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.

"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

It is certainly a made for TV film and the it is certainly a National Lampoon film; however, it deviates from the typical National Lampoon schlock that they are known for.

I've seen other reviewers who tore it to shreds that obviously saw it after the more popular big budget successor (Analyze This) and of comparing the cast....none of which is entirely fair. While the two movies have the same conceit, they are significantly different in that one was a big budget theater release with major (popular) cast and the other movie was a made-for-TV/cable movie with lesser known and/or actors who were no longer major actors. That's like trying to compare a Rolex and a Timex.....they may both keep time perfectly, one is appreciated for the craftsmanship and materials and the other for just being what it is and doing what it's supposed to do.....it doesn't mean that they should not both be appreciated for what they are.

The Don's Analyst in many ways is a bit more straightforward....an elderly mob boss is cracking up and ends up seeing an analyst who's life begins to fall apart and in fear for his life with the insanity of coping with the mob boss and his family, his wife, etc... The mob boss is struggling with failed relationships, regret over the past, etc...

While the special effects are schlocky and the acting and situations are intentionally over the top as you would expect in a National Lampoon release, I still find it the more entertaining between it and the newer film.

Opinions of course vary and some may appreciate it and others may not....but, as long as you are not expecting another entry in the Analyze This franchise and accept it for being a National Lampoon Made-for-TV film, it should be enjoyed.

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.

Kevin Pollak plays Billy Crystal's role from ANALYZE THIS (1999) in THE DON'S ANALYST (1997), a film that (surprisingly) came out two years before ANALYZE THIS and yet is much, much worse, using the same concept to ill effect.

Robert Loggia is no Robert De Niro and Pollak does his best to act funny. But this movie just isn't funny. It uses the same premise as ANALYZE THIS with 1/16 of the laughs. Instead, it's a crude, stupid made-for-TV National Lampoon movie that isn't quite as hideous as GOLF PUNKS but still a movie that I wouldn't ever want to see again.

Compared to some other comedies by National Lampoon this is OK but compared to *most* movies it's one of the worst I've ever seen. A full turkey for this.

0/5