Little Fockers

As the Focker family franchise enters a third installment, we find frustrated nursing administrator Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) facing off against his humorless, ex-CIA operative father-in-law, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), as Greg and wife Pam (Teri Polo) prepare to celebrate the fifth birthday of their twins (Colin Baiocchi, Daisy Tahan). Greg's sympathetic mother-in-law, Dina (Blythe Danner), and bohemian parents, Bernie and Roz (Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand), travel to Chicago to join the family, while Greg battles with Jack about which male will eventually assume the patriarchal position to become “The Godfocker.” Meanwhile, Greg realizes that he has an über-rich rival in Kevin Rawley (Owen Wilson), who adores Pam. Plus, he's distracted by both Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba), a flirtatious pharmaceutical sales rep promoting Sustengo (an erectile dysfunction drug), and sleazy contractor Randy (Harvey Keitel), who's taking his time remodeling the Fockers' suburban home. And then there's the psychological trauma of the twins' interviews for Early Human School--an elite, ultra-progressive institution run by Prudence (Laura Dern). Directed by Paul Weitz, Little Fockers is unfortunately dismal from beginning to end, by turns vulgar and tiresome. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (15 min.), deleted scenes (15 min.), a gag reel (7 min.), a “Bout Time” segment on the fight scene (4 min.), an alternate opening (4 min.), an alternate ending (3 min.), “The Focker Foot Locker” montage (2 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are “Bob and Ben” and “Ben and Owen” interviews with costars Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, and Owen Wilson (10 min. total), bonus DVD and digital copies of the film, and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a franchise dud.] (S. Granger)