Le grand chaos

I love The Don's Analyst and am impatiently waiting for the DVD to come out since changing all my players to DVD only. Angie Dickinson, Robert Loggia, Rick Aiello and all of the cast were perfect choices for the movie. I am also a huge fan of both Robert De Niro and Billy Chrystal but both Analyze This and That fell flat for me. I never could understand the media hype over Analyze This and That. The Don's Analyst does have a few comments well within mob characterization that could be considered somewhat anti semitic and I have often suspected this may the reason it is overlooked in favor of This and That. Anyone else? I think the movie is fantastic.

When I sat down to watch this I wasn't sure what it was going to be. Seeing the National Lampoon name on it I'd assumed it was going to be a comedy. After a while I realised that I wasn't laughing very much (if at all) and I assumed it must be a drama about the pressures of family life set in the mob.

As I watched this drama I then realised that the actors were playing mob caricatures with very weak performances and that the plot was lame and boring. So what was I watching!!!?

As the film closed I realised what I had done - I had wasted my time watching an idea that would later be done much better in both "Analyse This!" (for the gags) and "The Sopranos" (for the drama). Unfortunately that's all this seems to want to be, the film honestly has next to no laughs and no drama. I know Analyse This was only so-so itself, but it felt like the peak of comedy once I'd seen this.

It's truly sad that well-known actors such as Kevin Pollack and Sherilyn Fenn get involved with this nonsense. They have nothing to really do and I just felt that they were totally, totally wasted. The rest of the cast just stumble round in various stereotypical characters without any actual personalities or character, they are surprisingly dull and deadly unfunny.

Watching this almost makes me feel insulted that someone in TV land decided that this was all the entertainment I needed for a Friday evening.

The only reason I am commenting is because some guy out here called this "the worst movie he has ever seen". He followed this by saying he watched 20 mins. and returned it to the video store.(?) If you are from the East Coast,or have enjoyed Mafia style pictures in the past,this is a decently funny film,when you consider that it is nothing but a "spoof". It wasn't meant to be taken seriously..it's more like TV's "Married with Children". If you BELIEVE these premises,then I can't help you. I am a 64 year old,well read movie lover,and I actually laughed out loud more than once. So there...

"This is definitely one of "National Lampoon's" better efforts. Robert Loggia surprises his two nitwit Sons by announcing he wants to go legit. This sets into motion a familiar plot, with a randomly selected shrink, Kevin Pollak, strong armed into becoming Loggia's analyst. There are several subplots involving bad marriages, with Angie Dickinson and Sherilyn Fenn, needing divorces. Occasional "Godfather" spoofs are intertwined with the psychoanalysis, with decidedly uneven comedic results. I especially liked Ricky Aiello in the hothead "Sonny" role. This move can stand on it's own, with no blood and guts, as a kindler, gentler "Godfather". - MERK

First of all, I've read in other reviews that this movie is a rip-off from 'Analyze This' and 'The Sopranos'. In my view, it's the other way around. This movie was released in 1997, the other ones in 1999. The movie itself is good, but not great. When I watched it, I had a few laughs and I certainly didn't bore myself. I'd give it a 7/10.