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'''''Little Fockers''''' - Set a few years after the second film, this movie goes around the planning of the birthday party for the Focker twins, a new heart-condition found of Jack, and Greg getting a new job in order to get money for his children's education.
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'''''Little Fockers''''' - Set a few years after the second film, this movie goes around the planning of the birthday party for the Focker twins, a new heart-condition heart condition found of Jack, and Greg getting a new job in order to get money for his children's education.
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* UnfortunateImplications: A lot of contrast is made between Pam's [=WASPy=], Christian family and Greg's Jewish one. Jack's poor treatment of Greg feels very much like antisemitism, even when it's clear he does this for all of Pam's suitors. In particular when he bullies Greg into saying a Christian prayer at dinner and his bitter reaction to being given a yamaka for a gift.
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* UnfortunateImplications: A lot of contrast is made between Pam's [=WASPy=], Christian family and Greg's Jewish one. Jack's poor treatment of Greg feels very much like antisemitism, even when it's clear he does this for all of Pam's suitors. In particular when he bullies Greg into saying a Christian prayer at dinner and his bitter reaction to being given a yamaka for a gift.
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* BourgeoisBohemian: The Fockers.
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* BourgeoisBohemian: The Fockers. They're portrayed as well-meaning and friendly (certainly much moreso than Jack's family) if a little loopy and ''too'' open.
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Removing wick to Did Not Do The Research per rename at TRS.
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** Which may border on to DidNotDoTheResearch as using your thumbs to take a person's pulse is not correct; your thumb has it's own pulse and thus may give a false reading.
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** Which may border on to DidNotDoTheResearch research failure as using your thumbs to take a person's pulse is not correct; your thumb has it's its own pulse and thus may give a false reading.
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* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: The Fockers. Jack Burns to a slightly lesser degree.
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* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: The Fockers. Jack Burns Byrnes to a slightly lesser degree.
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* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: The Fockers
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* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: The FockersFockers. Jack Burns to a slightly lesser degree.
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** You want to know how they got away with the title for the second film? They were told they could keep it if they could find ''one'' real life family with the name "Focker". Since they got their title, well...
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'''''Meet The Parents''''' -- Male nurse [[FailOSuckyname Gaylord "Greg" Focker]] attempts to propose to his schoolteacher girlfriend Pam Byrnes, but before he can, Pam gets invited to her sister's wedding. Greg agrees to go along, seeing it as an opportunity to impress her family. However, Pam's [[KnightTemplarParent Knight Templar Father]] Jack, an ex-CIA operative, is immediately suspicious of Greg and spends the weekend grilling him on any undesirable elements in his background.
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'''''Meet The Parents''''' -- Male nurse [[FailOSuckyname [[UnfortunateNames Gaylord "Greg" Focker]] attempts to propose to his schoolteacher girlfriend Pam Byrnes, but before he can, Pam gets invited to her sister's wedding. Greg agrees to go along, seeing it as an opportunity to impress her family. However, Pam's [[KnightTemplarParent Knight Templar Father]] Jack, an ex-CIA operative, is immediately suspicious of Greg and spends the weekend grilling him on any undesirable elements in his background.
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'''''Meet The Parents''''' -- Male nurse Gaylord "Greg" Focker attempts to propose to his schoolteacher girlfriend Pam Byrnes, but before he can, Pam gets invited to her sister's wedding. Greg agrees to go along, seeing it as an opportunity to impress her family. However, Pam's [[KnightTemplarParent Knight Templar Father]] Jack, an ex-CIA operative, is immediately suspicious of Greg and spends the weekend grilling him on any undesirable elements in his background.
Greg's situation is further complicated by a series of attempts to impress Pam's family backfiring on him, mostly involving little lies that lead to bigger ones until he looks like a complete jackass. It escalates to the point where he gets kicked out of the Byrnes' home. Ultimately, Pam manages to convince her father that she loves Greg and despite the bad first impression it was all because he loves her. After another grilling session, Jack's contempt for Greg dissipates... for the most part.
Greg's situation is further complicated by a series of attempts to impress Pam's family backfiring on him, mostly involving little lies that lead to bigger ones until he looks like a complete jackass. It escalates to the point where he gets kicked out of the Byrnes' home. Ultimately, Pam manages to convince her father that she loves Greg and despite the bad first impression it was all because he loves her. After another grilling session, Jack's contempt for Greg dissipates... for the most part.
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'''''Meet The Parents''''' -- Male nurse [[FailOSuckyname Gaylord "Greg" Focker Focker]] attempts to propose to his schoolteacher girlfriend Pam Byrnes, but before he can, Pam gets invited to her sister's wedding. Greg agrees to go along, seeing it as an opportunity to impress her family. However, Pam's [[KnightTemplarParent Knight Templar Father]] Jack, an ex-CIA operative, is immediately suspicious of Greg and spends the weekend grilling him on any undesirable elements in his background.
Greg's situation is further complicated by a series of attempts to impress Pam's family backfiring on him, mostly involving [[FawltyTowersPlot little lies that lead to biggerones ones]] until he looks like a complete jackass. It escalates to the point where he gets kicked out of the Byrnes' home. Ultimately, Pam manages to convince her father that she loves Greg and despite the bad first impression it was all because he loves her. After another grilling session, Jack's contempt for Greg dissipates... for the most part.
Greg's situation is further complicated by a series of attempts to impress Pam's family backfiring on him, mostly involving [[FawltyTowersPlot little lies that lead to bigger
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* TemptingFate: The second movie begins with Greg catching an extraordinary number of lucky breaks. He should've known it was too good to last...
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* TemptingFate: The second movie begins with Greg catching an extraordinary number of lucky breaks. [[YankTheDogsChain He should've known it was too good to last...]]
