Comfy Fockers Slipper
A third one? Sure, whatever. I have this residual feeling that the last Fockers film (six years ago!) watered the brand down a bit. I do recall that Dustin Hoffman, as Greg Focker/Ben Stiller‘s dad, got the warmest notices in that film. And yet Hoffman is absent from Little Fockers. And yet the reportedly under-used Barbra Streisand (Hoffman’s wife/Stiller’s mom in Meet The Fockers) gets a clip and a name card.
Imagine the reaction if this time, just to add a little curveball element, director Paul Weicz and writers John Hamburg and Larry Stuckey had decided to throw one more character into this depraved, middle-class demimonde — Greg Focker’s cousin Roger Greenberg. A Los Angeles-based carpenter trying to work his way back into music industry, Roger is having relationship issues with his live-in girlfriend Florence (Greta Gerwig) and has impulsively decided to fly to Chicago and visit Greg to talk things out. The best bit? Nobody (not even Owen Wilson!) says a word throughout the entire film that Greg and Roger appear to be identical twins.
Meet The Fockers was basically a war-of-the-parents thing. Now, it appears, we’re back to the basic Stiller vs. DeNiro dynamic from Meet The Parents. With a new erection drug to vulgar things up a bit. (And by the way, nobody — least of all a professional nurse — stabs anyone with a hypodermic needle. The needle could easily break, of course, and you’d want to be especially gentle if you’re injecting into someone’s stand-up schtufenhauffer. I thought the original hypodermic needle-stabbing scene in Pulp Fiction was idiotic also.)
Here’s a JoBlo review of a New Jersey research-screening of Little Fockers. The guy called it “unnecessary” (how many films that come out are thought to be actually “necessary”?) but “frequently hilarious.” He says it “worked,” “had the theatre in stitches” and…well, here’s a quote: “There were at least two instances where I was in pain from laughing so hard.”
“The test of wills between Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and Greg Focker escalates to new heights of comedy in the third installment of the blockbuster series,” says the studio-supplied copy. “Laura Dern, Jessica Alba and Harvey Keitel join the returning all-star cast for a new chapter of the worldwide hit franchise.
“It has taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam (Teri Polo) and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get ‘in’ with his tightly wound father-in-law, Jack. After the cash-strapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack’s suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back. When Greg and Pam’s entire clan — including Pam’s lovelorn ex, Kevin (Wilson) — descends for the twins’ birthday party, Greg must prove to the skeptical Jack that he’s fully capable as the man of the house.
“With all the misunderstandings, spying and covert missions, will Greg pass Jack’s final test and become the new patriarch…or will the circle of trust be broken for good?”
Jesus.
I have this residual feeling that the last Fockers film (six years ago!) watered the brand down a bit.
Jeff, MEET THE FOCKERS is the highest-grossing live-action PG-13-or-higher comedy of all time, and had it earned another $6 million it would have been the highest-grossing live-action comedy of all time. For the target FOCKERS audiences, the brand is not diluted.
Per boxoficemojo’s domestic charts:
42 Home Alone Fox $285,761,243 1990
43 The Matrix Reloaded WB $281,576,461 2003
44 Meet the Fockers Uni. $279,261,160 2004
45 The Hangover WB $277,322,503 2009
I just checked the IMDB cast list for “Little Fockers” and it still lists Dustin Hoffman as Bernie Focker.Are they wrong?
I just checked the IMDB cast list for “Little Fockers” and it still lists Dustin Hoffman as Bernie Focker.Are they wrong?
Sean- sure it made a load of money, but as I remember, that was mostly based on goodwill from the previous film; goodwill the sequel watered down. I seem to remember general after-screening enthusiasm being weak.
Sean- sure it made a load of money, but as I remember, that was mostly based on goodwill from the previous film; goodwill the sequel watered down. I seem to remember general after-screening enthusiasm being weak.
No movie that made $280M domestic could possibly water down a franchise leading ultimately to a dud of a 3rd film. Just curious, what movie does Fockers trail on the alltime list?
No movie that made $280M domestic could possibly water down a franchise leading ultimately to a dud of a 3rd film. Just curious, what movie does Fockers trail on the alltime list?
(though I really thought “Meet the Parents” was hilarious…didn’t bother with the Fockers.)
If dreck like the Fockers movies makes enough money from the Eloi (ha, used it!) to allow Stiller the clout / mojo to make movies like “Tropic Thunder” then have at it.
(though I really thought “Meet the Parents” was hilarious…didn’t bother with the Fockers.)
If dreck like the Fockers movies makes enough money from the Eloi (ha, used it!) to allow Stiller the clout / mojo to make movies like “Tropic Thunder” then have at it.
I am of the opinion that Stiller has never lived up to the potential of his late, great FOX variety show. Now, any movie that stars him (or Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill, Owen Wilson, et al.) immediately goes into my “never will see” bucket.
I am of the opinion that Stiller has never lived up to the potential of his late, great FOX variety show. Now, any movie that stars him (or Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill, Owen Wilson, et al.) immediately goes into my “never will see” bucket.
Is Stiller’s holding the turkey in front of his crotch a deliberate or accidental joke?
Is Stiller’s holding the turkey in front of his crotch a deliberate or accidental joke?
