Robert DeNiro sings show tunes and Billy Crystal over-medicates
on echinacea in
”
Analyze That,
”
a different kind of
”
family
”
film currently playing at Premiere Cinemas.
Robert DeNiro sings show tunes and Billy Crystal over-medicates on echinacea in “Analyze That,” a different kind of “family” film currently playing at Premiere Cinemas.
DeNiro and Crystal team up again in this amusing sequel to the 1999 hit “Analyze This.”
Although”That” is not as funny as “This,” anyone who enjoyed the first movie, will like the second one.
The strength of this one-hour and 35-minute sequel is still the cast and the almost palpable warmth between its members.
It’s almost worth the price of a ticket just to see De Niro, whose deadpan gangster lampoon is one of the movie’s high points. However, while De Niro sparkles, the rest of the cast – including Crystal, Lisa Kudrow, and Joe Viterelli as “Jelly” – deliver some really solid support performances
While I enjoyed this movie, I have to admit that I expected a little bit more from director Harold Ramis, who has been responsible, for a host of hilarious movies that include “Ghostbusters” (which he co-wrote) and “Groundhog Day” (which he co-wrote and directed).
The plot in “That,” although thin, is easy to follow. The movie picks up several years after “Analyze This” leaves off.
Mob boss Paul Vitti ( DeNiro) is in prison and afraid that someone is trying to “whack” him, he pretends to have a nervous breakdown. This results in his alternately singing show tunes and falling into a catatonic state.
Psychiatrist Ben Sobol (Crystal) evaluates Vitti as suffering from a psychosis so Sobol is forced to care for the faking Vitti at his home. All the time, Sobol is over-medicating himself to numb the pain from the recent death of his father.
This movie has several funny scenes but not the same kind of belly laughs of its predecessor.
Even though it’s a comedy, there is a lot of graphic language and some violence that is not suitable for children.