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* CanonDiscontinuity: In the first movie, Greg mentions having milked his sister's cat, but in the sequel, his parents state that he's an only child. This is {{lampshade}}d in ''MadMagazine's'' parody of the sequel.
** Two possibilities: 1. Greg was fibbing after all. 2. His parents also may be lying. At least, his father, in this hypothetical case.
** Greg was indeed lying, and Jack even questions him about the story he told with his sister's cat. ("You told me you had a sister; you said you ''milked'' your sister's cat.") This scene however is often cut on television.
** A further example, from the third movie, is the fact that Jack says he needs Greg to take over as head of the family, completely omitting to mention his own son, Denny Byrnes, from the first movie. Ironicaly, Denny's name and picture can be seen on a genealogy chart in the beginning of the movie. Then again, Jack may consider Denny a delinquent due to his marijuana use in the first film and not trust him as head of the family.
** Two possibilities: 1. Greg was fibbing after all. 2. His parents also may be lying. At least, his father, in this hypothetical case.
** Greg was indeed lying, and Jack even questions him about the story he told with his sister's cat. ("You told me you had a sister; you said you ''milked'' your sister's cat.") This scene however is often cut on television.
** A further example, from the third movie, is the fact that Jack says he needs Greg to take over as head of the family, completely omitting to mention his own son, Denny Byrnes, from the first movie. Ironicaly, Denny's name and picture can be seen on a genealogy chart in the beginning of the movie. Then again, Jack may consider Denny a delinquent due to his marijuana use in the first film and not trust him as head of the family.
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* CanonDiscontinuity: In the first movie, Greg mentions having milked his sister's cat, but in the sequel, his parents state that he's an only child. This is {{lampshade}}d in ''MadMagazine's'' parody of the sequel.
** Two possibilities: 1. Greg was fibbing after all. 2. His parents also may be lying. At least, his father, in this hypothetical case.
** Greg was indeed lying, and Jack even questions him about the story he told with his sister's cat. ("You told me you had a sister; you said you ''milked'' your sister's cat.") This scene however is often cut on television.
** A further example, from thethird movie, is the fact that Jack says he needs Greg to take over as head of the family, completely omitting to mention his own son, Denny Byrnes, from the first movie. Ironicaly, Denny's name and picture can be seen on a genealogy chart in the beginning of the movie. Then again, Jack may consider Denny a delinquent due to his marijuana use in the first film and not trust him as head of the family.
** Two possibilities: 1. Greg was fibbing after all. 2. His parents also may be lying. At least, his father, in this hypothetical case.
** Greg was indeed lying, and Jack even questions him about the story he told with his sister's cat. ("You told me you had a sister; you said you ''milked'' your sister's cat.") This scene however is often cut on television.
** A further example, from the
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* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: see above.
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* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: see above.Pam's brother Denny and sister Debbie are neither seen nor mentioned in the second film. Denny seems to have been [[RetCon retconned]] out of existence by the third movie (see Canon Discontinuity above). Debbie's return for any more sequels was rendered impossible when actress Nicole [=DeHuff=] died of pneumonia in February of 2005.
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* GeniusDitz: Andi Garcia, JessicaAlba's character from ''Little Fokkers'' is [[GenkiGirl permanently perky]], peppers her speech with ValleyGirl like expressions and ''would'' come across as just an [[BrainlessBeauty immature party-girl airhead]] if it wasn't for her demontrasting that she is also a highly skilled nurse in a couple of early scenes.
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* GeniusDitz: Andi Garcia, JessicaAlba's character from ''Little Fokkers'' Fockers'' is [[GenkiGirl permanently perky]], peppers her speech with ValleyGirl like expressions and ''would'' come across as just an [[BrainlessBeauty immature party-girl airhead]] if it wasn't for her demontrasting that she is also a highly skilled nurse in a couple of early scenes.
** Jack in the first film never faces any real consequence for giving Greg hell. The second film is better about this.
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* SequelNonEntity: Pam's sister Debbie isn't in the second film, even the wedding (though she is obviously mentioned because Little Jack is her son). Possibly a case of RealLifeWritesThePlot, as Debbie's actress Nicole [=DeHuff=] died of pneumonia in early 2005 and she may have been too ill to return to the role.
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Edit tip 12 and YMMV sinkhole
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Both films, despite their success, has a YourMileageMayVary on how much you enjoy them thanks to the CringeComedy as well as the somewhat off-color humor throughout. The first film was a sociopathic-based comedy with a fairly predictable premise, and the second movie is still funny with the premise moving in a bit of a different direction.
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* MsFanservice: Jessica Alba shows a lot in ''Little Fockers''. [[YourMileageMayVary For some people this is the only tolerable aspect of the movie]] (that and [[HeReallyCanAct her being one of the few cast members]] [[YourMileageMayVary who actually makes some effort]]).
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* MsFanservice: Jessica Alba shows a lot in ''Little Fockers''. [[YourMileageMayVary For some people this is the only tolerable aspect of the movie]] (that and [[HeReallyCanAct her being one of the few cast members]] [[YourMileageMayVary who actually makes some effort]]).
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* [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude Who Names Their Kid Gaylord]]: Only hippies. Pam's brother has a good laugh when he asks the trope; "Wait a minute! So your name is ''gay'' '''focker'''?"
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* [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude Who Names Their Kid Gaylord]]: Only hippies. Pam's brother has a good laugh when he asks the trope; "Wait a minute! So your name is ''gay'' '''focker'''?"''gay focker''? (laughs) Its an unusual name."
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* [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude Who Names Their Kid Gaylord]]: Only hippies. Pam's brother has a good laugh when he asks the trope.
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* [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude Who Names Their Kid Gaylord]]: Only hippies. Pam's brother has a good laugh when he asks the trope. trope; "Wait a minute! So your name is ''gay'' '''focker'''?"
