With an all-star cast featuring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller, to a script packed with jokes, and a fresh take on modern family dynamics, Meet the Parents became an instant comedy classic. The awkward charm of Greg Focker, the unforgettable one-liners, and De Niro’s stone-faced delivery all helped cement the film’s place in pop culture history. But of course, Hollywood couldn’t leave a mega-hit like this alone. After the massive success of Meet the Parents, studios doubled down with Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers, sequels that failed to capture the same comedic magic and nearly destroyed the legacy of one of the funniest comedies of its era. Now, looking down the barrel of a 4th installment, we have to ask what exactly went wrong with the Meet the Parents franchise?