By Rama Gaind
Film: Meet the Parents: Little Fockers
Stars: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Teri Polo, Barbra Streisand, Laura Dern, Jessica Alba, Harvey Keitel
Director: Paul Weitz
Laughs coming furiously our way is sadly lacking in this film. The third installment sees another take in the test of wills between Jack Byrnes (De Niro) and Greg Focker (Stiller). There’s nothing like a little misunderstanding to fuel the fires of suspicion.
When the young Focker twins celebrate their birthday, the entire clan including Pam’s (Polo) love-lorn ex Kevin (Wilson) get together for the party.
The cranky former CIA agent Jack continues to be distrustful and loath to accept Greg as head of the family.
When an opportunity to moonlight for a drug company comes his way, the cash-strapped male nurse is again a target of mistrust.
This star-studded offering has lost its shine and drags a bit.
Film: Gulliver’s Travels
Cast: Jack Black, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Chris O’Dowd, T.J. Miller, James Corden, Catherine Tate
Director: Rob Letterman
Black plays Lemuel Gulliver, a newspaper mail-room clerk, who gets a travel assignment to the Bermuda Triangle but washes ashore on Lilliput.
He is a giant on an island that’s home to tiny, industrious people. The ruler is the ineffectual King Theodore (Connolly) whose daughter Princess Mary (Blunt) is being wooed by Horatio (Segel), a feeble suitor, and a pompous General (O’Dowd).
Who else but Gulliver (through Black’s clowning antics) can save them from their miserable fates?
This is not a faithful adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel, but the cast breathe some life into a lifeless story which moderately entertains.
Film: Due Date
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx
Director: Todd Phillips
Peter Highman desperately tries to get to LA for the birth of his first child and Ethan Tremblay needs to get there to start his acting career.
However, this chance encounter turns into a cross-country road trip where combining two men – one, a clumsy fool and the other, highly strung – fails to hit the mark. Instead, the journey ends up damaging Peter’s nerves, destroying many friendships and demolishing several cars.
Film: 3D Megamind
Stars: Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt
Director: Tom McGrath
After Megamind (Ferrell) defeats his archrival Metro Man (Pitt), he is filled with despair.
Since life is meaningless without a rival, he creates a new superhero.
However, trouble soon follows when the new hero also wants to be a super villain.