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* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The fake "Mr. Jinx" cat with the grey tip on its tail. When Jack confronts Greg about it, Greg sets the cat down, and the cat walks off, down the hallway. Its never seen again after that.
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* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: Dina.
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* JerkAss: Jack, along with the redneck cop in the second film.
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* [[WellDoneSonGuy Well Done Son-In-Law Guy]]: Greg.
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* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Greg gets thrown off an airplane for giving one to a flight attendant.
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* HeelRealization: Jack has one near the end of the first two films, yet continues to give Greg hell in the sequels.
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* PapaWolf: Jack to a disturbing degree.
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We Havent Learned Anything Yet is going to be cut
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* [[WeHaventLearnedAnythingYet We Haven't Learned Anything Yet]]: The lie detector scene.
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* JerkAss: Jack, along with the redneck cop in the second film.
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* SoundtrackDissonance: In one scene Stephen Trask's score turns surprisingly twinkly and airy, as if it's accompanying a fantasy movie rather than Andi giving a male patient an anal insertion - Trask is director Paul Weitz's composer of choice, which is why (unlike the first two films) this was not scored by RandyNewman.
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* SoundtrackDissonance: In one scene in ''Little Fockers'' Stephen Trask's score turns surprisingly twinkly and airy, as if it's accompanying a fantasy movie rather than Andi giving a male patient an anal insertion - Trask is director Paul Weitz's composer of choice, which is why (unlike the first two films) this was not scored by RandyNewman.
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** There isn't much theatrical trailer ''doesn't'' give away.
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** There isn't much the theatrical trailer ''doesn't'' give away.
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* Running Gag. At the end of each film. At the end of the first two Jack views a video of Greg ragging on him via "hidden" camera. At the end of the third film Jack views a Youtube video of Greg talking about Jack at a seminar and basically Reiterating the crazy antics Jack pulled in the first two films.
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* Running Gag. RunningGag: At the end of each film. At the end of the first two Jack views a video of Greg ragging on him via "hidden" camera. At the end of the third film Jack views a Youtube video of Greg talking about Jack at a seminar and basically Reiterating the crazy antics Jack pulled in the first two films.
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* InnocentSwearing: Little Jack repeating the word "asshole".
* {{Irony}}: Even though Jack is one of the best examples of a Knight Templar Parent, his favorite song is the one that exemplifies childlike innocence: "Puff, the Magic Dragon."
* {{Irony}}: Even though Jack is one of the best examples of a Knight Templar Parent, his favorite song is the one that exemplifies childlike innocence: "Puff, the Magic Dragon."
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* InnocentSwearing: Little Jack repeating the word "asshole".
* {{Irony}}: Even though JackGeniusDitz: Andi Garcia, JessicaAlba's character from ''Little Fokkers'' is one of the best examples of a Knight Templar Parent, his favorite song is the one [[GenkiGirl permanently perky]], peppers her speech with ValleyGirl like expressions and ''would'' come across as just an [[BrainlessBeauty immature party-girl airhead]] if it wasn't for her demontrasting that exemplifies childlike innocence: "Puff, the Magic Dragon."she is also a highly skilled nurse in a couple of early scenes.
* {{Irony}}: Even though Jack
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* GeniusDitz: Andi Garcia, JessicaAlba's character from ''Little Fokkers'' is [[GenkiGirl permanently perky]], peppers her speech with ValleyGirl like expressions and ''would'' come across as just an [[BrainlessBeauty immature party-girl airhead]] if it wasn't for her demontrasting that she is also a highly skilled nurse in a couple of early scenes.
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* InnocentSwearing: Little Jack repeating the word "asshole".
* {{Irony}}: Even though Jack is one of the best examples of a Knight Templar Parent, his favorite song is the one that exemplifies childlike innocence: "Puff, the Magic Dragon."
* {{Irony}}: Even though Jack is one of the best examples of a Knight Templar Parent, his favorite song is the one that exemplifies childlike innocence: "Puff, the Magic Dragon."
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[[quoteright:350:[[FacePalm http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gaylordfocker_facepalm.jpg]]]]
-->'''Pam Byrnes:''' What's the matter, sweetie? Can't sleep?
-->'''Greg Focker:''' No, no. I was just going over my answers to the polygraph test your dad just gave me.
''Meet The Parents'' is a 2000 KafkaKomedy that is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. It starred BenStiller as Greg Focker, Terri Polo as Pam, and RobertDeNiro as Pam's dad Jack. It led to two sequels: ''Meet The Fockers'' in 2004, and ''Little Fockers'' in 2010.
'''''Meet The Parents''''' -- Male nurse Gaylord "Greg" Focker attempts to propose to his schoolteacher girlfriend Pam Byrnes, but before he can, Pam gets invited to her sister's wedding. Greg agrees to go along, seeing it as an opportunity to impress her family. However, Pam's [[KnightTemplarParent Knight Templar Father]] Jack, an ex-CIA operative, is immediately suspicious of Greg and spends the weekend grilling him on any undesirable elements in his background.
Greg's situation is further complicated by a series of attempts to impress Pam's family backfiring on him, mostly involving little lies that lead to bigger ones until he looks like a complete jackass. It escalates to the point where he gets kicked out of the Byrnes' home. Ultimately, Pam manages to convince her father that she loves Greg and despite the bad first impression it was all because he loves her. After another grilling session, Jack's contempt for Greg dissipates... for the most part.
'''''Meet The Fockers''''' -- In a reversal of the first film, Pam and her parents join Greg in meeting his parents, Bernie and Roz (DustinHoffman and BarbraStreisand respectively), before Greg and Pam get married. While Greg is thoroughly embarrassed by his parents' behavior, Jack once again is suspicious of him after learning certain elements of Greg's past and goes even more extreme lengths to prove what he suspects of Greg. Ultimately, everything works out, as Greg and Pam get married and the Fockers even help to bring back some passion into the Byrnes' marriage.
