The sequel from the monster “Meet The Parents” hit, this time adds Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand (in her first role since 1996 “ The Mirror Has Two Faces”) as parents to Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller). And so the chemistry of Robert DeNiro as Stiller’s “I’m watching you” father-in-law-to-be remains the same. Perfect. Jinx the cat is back adding havoc, this time around to the Focker’s tiny dog now that he’s able to actually flush a toilet. The addition of off-beat, California-hippy parents (Streisand and Hoffman) is amusing to watch since all we see is the grand Oscar skills of the two stars utilized in a let-them-loose-and-ad-lib kind of way. The only problem is that the script itself is not so funny but, seeing Hoffman wrestle with DeNiro and Streisand adding her Jewish Yenta touch, tells us they had a blast making this movie. The best part isn’t necessarily the acting, but instead knowing that an entire young generation will know these Oscar winning stars collectively, not for “The Deer Hunter” or “The Graduate” of “Funny Girl” but as a bunch of older goof ball sidekicks to the real star, Ben Stiller. Surely a “Meet the Little Focker” is soon to follow, when baby makes three.
