'In-Laws' should seek immediate annulment

The In-Laws" is Michael Douglas' second attempt this year at a movie about dads coming to terms with fatherhood following the deplorable "It Runs in the Family." While "Family" was exceedingly slow and overly serious, "The In-Laws" approaches the topic in a much sillier and unbelievable form.\nDouglas plays Steve Tobias, a (possible) CIA agent whose son (Ryan Reynolds) is getting married to the daughter of a podiatrist named Jerry Peyser (Albert Brooks.) Where Steve is a father who was never there for his son, Jerry is the complete opposite, controlling many aspects of his daughter's life. When the two finally meet, Jerry gets caught up with Steve's mission to apprehend a missing Russian nuclear submarine, while at the same time trying to balance fatherhood and the wedding. \nBasically, the film really just isn't very funny with many of the jokes falling flat. Is an alcoholic bridesmaid supposed to be funny? Or when the FBI crashes the bachelorette party, the bride (Lindsay Sloane) says, "I thought they were strippers," but until then the scene was played seriously causing few to laugh.\nThe biggest problem is that while it is a comedy, "The In-Laws" treads too much into the spy genre, which weighs down the humor. This leads to the cast not taking some of storyline seriously. Brooks and Douglas do get some laughs, though, while doing their best odd couple impressions. But Brooks, as the cleaner, neurotic one is played off as a running gay joke parading around with thongs and fanny packs. (Also, Candice Bergen gives her luke-warm two cents as Steve's ex-wife.) Reynolds, who has shown his comedic potential through the film "Van Wilder," is given very little to do, and normally plays second fiddle to the likes of Douglas and Bergen. He gets all too few moments to shine when onscreen by himself or with Sloane. \nFinally, the movie isn't anything new by any means (it's a remake after all). And everything is wrapped up a little too nicely in the end. At this point, everything in the movie can be seen coming from a mile away. When it does happen, it is hard to believe that even the characters are taken by surprise.