Meet the Parents (2000)

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

In comedic films, the plot is often a secondary consideration. Like an unplanned vacation, the destination is not what's important--it's the journey itself that matters. Meet the Parents is a predictable plot based on an overused cliché, and I give it two thumbs up. What counts here is not the plot, it's the humor and the performances that make it worth the ride.Jay Roach is the director who inflicted Austin Powers on humanity. Fortunately, he is able to dial it down a notch here and give us humor that is a little more subtle--not much, but every bit helps. Ben Stiller plays the unfortunately named Greg Focker, who is on his way to meet the parents of the woman he loves. His character here is almost a reprise of his character in There's Something About Mary. Greg is desperate to make a good impression on his girlfriend's parents and his general anxiety turns into full-blown terror when he meets Pam's father, Jack Byrnes. Jack (played by Robert DeNiro) is a rather humorless man who deep down believes that no man could be good enough for his little girl.Greg has been led to believe that Jack is a retired florist, but he soon discovers that Jack has an entirely different, and much darker, past. DeNiro is perfectly cast as the foreboding father figure, and DeNiro plays the part superbly. Greg soon discovers that even the most benign chatter is a kind of test, and he feels--quite rightly--that he is failing miserably.Virtually every character in this story lies to another character at one time or another. Much of the humor revolves around little lies that necessitate either full confessions or even bigger lies. The characters choose bigger lies almost every time. ("Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive"). The biggest laughs come as we watch Greg trying to extricate himself from one of his self-spun webs or as we watch Jack setting another trap.The tone of the film reminded me of Father of the Bride. Like that film, the predictability of the plot doesn't really matter. We know from the beginning how it will ultimately end. Films like this rise or fall on the strength of the writing and the power of the performances. While there are thoroughly adequate supporting performances here, the real dynamic comes in the chemistry between Stiller and DeNiro. This is not great art or profound social commentary. But the audience roared as they watched these characters play out situations that were close enough to real to make them feel the embarrassment and frustration of the central characters. If you don't get a chance to see it at the theater, save it for a video rental. For extra fun, invite your future in-laws and see if they think it's funny.

Meet The ParentsA surprise from Ben as it doesn't go anywhere; neither does the character nor the script, just some one liners helps you survive it.

MEET THE PARENTS - 2000Directed by Jay RoachStarring Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Terri PoloPlot Overview:​ Everything that can possibly go wrong for groom-to-be Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) does. The problems begin with Greg's disastrous first meeting with his girlfriend's family -- most notably her intimidating father Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and it's all downhill from there.This is a fine movie. It isn't good. It is not great. It is a perfectly passable way to spend your time. There is an odd trend with comedy movies I have watched recently. A painfully long and slow start with no laughs or smiles but then then, when the ball gets rolling, I start to consistently laugh. I am confident that people will find this movie infinitely more funny and interesting than me but then I guess I am just not their demographic. And that is unfortunate.The idea for this movie is pretty fun and I have no doubt relatable to many. As to the actual plot, it is competently written and has a flowing narrative but I think they set it up way too much to make Focker seem loathsome. The situations he gets into are logical with the plot and are sometimes funny but they went way overboard with making me dislike Focker. I like the ending; it's funny and works well within context of the plot.I don't like Ben Stiller as an actor in most things he is in and that is no different here. His performance is pretty lazy and his character is so loathsome that I couldn't in good conscience root for him. I can not stand his character. He possessed no charming or likable qualities and was just an all around boring character.Robert De Niro was great in this movie. He cracked the perfect balance of lovable and loathsome and did it with a smile. Jack is a really fun and interesting character and both supports and negates the overall stereotype that the film is about.The performances from the supporting cast were all fine but I wasn't interested in any of their characters.The editing and cinematography were both passable.This movie started off REALLY slow and unfunny but, as time progressed, the jokes began to hit more and more frequently and I found myself laughing a lot more than I did in the beginning. That said, I didn't laugh nearly as much as I would usually do in a comedy. The gags became stale for me and it all relied on the characters being in 'hilarious and awkward situations'. This worked on occasion but the more they did it, the less fun it became.De Niro's performance and the occasional funny moments give me enough to cautiously recommend this movie. See it if you must but I can't say you will become enlightened. I'll rate his film 6 Spray- painted cats out of 10!

Meet the Parents is a hilarious comedy film that will give you laughs and laughs and laughs for days on end. It tells the story of Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), a male nurse who goes to live with girlfriend Pam's (Teri Polo) parents for the weekend. However not all will be a calm getaway because Pam has a very strict father Jack (played by Robert De Nero). The film is absolutely hilarious and has some very funny moments.This is a remake of the 1992 film that was originally written, directed and stared Greg Glienna. I have not seen the original film, but maybe it'll become available someday.Meet the Parents spawned two sequels: Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers but they are not as funny as this one.I give Meet the Parents a 7/10.