1999's "Analyze This" was a comedic gem, a film filled with consistently funny gags and great performances from all involved. All those key people in front and behind the camera have returned which is what makes this follow-up such a disappointment. Jokes are seemingly absent except for the occasional one-liner, others are reworked versions of the same thing (ala. "Austin Powers") whilst even the great cast fail to recapture either the chemistry or energy of the first film. Admittedly the genre of 'mob comedy' has become overdone as of late with shows like the brilliant "The Sopranos", but that's no excuse for greenlighting a tired script full of uninspired subplots and failed humour.
DeNiro & Crystal try their best and admittedly Crystal still gets a few good lines but certainly not enough whilst scenes with DeNiro which should be funny (ala the singing) fall utterly flat. Lisa Kudrow is given practically nothing to do whilst Joe Vitterelli's Jelly, a truly great supporting character in the first film, is left in the background. The great Anthony LaPaglia in a role spoofing James Gandolfini feels like he's in a different and even duller movie, whilst Cathy Moriarty does manage to come out of this well as a mobsters widow whose become a sort of 'godmother' for a crime family. Ramis directs with the same amount of mixed pacing and confused plotting as with the much more lacklustre "Bedazzled" remake.
A subplot about both the leads' fathers were the only disappointing moments in the first film and strangely are given a lot more airtime in the sequel. The spontanaiety, the edginess and the clever setups are all gone this time around, as a result "Analyze That" ends up going in the same direction as another comedy sequel earlier this year - "Men in Black II". The first MIB had its problems but holds up quite well still even to this day, its sequel however was a rushed effort with the great actors simply chugging along through their parts without adding much that's new or fun to the franchise. "Analyze This" was a better comedy than MIB, so its disappointing sequel's fall from grace is so much more.