Both films, despite their success, has a YourMileageMayVary on how much you enjoy them thanks to the CringeComedy as well as the somewhat off-color humor throughout. The first film was a sociopathic-based comedy with a fairly predictable premise, and the second movie is still funny with the premise moving in a bit of a different direction.
'''''Little Fockers''''' - Set a few years after the second film, this movie goes around the planning of the birthday party for the Focker twins, a new heart-condition found of Jack, and Greg getting a new job in order to get money for his children's education.
Jack is afraid that Greg plans to leave Pam, so he studies him. Meanwhile, Greg's new job associate (played by JessicaAlba) seems to be interested in him; and Pam's old boyfriend seems obsessed with her again.
----
!!These movies provides examples of:
* AesopAmnesia: In both ''Meet the Fockers'' and ''Little Fockers'', Jack has to learn to trust, let alone like, Greg all over again.
* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: The Fockers
* AshesToCrashes
* BourgeoisBohemian: The Fockers.
* ButtMonkey: Greg. And how. He cannot catch a break on ''anything'' and is the subject of most of the series' slapstick.
* TheCanKickedHim: In ''Meet The Fockers'', the Bynes' cat Jynx (who knows how to use a toilet) flushes the Fockers' dog, Moses.
* CanonDiscontinuity: In the first movie, Greg mentions having milked his sister's cat, but in the sequel, his parents state that he's an only child. This is {{lampshade}}d in ''MadMagazine's'' parody of the sequel.
** Two possibilities: 1. Greg was fibbing after all. 2. His parents also may be lying. At least, his father, in this hypothetical case.
** Greg was indeed lying, and Jack even questions him about the story he told with his sister's cat. ("You told me you had a sister; you said you ''milked'' your sister's cat.") This scene however is often cut on television.
** A further example, from the third movie, is the fact that Jack says he needs Greg to take over as head of the family, completely omitting to mention his own son, Denny Byrnes, from the first movie. Ironicaly, Denny's name and picture can be seen on a genealogy chart in the beginning of the movie. Then again, Jack may consider Denny a delinquent due to his marijuana use in the first film and not trust him as head of the family.
* CatsAreMean
* CensoredTitle: Some movie reviews called the second movie ''Meet the F*** ers'' (which, oddly enough, made the title seem worse than it actually was).
* CloserToEarth: Played straight with the Byrneses; Dina is far more sane and rational than Jack. Averted elsewhere, though. Greg, despite being a klutz, is otherwise a fairly level-headed guy and on par with Pam in terms of overall intelligence and sanity. As for Bernie and Roz Focker, they're ''both'' [[CloudCuckoolander pretty loopy]].
* ConflictBall: And how!
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: see above.
* DeadPetSketch: With a cat.
* DisasterDominoes: In the first film, the cat gets loose and starts walking around on the roof. When Greg tries to chase him down, one wrong step leads to another, eventually setting his Pam's sister's wedding gazebo on fire.
* EmbarrassingFirstName: Greg's real first name is Gaylord. His parents also call him "Gay". What sort of parents call their son Gaylord Focker? Hippies, of course.
* EmbarrassingMiddleName: Female married name variant - in ''Meet The Parents'', Jack and his wife Dina realize if/when Pam marries Greg, their daughter would be Pamela Martha Focker. Once again, this gets called back in ''Meet The Fockers'':
-->'''Pam Byrnes:''' No! After next month, I am going to be Pamela Martha Focker. I... I know how that sounds but I don't care!
** Also doubles as a [[TheMaidenNameDebate The Maiden Name Debate]]
* EthnicMenialLabor: ''Meet The Fockers'' has Isabel, the Fockers' former housekeeper who runs a catering business. When she was working for the titular family, main character Greg lost his virginity to her. She also has a son, which leads to Jack (the father of Greg's fiancee Pam) trying to find out if Greg is the father of said son. [[spoiler: He isn't.]]
* FromTheMouthsOfBabes: During ''Meet The Fockers'', Little Jack (Jack's grandson and Pam's nephew) ends up learning the word "asshole" after Greg accidentally mentions the word in front of him.
* InnocentSwearing: Little Jack repeating the word "asshole".
* {{Irony}}: Even though Jack is one of the best examples of a Knight Templar Parent, his favorite song is the one that exemplifies childlike innocence: "Puff, the Magic Dragon."
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The Focker family name, and the titles ''Meet the Fockers'' and ''Little Fockers'' blatantly play on this trope.
** The trailer for the first movie pronounced it "foke-er;" with the sequels this wasn't really an option.
** Clearly, they're just related to the Fokker aircraft company in Germany. <whistles nonchalantly>
* GeniusDitz: Andi Garcia, JessicaAlba's character from ''Little Fokkers'' is [[GenkiGirl permanently perky]], peppers her speech with ValleyGirl like expressions and ''would'' come across as just an [[BrainlessBeauty immature party-girl airhead]] if it wasn't for her demontrasting that she is also a highly skilled nurse in a couple of early scenes.
* HappilyMarried: Bernie and Roz Focker, to the point that the level-headed Dinah is secretly jealous that they have such a successful sex life at their age.
* KafkaKomedy: Both movies revel in being this.
* KarmaHoudini: In the third movie, Andi Garcia [[spoiler:drunkenly forces herself onto Greg while at his house, despite knowing that he's married and he objects.]] She never gets her comeuppance for it; she doesn't even get fired, despite acting unprofessional for the entire movie.
* KnightTemplarParent: This describes Jack Byrnes to a T.
* {{Large Ham}}s: The Koshers - er, Fockers, oh damn.
* LawfulStupid: The airline employees, particularly the one who makes Greg wait until his row gets called for boarding... ''even though he's the only person waiting to be called''.