Why was the Pulp Fiction scene idiotic? It happened exactly like that…allegedly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV-tXWwohAU
Why was the Pulp Fiction scene idiotic? It happened exactly like that…allegedly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV-tXWwohAU
Well that trailer does a good job of making it look like Analyze That. Of course the goal of any comedy trailer these days is to make the movie look stupid.
Sad to think De Niro had exactly one (!) serious dramatic role in the last decade, a bit part in his own The Good Shepherd.
Well that trailer does a good job of making it look like Analyze That. Of course the goal of any comedy trailer these days is to make the movie look stupid.
Sad to think De Niro had exactly one (!) serious dramatic role in the last decade, a bit part in his own The Good Shepherd.
PARENTS was absolute shit. I didn’t laugh once. And you can only buy champagne in liquor stores in New York State, so Stiller buying champagne in a CVS was a lazy set-up for a weak joke. FOCKERS had some funny moments, but can anyone tell me why there were no bridesmaids, no best man…you mean to tell me that these two didn’t have any friends? Lazy shit.
PARENTS was absolute shit. I didn’t laugh once. And you can only buy champagne in liquor stores in New York State, so Stiller buying champagne in a CVS was a lazy set-up for a weak joke. FOCKERS had some funny moments, but can anyone tell me why there were no bridesmaids, no best man…you mean to tell me that these two didn’t have any friends? Lazy shit.
Dustin Hoffman did not seem to think much of Meet the Fockers. He made a half-hearted effort to promote it, but in some interview at the time he referred to the movie as “this, this, this, … this, … this …. THING.”
When he heard Barbra Streisand grouch at someone on the set, “Don’t call me Babs,” Hoffman made a point of referring to her as Babs through out the entire rest of the shoot. “Now in this next shot, do you think I should stand to the right of Babs or to the left of Babs?”
Dustin Hoffman did not seem to think much of Meet the Fockers. He made a half-hearted effort to promote it, but in some interview at the time he referred to the movie as “this, this, this, … this, … this …. THING.”
When he heard Barbra Streisand grouch at someone on the set, “Don’t call me Babs,” Hoffman made a point of referring to her as Babs through out the entire rest of the shoot. “Now in this next shot, do you think I should stand to the right of Babs or to the left of Babs?”
“I thought the original hypodermic needle-stabbing scene in Pulp Fiction was idiotic also.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZKgptV4GmQ&feature=related 2:31 Anyway, I’m just thinking to myself how is that kind of material supposed to win over the “holiday family” audiences Uni is targeting for its release date?
Sean: Six years and those National Museum movies along with Greenberg probably took their toll. I just hope the budget’s under $100 million on this one.
Dan V.: People were laughing at my screening, but I’m guessing they were high, ‘cus I sure as fuck got bored about half an hour into that dog.
Mark: Um, they just mentioned Matrix 2. As for that link, Mark White did it first, back when it was “uncool” to out QT as a plagiarist.
Ulysses: Tropic Thunder came close, but that’s about it.
Prager: Yeah, I was bored by the first movie, too. But at least it doesn’t feel like it was gunning for the winner of the ultimate pay-check crap-fest like the sequel.
“I thought the original hypodermic needle-stabbing scene in Pulp Fiction was idiotic also.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZKgptV4GmQ&feature=related 2:31 Anyway, I’m just thinking to myself how is that kind of material supposed to win over the “holiday family” audiences Uni is targeting for its release date?
Sean: Six years and those National Museum movies along with Greenberg probably took their toll. I just hope the budget’s under $100 million on this one.
Dan V.: People were laughing at my screening, but I’m guessing they were high, ‘cus I sure as fuck got bored about half an hour into that dog.
Mark: Um, they just mentioned Matrix 2. As for that link, Mark White did it first, back when it was “uncool” to out QT as a plagiarist.
Ulysses: Tropic Thunder came close, but that’s about it.
Prager: Yeah, I was bored by the first movie, too. But at least it doesn’t feel like it was gunning for the winner of the ultimate pay-check crap-fest like the sequel.
Good to see that they’ve made an effort to give Teri Polo more to do than just sit around smiling weakly. (j/k)
The true test of this movie’s likely wretchedness is that DeNiro and Keitel will probably have no scenes together.
Good to see that they’ve made an effort to give Teri Polo more to do than just sit around smiling weakly. (j/k)
The true test of this movie’s likely wretchedness is that DeNiro and Keitel will probably have no scenes together.
Man, you can smell the desperation in this trailer and in that promo quote. Everyone involved knows this is a backwards step (DeNiro and Stiller are fighting again??). I didn’t have much interest in this after the way they wasted the golden opportunity of Hoffmann and Streisand in the last film, but now I’m really not feelin’ it..
Like the current Grown Ups, this is a lame attempt to throw some product into the marketplace and make some quick cash before anyone realizes they’ve been had.
Man, you can smell the desperation in this trailer and in that promo quote. Everyone involved knows this is a backwards step (DeNiro and Stiller are fighting again??). I didn’t have much interest in this after the way they wasted the golden opportunity of Hoffmann and Streisand in the last film, but now I’m really not feelin’ it..
Like the current Grown Ups, this is a lame attempt to throw some product into the marketplace and make some quick cash before anyone realizes they’ve been had.
Ow, My Balls!
Ow, My Balls!
One word: Alba.
Sold.
One word: Alba.
Sold.