“Little Fockers†would have been just fine if there were no “Meet the Parents†and “Meet the Fockers,†as there is nothing else needed to be told in the story to justify the making of another film.
To make it even worse, despite its name, the little members of the family, twins, Henry (Colin Baiocchi) and Samantha (Daisy Tahan), do not bring in anything but a background to the tense relationships between Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), while adding up to the adoration everyone has for Kevin (Owen Wilson), this “man-too-perfect-to-be-real.†Therefore, if you saw the previous two movies, do not waste your time on this one.
However, if you happened to miss the first two films, “Little Fockers†will be entertaining.
The plot is built around Jack’s idea to make Greg the new head of the Byrnes family in case his own heart will not be strong enough to handle the duty. “Would you like to be the godf…ker?†asks Jack on the phone. Laughing out loud, Greg has no idea what he is getting himself into.
Since there is no one else to pass the leadership to after Doctor Bob’s dishonored actions, Jack has no choice but to turn to his other son-in-law, Greg. There is a huge contradiction here, though: one the one hand, Jack does not think that Greg is the best husband for his daughter, and he constantly recommends Pamela (Teri Polo) to turn back to Kevin; on the other hand, he takes him seriously as the new head of the family. In other words, it is not quite clear what Jack thinks of Greg, whether he considers him a loser or a decent candidate. As far as Greg is concerned, all he cares about is the well-being and happiness of his wife and children.
The situation becomes more complicated when a hot and pushy drug representative, Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba), decides that Greg is a great public speaker and a nurse, who will be able to represent their company’s new product, Sustengo. Her interest in Greg is not all that innocent, though; Andy believes she can use him for something else as well.
Completing the crazy crowd, the Fockers, mom and dad, also appear at the scene, on their grandchildren’s birthday. “Mom Focker,†as her name shows up at her son’s cell phone display, is an active woman, who hosts a TV show about sex and is obviously an expert in the field of relationships. Mr. Focker seems to be a great match for her; he has so much energy that he goes to Spain to learn how to dance. In the end, though, his unlimited love for his spouse and his son’s continuous reminders about the twin’s birthday party bring the adventurer back.
Funny characters with whom we are familiar with from the previous movies are completed by some suspense: the flow of blood from Greg’s hand on Thanksgiving (unfortunate turkey cutting accident), Henry’s minor injury (the result of his father’s negligence), Jack’s detective awakening based on his suspicions about Andy and Greg and many more situations that will make you laugh until tears roll down you cheeks. It is sad, however, that some of the stupidity and over dramatizing from the preceding films repeat themselves. It is the past between Kevin and Pam again, the dislike Jack feels for his son-in-law and jokes about Greg’s full name (Gaylord Focker, or shortly Gay Focker) and his “manly†and honorable profession (male nurse). The fact that some new characters, like the principal of a fancy school the twins are being interviewed for, have not heard these jokes yet, does not mean that the audience haven’t laughed at them a couple of times before.
Amusing as it is, “Little Fockers†still cannot stand up to the standards of its history. Whenever there is a “several years later story,†there should be always something new added to it, so that the audience does not feel that they saw the exact same thing some time ago. Why would people want to spend their money on a movie that repeats a comedy that they watched before?
Don’t.
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