Do you know why big time icons like Babs and Robert DeNiro do movies with Seth Rogen and Ben Stiller? It's not just the audience. It's about mass appeal. Rogen and Stiller appeal to a certain crowd that Babs and Bobby wouldn't be able to reach on their own. So playing their sidekick makes perfect sense. I'm 36 so I was a wee baby when Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Godfather came out. But I tell you this the Meet the Parents franchise I know Robert DeNiro. Being openly gay I KNOW Barbra Streisand of course, but Seth Rogens fans probably don't...they will now.
Not only is Babs phenom in this movie as the overbearing, smothering, nosey mother which she plays to PERFECTION, but you wanna see what she does in every scene. How Seth can stand being around her. Joyce played by Barbra is a well-meaning mother to Andy played by Rogen. But something has to give right? And when Andy finally loses his shit on her he says exactly what the audience has been thinking. What you aren't prepared for is what she says back. That shocked me. My ONLY caveat with this film is in her big moment she doesn't explain why she's like this. Kind of but not fully. Her speech had me laugh outloud and I may have thought "YOU GO JOYCE" but I wanted more of a background I guess to understand her.
This is one of those movies you laugh from beginning to end. There is a reason not mentioned in the trailer why he invites her along and I personally enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. One of those movies where you want a sequel OR a mom like Joyce. Either way very funny movie. I highly recommend especially around the holidays!