like the first movie, Greg lied and wormed his way through everything just to impress Jack. Come on, wouldn’t you do anything so that you can marry the person you love? Of course there is a limit and lying isn’t the answer though. I believe in honest relationships, but I don’t think the show would have been as edutaining as it would have been if he told the truth all the time. This is, of course, just a show.

Though there are not much jokes, there is humour, just like the first movie. The sheer peculiar nature of the scenes is funny enough. For instance, the cute little dog, Moses, owned by the Fockers, keeps shagging anything that moves including the cat, Jinx. There are also references to the first movie, which may confuse new viewers.

A good thing about this movie is that there are no redundant scenes, except maybe the first scene. But I guess it was trying to show us that he is a male nurse. Nevertheless, the following scenes build the suspense and add humour to the ever increasing dilemma for Greg.

At the end of the day, the lesson spells out itself: Trust. People lie for many reasons, it could be that the truth will hurt you more, or he is afraid of you, or he just doesn’t want trouble. Whatever it is, sometimes the truth hurts and you might not like it. So I guess it’s ok to lie once in a while to protect the person that you love, wouldn’t you think?

Why you should you watch it?
dog humping cat
perverted 1-year-old (whose first word is asshole)
method of fockerising
sex/fertility idols
high tech trailer

Rating: 3/5