--- title: "Meet the Parents: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/meet-the-parents/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/meet-the-parents" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Meet the Parents (2000): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 10 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Meet the Parents a reliably funny mainstream comedy, with praise centred on the performances and Jay Roach’s handling of mounting embarrassment. Robert De Niro draws the most consistent approval for his controlled comic performance as the suspicious father, while Ben Stiller earns credit for keeping the increasingly beleaguered Greg recognisably human. The favourable reviews value both the escalating farce and the quieter observations, finding that the cast gives familiar situations enough precision to make them work. Reservations concern predictable material, sentimentality and a resolution that some find flat. The spread is fairly wide, though the available verdicts lean clearly positive. The Guardian offers the clearest dissent, admiring the actors’ technical skill and individual funny lines but finding that the film never quite comes to life. Two of the supplied reviews lack enough visible commentary to establish their reasons for reservation or approval. ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2000. McCarthy praises the film as a flat-out hilarious, well-paced mainstream comedy. He singles out Robert De Niro’s comic performance and Jay Roach’s timing for particular praise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/meet-the-parents-2-1200464117/) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Nathan finds the film a consistently funny, refreshing crowdpleaser, despite a somewhat flat resolution. He especially praises Robert De Niro’s controlled comic performance and Jay Roach’s escalating farce. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/meet-parents-review/) ## Time Out — NF Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). The review presents the film as consistently hilarious and a successful change of pace for Jay Roach. It praises the film’s astute observations and subtle performances. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/meet-the-parents-1) ## Radio Times — Lorien Haynes Rating 4/5. The review finds that the cast lifts the comedy above predictable material. It praises Stiller’s human, realistic performance and De Niro’s gravitas. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-4h7mdr/meet-the-parents/) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 15 December 2000. The review calls the film a slick, rewatchable comedy that is painfully funny, though sentimentality keeps it from a top rating. It praises Robert De Niro’s gleefully grotesque performance as the suspicious father. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/meet-the-parents-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3/4. 6 October 2000. Ebert finds the comedy entertaining, with awkward situations that build effectively. He particularly praises Ben Stiller’s performance as the increasingly beleaguered Greg. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/meet-the-parents-2000) ## Screen Daily — Mike Goodridge Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2000. The visible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also provides no praise or complaint to summarize. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/meet-the-parents/403797.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2000. The review's verdict cannot be determined from the available page. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the supplied text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/06/movies/film-review-so-you-re-the-lunkhead-who-wants-daddy-s-girl.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2000. Bradshaw finds the comedy amiable and watchable but ultimately less than the sum of its parts. He praises the actors’ technical work and funny lines, while criticizing the film for never quite coming to life. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/dec/15/culture.reviews) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2001. The critic finds the comedy of manners effective, with its farce best when kept understated. They single out De Niro’s restrained performance as funny without becoming over-the-top. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/meet-the-parents-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/meet-the-parents.md