Robert DeNiro: comedy actor. Who'd've thunk it?
Ben Stiller plays a male nurse who's way anxious to make a good impression on his future in-laws. After all, he wants the babe-a-licious shiksa for himself. Once Ben finds out his girlfriend's sister's fiance (whew!) cleared the engagement with her dad first, the gears turn in his head and out pops: "Hey dumbass! You better do likewise."
The couple travels from Chicago to New York state and meet the parents (duh!). They're played by what's-her-name: Blythe Danner and Robert DeNiro. And when you think DeNiro, ultra-intense parts from Taxi Driver, The Godfather Part II,or The Untouchables come to mind; but not comedy.
But lately, that has been DeNiro's schtick. There was Wag the Dog with comedy so dry it nearly blew away in the slightest breeze. Or Analyze This that featured DeNiro's hilarious turn as a mob boss needing therapy. Rocky and Bullwinkle , a summer box office bomb, cast him as Fearless Leader, but me no see, so me no speak.
DeNiro wants nothing more than the best for his daughter. Can any suitor meet him requirements? It's like this: can pigs fly?
Course you can't have a comedy without absurd situations and the movie delivers. The script is well written in how it builds from innocuous put-the-foot-in-the-mouth comments to flatout disaster shoving Stiller into a hole so deep that you'd think no crane can hoist him out.
Stiller is the other half of this Martin and Lewis combo. His part is a continuation of his role from There's Something About Mary --Mr. Jewish Neuroses, so no surprises there. He fills the bill. Other cast members say their lines. Owen Wilson from Shanghai Noon and Armageddon plays the superlooker's former boyfriend.
One setup is the incredibly hoary sitcom nonorginal that I could've done without: substituting an animal for the beloved pet and expecting everyone to be stupid enough not to notice the diff. The fiance should've tossed him on his ass for pulling that stunt, but this is an all-American comedy--we can't have sad endings.
Meet the Parents hits the right notes. It's the not the greatest comedy in the world. While you could do better, you could do a lot worse.
Movie's suitability for: