Rating: Summary: This Film is NOT VERY FUNNY. Another Disappointing Comedy. Review: I really wanted to laugh, but found myself with a grimmace for most of the movie. The characters were way to contrived and the jokes and humor were forced. I actually found myself annoyed most of the time by the characters. Ecept for just a rare 2 or 3 funny clips, this film was actually annoying.
Rating: Summary: Hilarious film that peters out at the end Review: I am now thoroughly convinced that Ben Stiller is the funniest actor working today. Even though this movie did not make a lick of sense, Stiller still made it worthwhile and hilarious as hell. Maybe it's my imagination, but Stiller seems to be developing a meek, ineffectual, Woody Allen-ish type character. I've seen this character in three films now, including 'There's Something About Mary' and 'Mystery Men'. This character is most comical in stories in which they find themselves in awkward and uncomfortable social situations. I'm about the biggest fan in the world of the Woodman but I think a squirming Ben Stiller is funnier than a squirming Woody Allen. And just as he proved in last year's 'Analyze This', Robert DeNiro, with his dead-serious countenance and legendary past screen personas, makes the perfect straight man. The laugh to groan ratio takes a plummet in the last 20 minutes of the film, which begs the question of why Hollywood still insists on making sappy and mawkish and completely contrived "happy endings". The fun comes from watching Ben Stiller squirm, not from watching the people beside me in the audience squirm.
Rating: Summary: + 1/2 stars. A Stiller performance! Review: Greg Focker (Stiller), a male nurse from Chicago, wants to marry his girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo), but first he must ask her father (DeNiro) for permission. The couple travel to her parent's home in Oyster Bay, Long Island, and all hell breaks loose. Greg desperately wants to be accepted by his hopeful future in-laws, and will go to any length to ingratiate himself - which is his problem. He will say or do anything to make these people like him, and with Pam's dad, it's a losing proposition. A retired CIA profiler, DeNiro is suspicious and distrustful, and a private war, with Pam as the object, begins as soon as they meet. At its core, Meet the Parents wants to be a Peter Sellers farce, and at many points it works (and I could actually see Sellers playing both roles - maybe even at once in a case of stunt casting along the lines of The Party and Dr Strangelove). The film is basically a series of screw-ups, each more excruciating than the last, and Roach does a good job of creating serious tension without ever letting things get too over the top. What sells the tension, though, are the performances of Stiller and DeNiro. DeNiro has been on a comedy kick recently, and this is his best comedic performance yet. He is able to do more with a single reaction shot than most comedic actors can do with a whole performance. Stiller is making a career out of roles like this - the nervous, skittery put-upon guy. I've heard people complain that Meet the Parents is sitcomish. What I think they are really getting at is the movie's basic geniality. Even when the film tries to be edgy (and having a cat pee on someone's ashes is definitely edgy), it never goes over the line to be mean spirited or crude. While both Stiller and DeNiro do things that are destructive and potentially cruel, both actors are able to sell the basic humanity of the characters - you know their motivations and are willing to forgive their ridiculous behavior. Meet the Parents isn't pushing the envelope the way a Farrelly Brothers movie does - on the commentary track Roach mentions that he agonized over including what toilet humor there is in the film. It does manage to get in some classic moments (including one of the best chase scenes I have ever seen, and a third act airport scene that is priceless), and the supporting performances are great as well. Owen Wilson is hilarious as Pam's ex-boyfriend who can do no wrong, James Rebhorn brings the best pronunciation of "Focker" to the proceedings, and Blythe Danner quietly steals almost every scene she's in. I didn't see this movie in the theatres, and without renting it, I bought it on DVD, and was pretty happy with it the first time. The next time around, I was glad that I bought this. Great story with comedy with the usual ending.
