Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Analyze That

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Amusing mob comedy for older teens only.

Movie R 2002 96 minutes
Analyze That Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Lowe's man
Lowe's man Adult
May 29, 2016
age 16+

a wasted opportunity

If this would've been a movie about redemption it would've been a good movie. In other words, if the main character, Paul, would've found a job and been successful at it once he got released from prison it would've been a good movie, as it would've provided hope and been an inspiration for anyone who's ever been in prison but has since turned over (or been trying to turn over) a new leaf. But, unfortunately, that's not the way the story went. I suppose that anyone who likes THE SOPRANOS might like this movie. But I'm sorry. I just can't recommend this movie to anyone.
Matt B.
Matt B. Adult
November 5, 2015
age 15+

Not for kids NO 7+ or 2+

Which idiots rated this for 7 and 2+? This if for 15+

This title has:

Too much swearing
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In this sequel, mob boss Paul Vitti (Robert DeNiro) pretends to be crazy in order to get out of jail, and he is released into the custody of his analyst, Dr. Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal). After some unfortunate attempts at a job that does not involve any felonies, he ends up as an expert advisor to a "Sopranos"-like television show. Meanwhile, he has to figure out how to survive a war between two rival mob families.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Overall, this one isn't as good as the first, but it's great to see Robert DeNiro doing comedy. After decades as America's most respected dramatic actor, DeNiro discovered that he enjoyed making people laugh in Analyze This and he does it again in the aptly titled sequel, ANALYZE THAT. There are some slow patches, and Lisa Kudrow as Sobel's wife is badly misused. The plot doesn't go anywhere and the attempt to make the pretentious producer of the television show funny does not work at all.

But it is sheer joy to see DeNiro give everything he's got (which is plenty) to the pure pleasure of comic madness, and every time he comes on screen, the movie takes off like a rocket. Raging Bull fans will delight in seeing DeNiro onscreen with the woman who played Vicki LaMotta, Cathy Moriarty. They still have great chemistry. And be sure to stay for the outtakes at the end. I know they have become a cliché, but these are worth the wait.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what determines whether people can change. And they should discuss the way that both Vitti and Sobel are still so tied up in (and by) what their fathers thought of them. If you were going to write a third movie about these characters, what would you have them do?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate