Meet The Parents (2000)

 

Meet The Parents (2000)

8/10

Starring

Robert De Niro

Ben Stiller

Teri Polo

Blythe Danner

Owen Wilson

Directed by Jay Roach

Once in a while, you feel like seeing something from the old days—thirteen years ago, to be exact—and I found myself watching Meet the Parents again. I never appreciated it more than I did now.
The movie is a remake of a 1992 film of the same name, which was written and directed by Greg Gilenna, who also starred in the movie. The 1992 version was an independent film and cost only 100,000. Later, Universal Studios bought the film rights and pumped money ($55 million) into an expanded version of the 1992 film and Meet the Parents (2000) was born.

When the makers made this movie, there was no plan for a part two or three, so what you’re watching is the raw masterpiece of when Robert De Niro met Ben Stiller. I just found myself laughing all the way through. The comedy in this movie is first-class, the delivery is done with precision, and each comic moment hits home. When you’re watching this movie, you’ll fully appreciate the acting force of the duo (De Niro and Stiller).

The movie plot is about Greg meeting his would-be in-laws. Here, Greg (Ben Stiller) intends to marry his live-in girlfriend, Pam Byrnes, but decides to get her father’s (Robert De Niro) approval before proposing to her.

So, Greg follows Pam to her parents’ house as preparations are being made for Pam’s sister’s wedding, thinking it’s the best opportunity to meet Pam’s parents and get her father’s permission. As simple as it may seem, things don’t work out as planned. Greg becomes a menace in the Byrnes household—from almost blinding the soon-to-be bride to losing the cat, burning down the altar, and flooding the septic tank. Greg ends up making life hell for the Byrnes family.

The other cast members in the movie also add to the fun, especially Owen Wilson. The movie’s cast may have been why the budget was so high, but it was totally worth it. I’m going to save this movie in my archive to watch again in the near future.

That said, I must add that the pacing can feel uneven at times, with some comedic moments dragging on longer than necessary. While De Niro and Stiller have great chemistry, the film tends to rely too much on repetitive gags. These, lose their impact over time, and can affect you finding those instances funny when you are rewatching the movie. 

Another set of things to note is, the plot itself is predictable, and it also leans more on slapstick rather than delving into character development, which can make the movie feel like a series of jokes instead of a fully developed story.

After this movie, there was Meet the Fockers (2004) and Little Fockers (2010). Both were far from being as good as the first, and the introduction of Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand in the sequels was fun in the first (Meet the Fockers) but overstretched in the second.

I totally advise that you do as I did and go see this movie again. I guarantee it’ll be worth it.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

5/10

Starring

Steve Carell

Olivia Wilde

Jim Carrey

Directed by Don Scardino

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is not as great as you’d expect it to be. With a cast like Steve Carell, Olivia Wilde, and Jim Carrey, you’d expect a laugh fest, but it’ll pass as a movie to see when there’s nothing else playing at the cinemas. The craziness the movie offers can either come off as exciting or plain disgusting, depending on what thrills you. As for me, I felt the producers should have put more work into the magic tricks. The acting of all the cast members isn’t to be dismissed—they did well in their portrayals, especially Jim Carrey. He actually stole every scene he was in, using physical comedy, something we haven’t seen him do in a long while. But the story wasn’t all that; it seemed to skim the surface too often, leaving you with no memorable moments.

In addition, I think the movie’s attempt to pass a message was lame. When you think about all the Hollywood movies you’ve seen, the message has been overused: “When you get to the top, never forget those who helped you get there.” Then, the characters’ sudden transformation from jerks to overnight good guys was just too pathetic to be believable.
Then there’s the magic. I’ve seen many magic-based movies, and while watching them, I wished I could do what the actors were doing. Here, when I saw the magic tricks being performed, I didn’t feel like trying them myself—instead, I wanted to invite the performers to the next kid’s birthday party I’d be attending.

The movie’s plot is about two childhood friends, Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi), who were regularly picked on in school until they discovered magic as a way to get people to like them. It worked, and they grew up to become magicians performing at one of the top casinos in Las Vegas.

The downside of their fame was that instead of improving their act, they became comfortable and kept doing the same old tricks they’d perfected since childhood. After ten years of repeating the same routine, they grew bored and fed up with each other. Furthermore, a street magician (Steve Gray, played by Jim Carrey) started making headlines with his stunts, drawing attention away from their shows. This brought an end to their childhood friendship and their Las Vegas gig.

This is definitely one movie I won’t be watching again. I did laugh more often than I expected, but this movie isn’t a must-see. So, if you’re at the cinemas and want to watch a nice comedy, make sure you check all the listings. If there’s nothing else playing, then you can watch this.