The In-Laws Details

The gap between an original movie and its remake is closing, as this unnecessary reworking of the 1979 Peter Falk/Alan Arkin comedy demonstrates. Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks take over as, respectively, a secret agent and a nervy medical professional — a dentist in the first film, now, for whatever reason, a podiatrist — who are united by the impending marriage of their offspring. Once Brooks has accidentally rumbled Douglas's true profession, he becomes involved in a madcap mission which involves being taken along to a crucial meeting with nutty French arms dealer David Suchet. Candice Bergen and Robin Tunney are among the supporting cast but are sorely under-used because, after all, this is very much a boy's day out. Unfortunately, the underwritten and overplayed film relies solely on Douglas and Brooks for comic momentum but the partnership eventually cracks under the strain.

Meet the parents: Dr Jerome Peyser is relatively comfortable with his daughter's forthcoming marriage, until he finally... read more on Time Out