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Little Fockers |
Movie Review/December
2010 |
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Barbra Streisand and
Dustin Hoffman reprise their roles as Roz and Bernie in "Little
Fockers." |
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Little Fockers Offers
Little
Dec 22, 2010
If "Little
Fockers"
is
disappointing,
it's not
because
Barbra
Streisand
and
Dustin
Hoffman
only
make
cameo
appearances
(we
knew
that
going
in).
It's because the film, as
a whole, just isn't funny.
The
lackluster
screenplay
seems
nothing
more
than a
quick
cut-and-paste
job
that
attempts
to
piece
together
an
unimaginative,
fragmented
story.
There
are
new
characters
that
never
get
developed
(throwaway
parts
are
given
to
talented
actors
Harvey
Keitel
and
Laura
Dern).
There
are
subplots
that
don't
move
forward
(Owen
Wilson's
character
is
ripe
with
comic
possibility
but
never
explored).
And
what
about
the
actual
little
Fockers, Samantha and
Henry? Isn't it odd that
the film isn't really
about them?
Except
for
purposes
of
continuity,
this
movie
certainly
could
have
been
made
without
the
presence
of
either
Barbra
Streisand
or
Dustin
Hoffman.
That's
not a
reflection
on
Barbra
and
Dustin.
Their
brief
scenes
together
remind
us why
the
earlier
film
succeeded
on so
many
levels.
Which
begs
the
question:
what
were
the
new
writers
and
director
thinking
when
they
decided
to
practically
ignore
the
characters
of
Bernie
and
Roz
for
this
latest
installment?
Didn't
they
see
Meet
the
Fockers?
The
film's
final
scene
is the
only
payoff.
That's
because
it's
the
only
time
in
"Little
Fockers"
where
all
the
principal
characters
are on
camera
together.
DeNiro,
Streisand,
Hoffman
and
Danner
play
off
each
other
brilliantly
and
the
comedy
flows,
if
only
for a
few
minutes.
It's a
great
scene
that
shows
what
"Little
Fockers"
could
have
been
had
the
writing
been
better
Without
spoiling
the
ending,
let's
just
say
that
they've
left
things
open
for
another
sequel,
heaven
help
us. |
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