I
know I am going to be in the minority here, but I have to say that I
enjoyed ANALYZE THAT ($28) more than its predecessor, ANALYZE
THIS. While the first movie was cute and had a number of hilarious
moments, Robert De Niro’s over-the-top crying jags don’t hold up on
repeat viewings, so this reviewer was happy to see that they weren’t
required to carry the comedy of ANALYZE THAT. Of course, the comedy
of ANALYZE THAT isn’t anymore sophisticated than what was offered
in the first film, but the actors seem more comfortable in their roles and
generate a bit more humor through characterization. Robert De Niro is
still a hoot as mobster Paul Vitti, as is Billy Crystal who portrays put
upon therapist Dr. Ben Sobel. In fact, Crystal is especially good in his
portray of a doctor who not only has to deal with the criminal patient
that is taking over his life, but has to contend with his controlling wife
Laura (Lisa Kudrow), as well as his own recently surfaced emotional
baggage.
The
plot of ANALYZE THAT opens with another attempt on the life of Paul
Vitti, this time from within the walls of prison. Although Vitti survives
physically unscathed, his mental condition is questionable- veering from
complete catatonia to obsessively singing the entire score to West
Side Story. Since Vitti is still of importance to the Feds, they
bring in Ben Sobel to evaluate his former patient. Sobel’s diagnosis
leads to the "troubled" Vitti being released into his doctor’s
care, much to the dismay of Sobel and his wife, neither of whom want the
mobster in their home. What follows is a "miraculously
recovered" Vitti trying to reform himself by going legit and
accepting a job as a consultant to a popular television show that depicts
the life of a mobster and his family. However, Vitti finds it nearly
impossible to escape his past and "family" obligations. The cast
of ANALYZE THAT also features Joe Viterelli, Cathy Moriarty and
Anthony LaPalgia.
Warner
Home Video has made ANALYZE THAT available on DVD in a 1.78:1 wide
screen presentation that features the anamorphic enhancement for 16:9
displays. As expected from any major studio "A" picture, ANALYZE
THAT looks absolutely terrific on DVD. The image is wonderfully crisp
and beautifully defined- even the darker scenes look great. Colors are
pretty vibrant, although flesh tones maintain a natural balance. There are
no signs of chroma noise or smearing to mar the truly fine color
reproduction of this DVD. Blacks are dead on the money, while the whites
are clean and contrast is very smooth. As I stated above dark scenes look
great, and produce excellent shadow detail. The film element is free from
blemishes, plus the image produces a great sense of depth. Digital
compression artifacts are virtually non-existent on this cleanly authored
DVD.
ANALYZE
THAT comes with a standard issue comedy mix that has been encoded in
Dolby Digital 5.1. The forward soundstage really dominates this mix, with
the surrounds supplying ambient and musical fill. Whatever directionality
is contained in the soundtrack is localized to the front three channels.
Of course, fidelity is great for recreating the score and incidental
music, as well as the film’s sound effects. Dialogue is always
completely understandable and the actors’ voices resonate with a nice,
natural quality. The bass channel isn’t particularly impressive, but it
does keep the track grounded. A French 5.1 channel track is also encoded
onto the DVD, as are English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as the DVD’s supplement materials. Director
Harold Ramis is on hand for a running audio commentary, which proves rich
in detail but lacking in the humor one associates with the comedic
actor/director. The Making of Analyze That is a
twelve-minute program that is too much fluff and too little substance; I
guess that’s what happens when marketing people are tuned into
"documentary" filmmakers. However, the program does provide the
prerequisite interviews with the cast and crew. Also included is M.A.D.E.
- the Mafioso Associate Degree Exam, which serves to test one’s
knowledge of the "family" business. A theatrical trailer and
filmographies close out the supplemental section.
ANALYZE
THAT may not be as popular with the masses, as the movie that inspired
it, but at least this reviewer found himself liking it more that ANALYZE
THIS. As for the DVD, it looks great and sounds just fine, so if you
want to see ANALYZE THAT, the little round disc is definitely the
way to go.