* LetHerGrowUpDear: Pam's mom is definitely more supportive of her relationship with Gaylord than Jack ever will be.
* LieDetector: In ''Meet The Parents'', Jack hooks Greg up to one in order to find out about his past. This scene was heavily used to promote the film.
* LivingLieDetector: Jack places his thumbs on Greg's wrists as an impromptu lie detector in their last major scene.
** Which may border on to DidNotDoTheResearch as using your thumbs to take a person's pulse is not correct; your thumb has it's own pulse and thus may give a false reading.
*** Some have speculated that Jack was counting on Greg not knowing that, and getting distracted from hiding other signs that he's lying. Though he'd already learned that Greg aced the MCATs.
* LukeIMightBeYourFather: See EthnicMenialLabor above.
* TheMaidenNameDebate: At the end of the first movie, Pam's parents note that taking Greg's name would result in [[UnfortunateNames Pamela Martha Focker]] [[DontExplainTheJoke (sounds like motherf* cker people)]]. In the second movie, Pam confirms that she will indeed take Greg's name, she doesn't care how embarassing it may sound.
* MDEnvy: Inverted; although Greg scored top marks in medical school, he chose to be a male nurse so he could spend more time with patients. Jack and the rest of the Byrnes family (which include several doctors themselves) grill him on why he just didn't become a doctor and even refuse to believe he passed his MCAT with top marks.
* MistakenForCheating: One of the plot points of the third film.
* MistakenForGay: The headmistress of the school in the third film mistakes Greg and Jack for being married.
* MoneyDearBoy: De Niro's [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/nov/04/robert-de-niro explanation]] for making ''Little Fockers''.
* MsFanservice: Jessica Alba shows a lot in ''Little Fockers''. [[YourMileageMayVary For some people this is the only tolerable aspect of the movie]] (that and [[HeReallyCanAct her being one of the few cast members]] [[YourMileageMayVary who actually makes some effort]]).
* OlderAndWiser: Greg by the third movie, able to stand up for himself against Jack's usual misunderstandings.
* OverlyLongGag - see Punny Name below.
** "Are you prepared to be... the Godfocker?" "The Godfocker." "Yes. The Godfocker." "I'm not sure I like the name 'The Godfocker'".
* OverprotectiveDad
* ParentalMarriageVeto
* PlotSensitiveLatch: Gregs suitcase gets lost in-flight. A suitcase is found matching the description and delivered to him (at the parents of his girlfriend). He attempts to open it but can't and leaves for the day, leaving his prospective father-in-law alone at the house. Being former CIA he opens it easily and finds it full of fetish and bondage gear and sex toys.
* PrecisionFStrike: "Ass...oooole..."
* PunnyName: Mo Focker, an unseen relative. A conversation between Jack and Greg reveals that's not the extent of it, either:
-->'''Greg Focker''': You meet some of the... eh... some of the cousins?\\
'''Jack Byrnes''': I met some, yes. I met some... Dom?\\
'''Greg Focker''': Yeah, Dom Focker, that's my dad's... uh... first cousin. You meet his kids, Randy and Orny?
* PutOnABus: The first scene we see of Bernie Focker is him taking dance classes... in Spain. It seems this will be his only appearance in the film... [[SubvertedTrope until he makes a surprise return home in the second half of the movie.]]
** Originally, Dustin Hoffman could not agree to work on the film due to disagreements with the production studio on the scope of his role... but this changed, thanks to negotiations that included [[MoneyDearBoy a bigger paycheck]].
* RealJokeName: In ''Little Fockers'', we are treated to the female character "Andi Garcia."
--> '''Greg''': [[LampshadeHanging I thought you'd have, you know, a little more stubble.]]
* Running Gag. At the end of each film. At the end of the first two Jack views a video of Greg ragging on him via "hidden" camera. At the end of the third film Jack views a Youtube video of Greg talking about Jack at a seminar and basically Reiterating the crazy antics Jack pulled in the first two films.
* SadistShow: The basis of the humor in the movies is that [[CosmicPlaything the universe seems to hate]] Greg Focker. Also, his new father-in-law is a [[ManipulativeBastard sadist]] who refuses to let Greg ever come out of something looking good. Even his cat is a bastard.
* SequelHook: In the ''third'' film, no less. [[spoiler:Both Greg and Pam's parents announce at a Christmas gathering that they plan on moving next door.]]
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: The attitude expressed by Jack and (to a lesser extent) Dina after they see the "Wall of Gaylord" put together by Bernie and Roz.
* SequelNonEntity: Pam's sister Debbie isn't in the second film, even the wedding (though she is obviously mentioned because Little Jack is her son). Possibly a case of RealLifeWritesThePlot, as Debbie's actress Nicole [=DeHuff=] died of pneumonia in early 2005 and she may have been too ill to return to the role.
* ShownTheirWork: The human lie detector was debunked, due to info on the pulse. However another aspect of lie detecting was still in play. When Jack administers the test, he looks at Greg in the eyes. While Greg looks away a few moments, Jack still keeps his eyes focused on Greg's. This is based off of a popular fact that if you look to the left while answering a question, you are lying. The left side of the brain has been known as the creative side while the right side is the thinking side. Looking to the left means you are coming up with some BS story.
* SoundtrackDissonance: In one scene Stephen Trask's score turns surprisingly twinkly and airy, as if it's accompanying a fantasy movie rather than Andi giving a male patient an anal insertion - Trask is director Paul Weitz's composer of choice, which is why (unlike the first two films) this was not scored by RandyNewman.
* SuddenlyEthnicity: Amusingly played with in the third film. Jack has been studying the Byrnes family genealogy and while they seem to be mostly of Irish descent, Bernie and Roz do a little research of their own [[spoiler: and discover that Jack is "one twenty third" Jewish. They proudly present him with a yarmulke for Christmas.]]
