Meet the Fockers

There's always that slightly eeky moment when your parents meet the parents of your partner - leave it until the champagne-filled wedding day and you're asking for trouble...

So what did Gaylord (Greg) Focker (Ben Stiller) do wrong by avoiding this and helping arrange a pre-wedding in-laws weekend?

Nothing in particular... it's just that his uber liberal, laid-back parents couldn't be more chalk-like in relation to his fiancée's cheese parents, the uptight WASPy Byrnes.

Ex-CIA operative and over protective Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and his straight-laced wife, Dina (Blythe Danner), set off in their luxury, state-of-the-art RV, along with Greg and Pam (Teri Polo) to meet Greg's parents.

From Meet The Parents, we've gathered that Jack distrusts Greg and isn't fully happy about the impending marriage, so from his point of view the weekend is a good opportunity to suss out the Fockers and to see if Greg really is a viable candidate for entry into The Byrnes Family Circle Of Trust.

Rocking up in their overly enormous house-on-wheels, to a dreamy, hippy-looking haven, the first impression of Greg's parents is of Bernie Focker (Dustin Hoffman) practising his capoeira, whilst his wife, Roz (Barbra Streisand), teaches geriatrics how to have a decent sex life.

Evidently Greg has glossed over the blatant truth about his parents, telling Jack that his Dad is a hot-shot lawyer and his mum is a doctor - but of course the truth comes out.

Much hilarity ensues, with the introduction of an overly busty ex-flame of Greg's in the form of the Focker's saucy housekeeper, a very horny dog, a deep fried foreskin, a highly competitive game of touch football - and a couple of secrets.

With such a strong cast of actors who can make your belly muscles hurt, it's hard to believe that a one-year-old baby could provide so much of the comedy content, but Little Jack (played by twins Bradley and Spencer Pickren), who is the Byrnes' grandson, is a comedy genius.

Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand are perfect and highly believable as the sort of people who would name their son Gaylord Focker - mind you, at the family party we also hear of Gaylord's cousins; Dom Focker, Orny Focker and Randy...

If you liked Meet The Parents, you certainly won't be disappointed with this sequel and with the added extras of Little Jack, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, it's even funnier than the first and as comfy as an old pair of slippers.

Vic Saggers