I
know I am going to be in the minority here, but I have to say that I
enjoyed ANALYZE THAT ($28) more than its predecessor, ANALYZE
THIS. While the first movie was cute and had a number of hilarious
moments, Robert De Niro’s over-the-top crying jags don’t hold up on
repeat viewings, so this reviewer was happy to see that they weren’t
required to carry the comedy of ANALYZE THAT. Of course, the comedy
of ANALYZE THAT isn’t anymore sophisticated than what was offered
in the first film, but the actors seem more comfortable in their roles and
generate a bit more humor through characterization. Robert De Niro is
still a hoot as mobster Paul Vitti, as is Billy Crystal who portrays put
upon therapist Dr. Ben Sobel. In fact, Crystal is especially good in his
portray of a doctor who not only has to deal with the criminal patient
that is taking over his life, but has to contend with his controlling wife
Laura (Lisa Kudrow), as well as his own recently surfaced emotional
baggage.
The
plot of ANALYZE THAT opens with another attempt on the life of Paul
Vitti, this time from within the walls of prison. Although Vitti survives
physically unscathed, his mental condition is questionable- veering from
complete catatonia to obsessively singing the entire score to West
Side Story. Since Vitti is still of importance to the Feds, they
bring in Ben Sobel to evaluate his former patient. Sobel’s diagnosis
leads to the "troubled" Vitti being released into his doctor’s
care, much to the dismay of Sobel and his wife, neither of whom want the
mobster in their home. What follows is a "miraculously
recovered" Vitti trying to reform himself by going legit and
accepting a job as a consultant to a popular television show that depicts
the life of a mobster and his family. However, Vitti finds it nearly
impossible to escape his past and "family" obligations. The cast
of ANALYZE THAT also features Joe Viterelli, Cathy Moriarty and
Anthony LaPalgia.
Warner
Home Video has made ANALYZE THAT available on DVD in a 1.78:1 wide
screen presentation that features the anamorphic enhancement for 16:9
displays. As expected from any major studio "A" picture, ANALYZE
THAT looks absolutely terrific on DVD. The image is wonderfully crisp
and beautifully defined- even the darker scenes look great. Colors are
pretty vibrant, although flesh tones maintain a natural balance. There are
no signs of chroma noise or smearing to mar the truly fine color
reproduction of this DVD. Blacks are dead on the money, while the whites
are clean and contrast is very smooth. As I stated above dark scenes look
great, and produce excellent shadow detail. The film element is free from
blemishes, plus the image produces a great sense of depth. Digital
compression artifacts are virtually non-existent on this cleanly authored
DVD.
ANALYZE
THAT comes with a standard issue comedy mix that has been encoded in
Dolby Digital 5.1. The forward soundstage really dominates this mix, with
the surrounds supplying ambient and musical fill. Whatever directionality
is contained in the soundtrack is localized to the front three channels.
Of course, fidelity is great for recreating the score and incidental
music, as well as the film’s sound effects. Dialogue is always
completely understandable and the actors’ voices resonate with a nice,
natural quality. The bass channel isn’t particularly impressive, but it
does keep the track grounded. A French 5.1 channel track is also encoded
onto the DVD, as are English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as the DVD’s supplement materials. Director
Harold Ramis is on hand for a running audio commentary, which proves rich
in detail but lacking in the humor one associates with the comedic
actor/director. The Making of Analyze That is a
twelve-minute program that is too much fluff and too little substance; I
guess that’s what happens when marketing people are tuned into
"documentary" filmmakers. However, the program does provide the
prerequisite interviews with the cast and crew. Also included is M.A.D.E.
- the Mafioso Associate Degree Exam, which serves to test one’s
knowledge of the "family" business. A theatrical trailer and
filmographies close out the supplemental section.
ANALYZE
THAT may not be as popular with the masses, as the movie that inspired
it, but at least this reviewer found himself liking it more that ANALYZE
THIS. As for the DVD, it looks great and sounds just fine, so if you
want to see ANALYZE THAT, the little round disc is definitely the
way to go.