* TemptingFate: The second movie begins with Greg catching an extraordinary number of lucky breaks. He should've known it was too good to last...
* TorosYFlamenco: Spain in the third movie.
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The reveal of Jack being ex-CIA would've been funnier if it wasn't stated outright in trailers for the movie.
** They also played up Jack watching Greg doing silly kung fu moves to his hidden camera, which is the film's ''last'' scene.
** There isn't much theatrical trailer ''doesn't'' give away.
* TruthSerums: Jack injects Greg with one of these in ''Meet The Fockers'' to get him to admit that Greg is the father of the Fockers' old housekeeper's son. It causes Greg to make an ass of himself in front of both families, but [[spoiler:he wasn't actually the father]].
* TwerpSweating: A good part of the premise of ''Meet The Parents'' was RobertDeNiro blurring the line between TwerpSweating and PerpSweating.
* UnFavorite: With Grandkids. Jack picks the bright (and slightly psychotic) Samantha as his favorite to the lonely and somewhat dim Henry. He claims this is because Samantha likely has more of Pam's genes than Greg's, and is therefore "less of a Focker."
* UnfortunateNames: Gaylord Focker.
** Pam's married name: Pamela Martha Focker.
* WackyMarriageProposal: Greg plans one at the start of the movie.
* WatchThePaintJob: Subverted in ''Little Fockers''. As construction is taking place in Greg's back yard, Kevin shows up in a Tesla and parks curbside. As Greg backs a dump truck full of sand out of the driveway, [[spoiler:he doesn't hit the Tesla, but instead empties the sand onto Jack.]]
* WeddingDay: Greg and Pam finally do get married after two entire movies' worth of hijinks trying to thwart them.
* [[WeHaventLearnedAnythingYet We Haven't Learned Anything Yet]]: The lie detector scene.
* [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude Who Names Their Kid Gaylord]]: Only hippies. Pam's brother has a good laugh when he asks the trope.
* YoureDrinkingBreastMilk: Happens to Greg in ''Meet the Fockers''.
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-->'''Pam Byrnes:''' What's the matter, sweetie? Can't sleep?
-->'''Greg Focker:''' No, no. I was just going over my answers to the polygraph test your dad just gave me.
''Meet The Parents'' is a 2000 KafkaKomedy that is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. It starred BenStiller as Greg Focker, Terri Polo as Pam, and RobertDeNiro as Pam's dad Jack. It led to two sequels: ''Meet The Fockers'' in 2004, and ''Little Fockers'' in 2010.
'''''Meet The Parents''''' -- Male nurse Gaylord "Greg" Focker attempts to propose to his schoolteacher girlfriend Pam Byrnes, but before he can, Pam gets invited to her sister's wedding. Greg agrees to go along, seeing it as an opportunity to impress her family. However, Pam's [[KnightTemplarParent Knight Templar Father]] Jack, an ex-CIA operative, is immediately suspicious of Greg and spends the weekend grilling him on any undesirable elements in his background.
Greg's situation is further complicated by a series of attempts to impress Pam's family backfiring on him, mostly involving little lies that lead to bigger ones until he looks like a complete jackass. It escalates to the point where he gets kicked out of the Byrnes' home. Ultimately, Pam manages to convince her father that she loves Greg and despite the bad first impression it was all because he loves her. After another grilling session, Jack's contempt for Greg dissipates... for the most part.
'''''Meet The Fockers''''' -- In a reversal of the first film, Pam and her parents join Greg in meeting his parents, Bernie and Roz (DustinHoffman and BarbraStreisand respectively), before Greg and Pam get married. While Greg is thoroughly embarrassed by his parents' behavior, Jack once again is suspicious of him after learning certain elements of Greg's past and goes even more extreme lengths to prove what he suspects of Greg. Ultimately, everything works out, as Greg and Pam get married and the Fockers even help to bring back some passion into the Byrnes' marriage.
Both films, despite their success, has a YourMileageMayVary on how much you enjoy them thanks to the CringeComedy as well as the somewhat off-color humor throughout. The first film was a sociopathic-based comedy with a fairly predictable premise, and the second movie is still funny with the premise moving in a bit of a different direction.
'''''Little Fockers''''' - Set a few years after the second film, this movie goes around the planning of the birthday party for the Focker twins, a new heart-condition found of Jack, and Greg getting a new job in order to get money for his children's education.
Jack is afraid that Greg plans to leave Pam, so he studies him. Meanwhile, Greg's new job associate (played by JessicaAlba) seems to be interested in him; and Pam's old boyfriend seems obsessed with her again.
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!!These movies provides examples of:
* AesopAmnesia: In both ''Meet the Fockers'' and ''Little Fockers'', Jack has to learn to trust, let alone like, Greg all over again.
* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: The Fockers
* AshesToCrashes
* BourgeoisBohemian: The Fockers.
* ButtMonkey: Greg. And how. He cannot catch a break on ''anything'' and is the subject of most of the series' slapstick.
* TheCanKickedHim: In ''Meet The Fockers'', the Bynes' cat Jynx (who knows how to use a toilet) flushes the Fockers' dog, Moses.
* CanonDiscontinuity: In the first movie, Greg mentions having milked his sister's cat, but in the sequel, his parents state that he's an only child. This is {{lampshade}}d in ''MadMagazine's'' parody of the sequel.
** Two possibilities: 1. Greg was fibbing after all. 2. His parents also may be lying. At least, his father, in this hypothetical case.
** Greg was indeed lying, and Jack even questions him about the story he told with his sister's cat. ("You told me you had a sister; you said you ''milked'' your sister's cat.") This scene however is often cut on television.
** A further example, from the third movie, is the fact that Jack says he needs Greg to take over as head of the family, completely omitting to mention his own son, Denny Byrnes, from the first movie. Ironicaly, Denny's name and picture can be seen on a genealogy chart in the beginning of the movie. Then again, Jack may consider Denny a delinquent due to his marijuana use in the first film and not trust him as head of the family.
