For today, I’ve decided to throw in a little something else to distract us from Bridge. The title is self-explanatory, & yeah, I’ve just recently watched it. If you're living somewhere more chronologically advanced in the movies scene you may find this review a little outdated, so oh well... Can't help living here in Singapore, can I?
I’m not a professional movie critic like filmcritic or rottentomatoes but I'll give the formal tone my best shot. :)
For starters, the title is somewhat misleading. Although, the writers did make an attempt to shift the story in that direction with Stiller’s desperate attempts to bond with his kids during mealtimes & his progressive decision to enrol the kids into a quality education system, it didn’t help that both kids happened to be one-dimensional stereotypes of your everyday child. As such, what at first glance appears to be a plot focusing on Stiller’s ‘Little Fockers’ is inevitably skewed into myriad of situations designed to conjure the same rivalries between victimized Greg Focker & dogmatic, status-conscious Jack Byrnes.
This approach, however, ends up working to a certain extent. This dynamic has the unfortunate consequence of locking the Little Fockers into a certain franchise routine; a handful of gimmicky catchphrases (the ‘Godfocker’, ‘watching me watching you’ etc) and several slapstick moments. Nothing really spectacular though IMO. The rival/buddy dynamic that seems to characterise the two protagonists throughout is never really given an opportunity to develop either. Then again, most of the fun comes from simply watching the exaggerated extents to which CIA-trained Jack Byrnes would go the spy on his son-in-law (won’t spoil it for u), so I’m guessing depth wasn’t the central focus anyway.
Apart from the sake of utility (he needs to be around to handle the plot’s logistics) Wilson’s role as the all-rounded super-achiever Kevin is decidedly forgettable. His saving grace being that he gets more-than-average screen time to overshadow both Pam & Jack’s wife who both seem, as always, content to simply appear as the other-halves of their respective husbands. Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba) however, plays her role fairly effectively. She’s funny, flirtatious and sexy. Especially during the climax when she, ecstatic with lust, threw herself onto Greg with reckless abandon into the depth of the sand-pit. Whoops I’ve said too much. All the other characters; Greg’s parents, the pets & the ‘Early Human headmistress’ perform what seems like brief cameo appearances throughout the film though by the end everyone is reunited & a everyone gathers round for a big Christmas reunion. Awww…
Ok, there’s obviously much more to cover. But as u can see by the hasty previous sentence I’m frankly getting tired of writing & trying to sound formal (haha) so I’ll quickly sum up. Many online critics have given ‘Little Fockers’ a negative review because of the points highlighted above & from an objective point of view I would agree. Despite all of this however, the movie would still continue to draw in large crowds and millions at the box office. Why?
Because more than anything else, there is an underlying humanity to this albeit over-repeated formula that immediately captures the hearts of its viewers. The movie is light-hearted, wholesome & most importantly universally relatable, making it an ideal Family’s Choice. Everyone can identify with various awkward moments during certain situations, conversions & relationships they’ve had at one time or another; and value-driven communication differences amongst family members happen to be the most prominent. So screw the critics. There’s nothing epic about the movie & its faults are all there, but it light-hearted fun & you’ll leave the theatre with that familiar warm, fuzzy feeling inside which feels ever-so-satisfying (Especially after watching Tron…). I’ll guarantee it. :)
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