Meet the Parents film series recap

Can you believe the original Meet the Parents came out in 2000?! It spawned a couple of sequels and 16 years after the last one we are getting a sequel that no one thought would happen, but we are so glad it is! With each film filled with slapstick comedy and cringing moments (usually at the expense of Ben Stiller) we are sure Focker-in-Law will follow suit and continue the laugh out loud moments.

But if you've forgotten what happened in the Focker Family over the past nearly thirty years let's give you a little recap...

Meet the Parents (2000)

The first film in the series introduced us to nurse, Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and extremely overprotective former FBI agent, Jack (Robert De Niro). Greg intends to propose to his girlfriend Pam but would like to get her father’s blessing first and thinks this would best be done at Pam’s sister’s wedding. You’d hope that father-in-law and son-in-law would get on in peaceful equilibrium but this is far from what happens. Instead, what follows is a rather chaotic series of unfortunate events including an overly perfect ex-boyfriend, lie detector tests and a toilet trained cat.

Meet the Fockers (2004)

Making it into the top 10 highest grossing films of 2004, the second instalment welcomed Barbra Streisand (playing sex therapist named Roz) and Dustin Hoffman (portraying stay-at-home dad named Bernie) as Greg’s parents. Jumping forward in time to six months before Greg and Pam’s wedding, they decide to introduce both sets of parents so they can bond before the big day. However, like in Meet the Parents, things don’t go as smoothly as hoped and Jack’s initiation rituals begin. Because of clashing personalities and backgrounds, more mishaps happen and we really do wonder if Greg and Pam are going to walk down the aisle to become man and wife.

Little Fockers (2010)

Five years after the wedding and with all the in-laws now getting on, there is a different focus to the third instalment of the franchise- kids! Now that Greg has been officially crowned as the head of the family by his father-in-law Jack, he wants to prove he is worthy of the position and do the best he can for his kids. We see how he navigates new schools and birthday parties all while father-in-law Jack breathes closely down his neck. Will Greg be able to take the gauntlet and take over being the head of the family or will Jack live to regret it?

Meet the Parents film series recap

Meet the Parents (2000)

Meet the Fockers (2004)

Little Fockers (2010)

Get ready for the next in the series... Focker-in-Law