* CatsAreMean
* CensoredTitle: Some movie reviews called the second movie ''Meet the F*** ers'' (which, oddly enough, made the title seem worse than it actually was).
* CloserToEarth: Played straight with the Byrneses; Dina is far more sane and rational than Jack. Averted elsewhere, though. Greg, despite being a klutz, is otherwise a fairly level-headed guy and on par with Pam in terms of overall intelligence and sanity. As for Bernie and Roz Focker, they're ''both'' [[CloudCuckoolander pretty loopy]].
* ConflictBall: And how!
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: see above.
* DeadPetSketch: With a cat.
* DisasterDominoes: In the first film, the cat gets loose and starts walking around on the roof. When Greg tries to chase him down, one wrong step leads to another, eventually setting his Pam's sister's wedding gazebo on fire.
* EmbarrassingFirstName: Greg's real first name is Gaylord. His parents also call him "Gay". What sort of parents call their son Gaylord Focker? Hippies, of course.
* EmbarrassingMiddleName: Female married name variant - in ''Meet The Parents'', Jack and his wife Dina realize if/when Pam marries Greg, their daughter would be Pamela Martha Focker. Once again, this gets called back in ''Meet The Fockers'':
-->'''Pam Byrnes:''' No! After next month, I am going to be Pamela Martha Focker. I... I know how that sounds but I don't care!
** Also doubles as a [[TheMaidenNameDebate The Maiden Name Debate]]
* EthnicMenialLabor: ''Meet The Fockers'' has Isabel, the Fockers' former housekeeper who runs a catering business. When she was working for the titular family, main character Greg lost his virginity to her. She also has a son, which leads to Jack (the father of Greg's fiancee Pam) trying to find out if Greg is the father of said son. [[spoiler: He isn't.]]
* FromTheMouthsOfBabes: During ''Meet The Fockers'', Little Jack (Jack's grandson and Pam's nephew) ends up learning the word "asshole" after Greg accidentally mentions the word in front of him.
* InnocentSwearing: Little Jack repeating the word "asshole".
* {{Irony}}: Even though Jack is one of the best examples of a Knight Templar Parent, his favorite song is the one that exemplifies childlike innocence: "Puff, the Magic Dragon."
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The Focker family name, and the titles ''Meet the Fockers'' and ''Little Fockers'' blatantly play on this trope.
** The trailer for the first movie pronounced it "foke-er;" with the sequels this wasn't really an option.
** Clearly, they're just related to the Fokker aircraft company in Germany. <whistles nonchalantly>
* GeniusDitz: Andi Garcia, JessicaAlba's character from ''Little Fokkers'' is [[GenkiGirl permanently perky]], peppers her speech with ValleyGirl like expressions and ''would'' come across as just an [[BrainlessBeauty immature party-girl airhead]] if it wasn't for her demontrasting that she is also a highly skilled nurse in a couple of early scenes.
* HappilyMarried: Bernie and Roz Focker, to the point that the level-headed Dinah is secretly jealous that they have such a successful sex life at their age.
* KafkaKomedy: Both movies revel in being this.
* KarmaHoudini: In the third movie, Andi Garcia [[spoiler:drunkenly forces herself onto Greg while at his house, despite knowing that he's married and he objects.]] She never gets her comeuppance for it; she doesn't even get fired, despite acting unprofessional for the entire movie.
* KnightTemplarParent: This describes Jack Byrnes to a T.
* {{Large Ham}}s: The Koshers - er, Fockers, oh damn.
* LawfulStupid: The airline employees, particularly the one who makes Greg wait until his row gets called for boarding... ''even though he's the only person waiting to be called''.
* LetHerGrowUpDear: Pam's mom is definitely more supportive of her relationship with Gaylord than Jack ever will be.
* LieDetector: In ''Meet The Parents'', Jack hooks Greg up to one in order to find out about his past. This scene was heavily used to promote the film.
* LivingLieDetector: Jack places his thumbs on Greg's wrists as an impromptu lie detector in their last major scene.
** Which may border on to DidNotDoTheResearch as using your thumbs to take a person's pulse is not correct; your thumb has it's own pulse and thus may give a false reading.
*** Some have speculated that Jack was counting on Greg not knowing that, and getting distracted from hiding other signs that he's lying. Though he'd already learned that Greg aced the MCATs.
* LukeIMightBeYourFather: See EthnicMenialLabor above.
* TheMaidenNameDebate: At the end of the first movie, Pam's parents note that taking Greg's name would result in [[UnfortunateNames Pamela Martha Focker]] [[DontExplainTheJoke (sounds like motherf* cker people)]]. In the second movie, Pam confirms that she will indeed take Greg's name, she doesn't care how embarassing it may sound.
* MDEnvy: Inverted; although Greg scored top marks in medical school, he chose to be a male nurse so he could spend more time with patients. Jack and the rest of the Byrnes family (which include several doctors themselves) grill him on why he just didn't become a doctor and even refuse to believe he passed his MCAT with top marks.
* MistakenForCheating: One of the plot points of the third film.
* MistakenForGay: The headmistress of the school in the third film mistakes Greg and Jack for being married.
* MoneyDearBoy: De Niro's [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/nov/04/robert-de-niro explanation]] for making ''Little Fockers''.
* MsFanservice: Jessica Alba shows a lot in ''Little Fockers''. [[YourMileageMayVary For some people this is the only tolerable aspect of the movie]] (that and [[HeReallyCanAct her being one of the few cast members]] [[YourMileageMayVary who actually makes some effort]]).
* OlderAndWiser: Greg by the third movie, able to stand up for himself against Jack's usual misunderstandings.
