Posts Tagged ‘music’
Barbra Streisand
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
“meet the Fockers” Gets a Real Boost From De Niro and Hoffman
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
Meet the Fockers – 3 Stars (Good)
“Meet the Fockers” is the best comedy I have seen in a long time. It was not overdone and not underdone.
This movie could have been easily over-the-top with its descriptive title, but there is no hint of it in the presentation. The Motion Picture Association of America was not going to allow the title to be used unless the producers could find an actual family with the surname “Focker” in North America.
Focker is not exactly the best choice of a name to be called the rest of your life. Meet the Fockers was a sequel to Meet the Parents, which raised the question “what sort of people name their son Gaylord M. Focker (Greg Focker’s full name)?
Despite the easy shots this film could fetch in name alone, Director Jay Roach and Writers Grey Glienna and Mary Ruth Clarke (characters), Jim Herzfeld and Marc Hyman (story) and Herzfeld and John Hamburg (screenplay) kept the name calling in check. I think they did an incredible job and the PG-13 rating speaks volumes.
A believable story line and an all-star cast with former Oscar-winners Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand (yes, Streisand won as Best Actress in Funny Girl) gave this comedy a real boost of professionalism.
By reducing Ben Stiller to a lesser role and playing up the acting and timing talents of Hoffman and De Niro, this movie is so much better than the first that there can be no comparison between the two.
Meet the Fockers may well be the first sequel to a movie that is better than the original, and that is saying something in Hollywood.
The reason is De Niro (as Jack Byrnes, father of the bride), Hoffman (as Bernie Focker, father of the groom) and Streisand (as Rozalin Focker, mother of the groom) are believable. I have known people very similar to the roles they are playing.
I have yet to see a movie with Ben Stiller (as Greg Focker) in which I thought he was believable. I have never known anyone like Stiller’s character. Adding De Niro, Hoffman and Streisand makes this movie talent rich.
I highly recommend this movie for its straight comedy in a very human situation, parents of the bride and groom who are polar opposites meeting for the first time. Having said that, I do not think this is a good movie for youngsters.
This film does not revel in the filth, sex and drug culture as some comedies do, but who wants to answer pertinent questions from youngsters when trying to be entertained? Finding Nemo is a more appropriate film for youngsters.
Everyone seemed to enjoy making this movie and I enjoyed watching it.
Meet the Fockers was short on awards but not short on humor. As is often the case, it generated $279 million at the U. S. box office and a staggering $515 million (as in half billion) worldwide. Not a bad payday by any measure.
Most critics gave Meet the Fockers an average pass while noting that Meet the Parents was much better. I saw it as just the opposite.
About the Author
Ed Bagley’s Blog Publishes Original Articles with Analysis and Commentary on 5 Subjects: Sports, Movie Reviews, Lessons in Life, Jobs and Careers, and Internet Marketing. My intention is to inform, educate, delight and motivate you the reader. Read my movie reviews on Captain Jack Sparrow in all 3 “Pirates of the Caribbean” films. Find my Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/MovieReviews.html
Duck Sauce – Barbra Streisand (Official Music Video)
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Barbra Streisand – Mug – Standard Size $14.50 This mug is created using the finest dye sublimation techniques and creates a stunning dishwasher safe finish. Great as a gift, or for promotional items. Each of our mugs come individually boxed for protection in transit…. |
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Barbara Streisand – Mug – Standard Size $14.50 This mug is created using the finest dye sublimation techniques and creates a stunning dishwasher safe finish. Great as a gift, or for promotional items. Each of our mugs come individually boxed for protection in transit…. |
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Barbra Streisand – 3×2 inch Fridge Magnet – large magnetic button – Magnet $4.99 Rectangular wrap-around refrigerator magnet and a glossy mylar cover.Large 2×3 inch rectangle fridge magnet or ‘buttons’ as they are sometimes known in the USA.Crop shown is automated for display purposes only. All magnets are hand finished and the best most appropriate crop will always be selected to best show the full image. Therefore, actual product may vary slightly from crop shown – this can … |
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The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer $10.99 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed…. |
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Dream With Me $7.79 EVANCHO JACKIE DREAM WITH ME… |
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Duets: An American Classic $4.25 BENNETT TONY DUETS AN AMERICAN CLASSIC… |
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The Prince of Tides [VHS] $1.95 Product Details Actors: Barbara Streisand, Nick Nolte, Maggie Collier, Blythe Danner, Tiffany Jean Davis Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC Rated: R (Restricted) Number of tapes: 1 Studio: Sony Pictures VHS Release Date: June 2, 1998 Run Time: 132 minutes… |
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The Owl and the Pussycat [VHS] $7.86 Good credentials abound in this 1970 adaptation of Bill Manoff’s hit Broadway comedy. Buck Henry wrote the screenplay, and Herbert Ross (The Turning Point) directs the surprisingly funny pairing of Barbra Streisand and George Segal as, respectively, a semi-literate prostitute and an egghead. Streisand and Segal turn out to have excellent complementary styles (both are good at playing incredulity),… |
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A Star Is Born [VHS] $4.55 This film actually began with the idea of remaking A Star Is Born with the then-hot couple James Taylor and Carly Simon. Eventually, it evolved into this vanity production for Barbra Streisand, with Kris Kristofferson as the designated stud muffin. The story remains the same: A superstar on the decline meets a young singer on the way up. They marry as their career trajectories intersect, and his e… |
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A Star is Born $5.00 The oft-filmed tale of a doomed show business romance is moved into the world of rock music with this Oscar-winning drama. With his career on the decline, a veteran performer (Kris Kristofferson) discovers a fresh young singer (Barbra Streisand) and focuses his energies on promoting her. But when she becomes a sensation, her success leads to the decline of their relationship. With Gary Busey, Oliv… |
