Review of Little Fockers (2010) by Ian Michael J — 25 Jun 2011

The central conflict - which was real enough in 2000's original "Meet the Parents", at a moment when America was torn between weak-willed liberalism of the Gaylord Focker variety and the hard-assed Republicanism of its Jack Byrnes - has vanished to all dramatic intents and purposes, so the committee has had to look elsewhere for their transgressive frissons: one of Stiller's little Fockers projectile vomits all over his pappy before setting the bar in wondering "Can a girl poop out of her vagina?" Little about it gets above the waist.

.. If there's any reason to persevere with "Little Fockers", it may be to see Stiller - an actor-comedian who hasn't quite as yet crossed over to the dark side occupied by Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy - desperately trying to step up to the plate, carry the burden, make it funny.

There are flickers of his usual good timing and smarts as he looks to improvise his way around this dead-end script, but he's finally wasted in the straight-man role; even the effects-heavy "Night at the Museum" pantomimes offered him more to work with.

Compare the greying Greg Focker to the energy and invention Stiller gave off in "Zoolander" or "Dodgeball", and it becomes only more apparent how dated, square and predictable this franchise has become.

Any medium that can boast Judd Apatow, Sacha Baron Cohen and Tina Fey has no need for "Little Fockers".