* OverlyLongGag - see Punny Name below.
** "Are you prepared to be... the Godfocker?" "The Godfocker." "Yes. The Godfocker." "I'm not sure I like the name 'The Godfocker'".
* OverprotectiveDad
* ParentalMarriageVeto
* PlotSensitiveLatch: Gregs suitcase gets lost in-flight. A suitcase is found matching the description and delivered to him (at the parents of his girlfriend). He attempts to open it but can't and leaves for the day, leaving his prospective father-in-law alone at the house. Being former CIA he opens it easily and finds it full of fetish and bondage gear and sex toys.
* PrecisionFStrike: "Ass...oooole..."
* PunnyName: Mo Focker, an unseen relative. A conversation between Jack and Greg reveals that's not the extent of it, either:
-->'''Greg Focker''': You meet some of the... eh... some of the cousins?\\
'''Jack Byrnes''': I met some, yes. I met some... Dom?\\
'''Greg Focker''': Yeah, Dom Focker, that's my dad's... uh... first cousin. You meet his kids, Randy and Orny?
* PutOnABus: The first scene we see of Bernie Focker is him taking dance classes... in Spain. It seems this will be his only appearance in the film... [[SubvertedTrope until he makes a surprise return home in the second half of the movie.]]
** Originally, Dustin Hoffman could not agree to work on the film due to disagreements with the production studio on the scope of his role... but this changed, thanks to negotiations that included [[MoneyDearBoy a bigger paycheck]].
* RealJokeName: In ''Little Fockers'', we are treated to the female character "Andi Garcia."
--> '''Greg''': [[LampshadeHanging I thought you'd have, you know, a little more stubble.]]
* Running Gag. At the end of each film. At the end of the first two Jack views a video of Greg ragging on him via "hidden" camera. At the end of the third film Jack views a Youtube video of Greg talking about Jack at a seminar and basically Reiterating the crazy antics Jack pulled in the first two films.
* SadistShow: The basis of the humor in the movies is that [[CosmicPlaything the universe seems to hate]] Greg Focker. Also, his new father-in-law is a [[ManipulativeBastard sadist]] who refuses to let Greg ever come out of something looking good. Even his cat is a bastard.
* SequelHook: In the ''third'' film, no less. [[spoiler:Both Greg and Pam's parents announce at a Christmas gathering that they plan on moving next door.]]
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: The attitude expressed by Jack and (to a lesser extent) Dina after they see the "Wall of Gaylord" put together by Bernie and Roz.
* SequelNonEntity: Pam's sister Debbie isn't in the second film, even the wedding (though she is obviously mentioned because Little Jack is her son). Possibly a case of RealLifeWritesThePlot, as Debbie's actress Nicole [=DeHuff=] died of pneumonia in early 2005 and she may have been too ill to return to the role.
* ShownTheirWork: The human lie detector was debunked, due to info on the pulse. However another aspect of lie detecting was still in play. When Jack administers the test, he looks at Greg in the eyes. While Greg looks away a few moments, Jack still keeps his eyes focused on Greg's. This is based off of a popular fact that if you look to the left while answering a question, you are lying. The left side of the brain has been known as the creative side while the right side is the thinking side. Looking to the left means you are coming up with some BS story.
* SoundtrackDissonance: In one scene Stephen Trask's score turns surprisingly twinkly and airy, as if it's accompanying a fantasy movie rather than Andi giving a male patient an anal insertion - Trask is director Paul Weitz's composer of choice, which is why (unlike the first two films) this was not scored by RandyNewman.
* SuddenlyEthnicity: Amusingly played with in the third film. Jack has been studying the Byrnes family genealogy and while they seem to be mostly of Irish descent, Bernie and Roz do a little research of their own [[spoiler: and discover that Jack is "one twenty third" Jewish. They proudly present him with a yarmulke for Christmas.]]
* TemptingFate: The second movie begins with Greg catching an extraordinary number of lucky breaks. He should've known it was too good to last...
* TorosYFlamenco: Spain in the third movie.
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The reveal of Jack being ex-CIA would've been funnier if it wasn't stated outright in trailers for the movie.
** They also played up Jack watching Greg doing silly kung fu moves to his hidden camera, which is the film's ''last'' scene.
** There isn't much theatrical trailer ''doesn't'' give away.
* TruthSerums: Jack injects Greg with one of these in ''Meet The Fockers'' to get him to admit that Greg is the father of the Fockers' old housekeeper's son. It causes Greg to make an ass of himself in front of both families, but [[spoiler:he wasn't actually the father]].
* TwerpSweating: A good part of the premise of ''Meet The Parents'' was RobertDeNiro blurring the line between TwerpSweating and PerpSweating.
* UnFavorite: With Grandkids. Jack picks the bright (and slightly psychotic) Samantha as his favorite to the lonely and somewhat dim Henry. He claims this is because Samantha likely has more of Pam's genes than Greg's, and is therefore "less of a Focker."
* UnfortunateNames: Gaylord Focker.
** Pam's married name: Pamela Martha Focker.
* WackyMarriageProposal: Greg plans one at the start of the movie.
* WatchThePaintJob: Subverted in ''Little Fockers''. As construction is taking place in Greg's back yard, Kevin shows up in a Tesla and parks curbside. As Greg backs a dump truck full of sand out of the driveway, [[spoiler:he doesn't hit the Tesla, but instead empties the sand onto Jack.]]
* WeddingDay: Greg and Pam finally do get married after two entire movies' worth of hijinks trying to thwart them.
* [[WeHaventLearnedAnythingYet We Haven't Learned Anything Yet]]: The lie detector scene.
* [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude Who Names Their Kid Gaylord]]: Only hippies. Pam's brother has a good laugh when he asks the trope.
* YoureDrinkingBreastMilk: Happens to Greg in ''Meet the Fockers''.
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