Despite the 'hard man' image he's made himself through those psycho roles in the movies, and in real life by is unapproachable manner, Bob De Niro can do comedy and he can do it well. If you've seen the great 'Midnight Run' you'll know what I'm talking about, it's a good eighties buddies on the run movie, with De Niro on top form and cracking the funnies, as the bounty hunter who's really a 'big softie' at heart. Not only that but a great parody of his infamous 'mobster persona' in 'Analyze This' provides a lot of laughs, but this is possibly finest comic performance.

Not only do we have Bob cracking the funnies, but also the film is graced with the presence of a comic master, in the form of Ben Stiller ('Something About Mary' and 'Mystery Men'). Stiller is a cracking comic actor and the perfect sympathetic geek foil to De Niro's pscycho over-protective Dad.  We have 'The Bob and Ben show', so all the ingredients are in place for a cracking comedy.

'Meet the Parents' has the ideal plot as well, with the unfortunately named Greg Focker (Stiller) said as it's pronounced, going away with his girlfriend, Pam, for the weekend to 'meet the parents' so he can ask Jack (De Niro) for his daughter's hand in marraige. This should all go swimmingly, according to Pam, as her parents will love him because he's such a nice bloke and it's the weekend of her sister's wedding so everybody will be in a great mood. She couldn't be more wrong, as for poor Greg, disaster after disaster happens at the expense of his girlfriend's family and they're all caused by him. This leads to a weekend to remember but for all the wrong reasons.

The film is an absolute riot and all the comic scenes are exceptionally funny, if a little over-familiar if you've seen any of the trailers doing the rounds at the moment. The only slight problem is that in between the obvious funny bits the film stutters along very slowly and it's only when another gag 'kicks in', things get back on track. This is only a slipe gripe however as you literally be having to hold on to your sides to stop the pain, as 'Meet the Parents' will make you laugh so much that A&E may have to be an option afterwards.

With a fine supporting cast, never tiresome gags that run throughout the film (such as Greg Focker's unfortunate name), slapstick humour, huge success in the States and a great leading duo of De Niro and Stiller, 'Meet the Parents' can't fail. This is definitely 'the' film to see for Christmas, you can take your parents and yer young sis/bro, if they don't mind a bit of bad language, but just don't go with your girlfriend/boyfriend's parents...might be a bit embarrassing.