Rating: Summary: The irony of "The Gift of the Magi" mixed with goofy comedy Review: This entire movie is based on the consequence and influence of irony. Each character has to have something that is ironic when matched up with the personality of another. This movie takes one of the hardest situations in a relationships and makes everything that could go wrong, go wrong. What is scarier then meeting the parents of your beloved, and realizing that her/his father hates everything you do. When one of the most important people to the future of your relationship appears to loathe you. The family lives in their own little protected world, and Greg (Stiller) looks like the big bad wolf. He makes jokes which aren't funny, he is a nurse, and he is totally unconventionally conventional. And when compared to his girlfriends former fiance his light is even dimmed more. This hysterical series of events have the promise for a classic in its own right.
Rating: Summary: Meet a movie that's not so funny! Review: MEET THE PARENTS is comedy about boyfriend Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) wanting to ask his girlfriend Pam to marry him, but after hearing a conversation giving Greg the thought to ask her father for approval first, Greg decides to wait and meet her parents before he pops the question. Accident, after accident, Greg loses Pam's parents' trust and Pam's love. MY REVIEW: "Why do people say this movie's hilarious? Sure, it has a few funny scenes, but it's not that die hard laughable! Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro both are really good with their performances, but the big time humor just wasn't in the script! This movie is funny here and there, but just doesn't hit the spot. For a more hilarious movie, see LIAR LIAR, or AS GOOD AS IT GETS. I recommend if you want to see this movie, don't buy it, rent it. BOTTOM LINE: MEETING THE PARENTS ISN'T AS FUNNY AS YOU'D THINK IT WOULD BE.
Rating: Summary: Funny and thought provoking - a Tour de Force of talent. Review: I througly enjoyed seeing Robert De Niro tackle a comedic role, something I've rarely seen him do before. Ben Stiller is no slouch either and is the consumate funny man himself. Meet the Parents touches on both the funny side of meeting the inlaws, and the more serious issues of parents letting go of their little girl. As a male nurse, Stiller's character challenges DeNiro's friends definition of status (they're doctors) and gender roles by being proud of his professional choices. Meet The Parents left me rolling on the floor laughing and yet at the same time it made me think. Excellent indeed!
Rating: Summary: Funny, thew whole cast very humurous Review: i bought this movie without seeing it before and i don't regret buying it. I laughed through most of it. It has suttle humour not drop dead laughs but u have to listen to everything. Robert De Nero is very funy in this i don't know why he doesn't do more comedy's, he should. Ben stiller also funny but i don't think is as good as Roberts character. A good story line to back it up. U should definatly give this one a try.
Rating: Summary: Too much. Review: This flick had enough gags for two almost funny movies, killing a fairly funny premise and great cast.
Rating: Summary: Just ok. Review: It had some funny parts. It had a couple of hilarious parts. But all in all, this movie was just average. I loved Ben Stiller in Something About Mary, and I'm sure everyone who saw this was looking at that movie also. But something was missing. Deniro trying to be funny was only funny in spots. Owen Wilson did a good job as usual, but the rest was just blah. So far, I have found only a handful of people who have enjoyed this movie thoroughly. It had the potential but just didn't click. Stiller spent most of his time in this movie either breaking something, catching it on fire, or just saying the wrong thing. Could anyone really blow it this bad?
Rating: Summary: A Thong Does Not Make A Movie Funny Review: The movie "Meet the Parents", direced by Jay Roach, is, in my opinion, way better than either of the "Austin Powers" movies (seeing as they share the same director). It's really one of the funniest movies Hollywood has spit out in a while. Ben Stiller seems to take a lot of credit because of his "funny the first time" name: Gaylord Focker. In this film Ben Stiller really 'plays out' the timid, normal, misunderstood by everybody except the audience character. But he does it beautifully; so beautifully that he should never play that character again. Rober DeNiro plays Ben Stiller's girlfriends dad. And, yes, Ben wants to ask for her hand in marriage but can't quite do it. Robert DeNiro plays this character pefectly as he always does, he really gets deep into his characters. The best thing about the movie is that every time you watch it, you see something that makes it a better movie. The best jokes are really not his name, the thong, or his name. It's the jokes under those that make this film great.
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