About.com Rating

In a way, Little Fockers is almost an ideal sequel. Like its two predecessors, Little Fockers features a number of compelling moments and an assortment of extremely likeable characters – but the film is ultimately undone by its emphasis on unreasonably over-the-top comedic situations. The franchise’s penchant for doing just about anything for a laugh continues here, as screenwriters John Hamburg and Larry Stuckey subject the various characters to a series of thoroughly desperate comedy bits – including a painfully unfunny sequence in which one character accidentally unloads a dump truck full of dirt onto another.

The film’s lackluster nature is especially disappointing given the presence of Paul Weitz behind the camera, as the filmmaker, taking over for 2000’s Meet the Parents and 2005’s Meet the Fockersdirector Jay Roach, has built a career out of making above average comedies that also include dramatic elements (including 2002’s About a Boy and 2004’s In Good Company). But Little Fockers is as stale and underwhelming as the two films that came before it, and it certainly does feel like these movies have gotten to the point where they essentially direct themselves.

The Story

As Little Fockers opens, Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pam (Teri Polo) have settled comfortably into married life and are raising their five-year-old twins (Daisy Tahan’s Samantha and Colin Baiocchi’s Henry). Greg has climbed the ladder at work to become his hospital’s chief nurse, with his new position bringing him into contact with a beautiful pharmaceutical representative (Jessica Alba’s Andi Garcia). Meanwhile, Greg’s intimidating father-in-law (Robert De Niro’s Jack Byrnes) has decided that the time has come to pass the torch to the next generation.

With no other options available to him, Jack agrees that Greg is the best choice to lead his family in the years to come. Through a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, however, Jack begins to suspect that perhaps Greg isn’t up to the task after all – with the return of Owen Wilson’s Kevin Rawley only complicating matters. (Jack comes to believe that Kevin would be a much more suitable mate for Pam.) It’s not long before Greg starts to crack from the pressure, and the dedicated family man finds himself inadvertently drawn into a compromising position with Alba’s flirtatious character.

The Cast

As expected, Little Fockers benefits substantially from the efforts of its impressive cast. Stiller, De Niro, and all the rest of the series’ regulars have settled into their respective characters quite nicely, and there’s certainly something a little comforting about catching up with these people every five years or so. The presence of several newcomers – in addition to Alba, Little Fockers boasts appearances by Laura Dern and Harvey Keitel – provides the movie with a jolt of much-needed energy, with Alba, in particular, proving that she’s got the comedic chops to go toe-to-toe with Stiller. Really, though, this is Stiller and De Niro’s show all the way – which does ensure that many of their equally famous costars receive short shrift in terms of their respective storylines. Dustin Hoffman, reprising his role as Greg’s freewheeling father, is undoubtedly the most obvious victim of this, as it generally feels as though he’s been shoehorned into the proceedings.

The Bottom Line

Though you could probably argue that the series began to overstay its welcome midway through Meet the Parents, Little Fockers is ultimately about as pointless as sequels tend to come. The lack of new ideas is evident in many of the film’s subplots, with the tired, all-too-familiar dynamic between Greg and Jack – Greg must once again prove himself worthy to Jack – certainly the most apt example of the movie’s stale atmosphere. And although the film has been sprinkled with a few genuinely hilarious moments here and there, Little Fockers generally comes off as a shameless cash-grab that’s been designed to capitalize on the success of its two predecessors.

Grade: C

Little Fockers was directed by Paul Weitz and is rated PG-13 for mature sexual humor throughout, language and some drug content.

Theatrical Release Date: December 22, 2010