Analyze That

REVIEW
De Niro and Crystal return for this inevitable sequel to their 1999 hit Analyze This, but as this mediocre comedy proves, the difference between this and that is significant, indeed. Picking up a few years after Paul Vitti's (De Niro) incarceration, the story brings the Mafia kingpin and his favorite shrink, Ben Sobel (Crystal), back together again after Paul has suffered a nervous breakdown (De Niro is quite funny here singing show tunes from "West Side Story"). When Paul is released from jail into Ben's care, both men become at odds in determining the direction of Paul's future -- no surprise who wins. Sadly, the freshness and cleverness that made the first film so enjoyable is missing. There are a few laughs to be had, but most of them feel forced, and the story smacks of cliché. De Niro and Crystal still have chemistry, but unfortunately it's wasted on a pedestrian script.