Saturday Sequel Presents Analyze That

By Paul Anthony

In Hollywood we know if the movie makes money then there will be a sequel of some sort regardless if it is a true sequel, prequel or even a reboot. Once the film makes money regardless if the story ends we know there will be a sequel. Analyze This was big hit comedy starring Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal and Lisa Kudrow, who most likely reached her peak of popularity because of her show Friends. Not to mention the film was directed by the Late Harold Ramis. the Movie became a hit and grossed nearly 180 million off of a budget that could have been around 50 million give or take. The story of the film seemed to pretty much end it right there. However 3 years later we got a sequel titled Analyze That. The entire cast did return for this film so you would think magic can happen again. Sadly at least according the numbers it did not. The budget was 60 million and the film only grossed 55 million which closed the door on part. Was the movie really that bad though?

Well the plot goes like this, Paul Vitti catches wind that someone wants him dead, despite the fact that he had retired. Knowing that he is no longer safe he decides to pretend go crazy to get out of prison. Making people believe that he has gone crazy because of prison they decide to release him to Sobel, who did diagnose him but no surprise to Sobel soon as they leave prison, Vitti snaps on him with not getting him out sooner. He tells Sobel someone is trying to kill him and he will find out soon. Problem is Sobel is in charge of him and must get him to go 100 percent clean or else Sobel will be charged. Right off the bat things get rocky when Vitti brings his girlfriend over and they have sex but only to argue in the morning when Sobel has guest. Vitti goes through job after job when he uses his gangster approach. However does find a job as an advisor on a mob show. The family that he retired from doesn’t fully believe he is retired and fears that he might want the family back. Old habits die hard because Vitti is planning an heist, it is revealed that another family does want him dead and even his new family boss wants him to be watched like a hawk. Vitti plans go through and they get the gold and even trap some of the other family’s goons for the police to catch. Vitti and Sobel meet up in the morning and decide to part ways as friends and go their own ways.

With the cast returning you would think the comedy would be there, but this time around I caught myself just being annoyed at the jokes and not laughing. When a story ends it is hard to make up a new one, sometimes a new story doesn’t make sense, this was the case with this film. One and done could have been better. I’m not saying this was a horrible film but it wasn’t a good film. In the end, it felt like an average film. Because of that I am giving it a C for a grade.