Honestly, comedy sequels are a gamble. Most of the time, they're just loud, bloated echoes of the original movie that nobody really asked for. When looking back at the cast of Analyze That, you see a group of heavy hitters trying their absolute best to recapture the lightning in a bottle from 1999's Analyze This. It came out in 2002. People were skeptical.
You had Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal returning, which was the bare minimum requirement for a sequel to even exist. But the magic of this specific cast wasn't just the two leads. It was the weird, chaotic energy brought in by the supporting players and the returning faces that made the mob-comedy dynamic feel lived-in.
The Unlikely Chemistry of De Niro and Crystal
Robert De Niro played Paul Vitti. This wasn't the "Godfather" De Niro or the "Goodfellas" De Niro. It was a self-parody. By the time 2002 rolled around, De Niro was leaning hard into comedy, and while some critics felt the "crying mobster" bit was getting thin, his timing remained impeccable. He starts the movie in Sing Sing, faking a catatonic state by singing show tunes from West Side Story. It’s ridiculous. It's De Niro.
Then you have Billy Crystal as Dr. Ben Sobel. Crystal is the quintessential straight man here. His fast-talking, neurotic energy is the only thing that keeps the movie from drifting into a generic mob parody. The cast of Analyze That relied heavily on the fact that Crystal can make a facial expression funnier than a three-page monologue. He’s grieving his father in this film, which adds a layer of genuine sadness that contrasts with Vitti’s manic energy.
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They’re a classic "odd couple." It shouldn't work twice, but their chemistry is the engine.
Joe Viterelli: The Soul of the Franchise
We have to talk about Joe Viterelli. He played Jelly, Vitti’s loyal, somewhat dim-witted henchman. Viterelli wasn't a "trained" actor in the traditional sense. He didn't start acting until he was in his 50s, famously encouraged by Leo Penn. He had this face—this incredible, craggy, hangdog face—that made him look like he’d actually spent thirty years on a street corner in Queens.
Jelly is arguably the most beloved character in the cast of Analyze That. In this sequel, his role is slightly expanded as he tries to help Vitti transition into a "normal" life. Viterelli’s performance is subtle. He doesn't go for the big laugh; he lets the situation do the work. Tragically, this was one of Viterelli's final roles before he passed away in 2004. The movie wouldn't have half the heart it does without him.
New Blood and Returning Favorites
Lisa Kudrow came back as Laura Sobel. In the first movie, she was mostly the frustrated fiancée. In the sequel, she’s the frustrated wife. Kudrow is a comedic genius—we know this from Friends—but here she’s given the thankless task of being the voice of reason. She does it with a dry wit that makes you realize Sobel would be totally lost without her.
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Then there’s Anthony LaPaglia. He isn't playing his usual serious detective type. Instead, he shows up as Anthony Bella, an actor playing a mobster on a TV show. It’s a meta-commentary on the genre. The cast of Analyze That needed that infusion of outside perspective to show how ridiculous the "tough guy" trope actually is when viewed through a Hollywood lens.
- Cathy Moriarty-Gentile joined the fray as Patti LoPresti. If you recognize the name, it's because she starred opposite De Niro decades earlier in Raging Bull. Seeing them reunite in a comedy was a treat for film nerds.
- Frank Gio as Lou "The Wrench" Rigazzi provided the necessary menace. You need a real threat to make the comedy land.
- Reg Rogers played Raoul Berman, adding another layer to the chaotic production-within-a-movie subplot.
Why the Ensemble Mattered for the 2002 Context
Back in 2002, the mob movie was in a weird spot. The Sopranos was dominating television, changing how we looked at Italian-American gangsters. The cast of Analyze That had to compete with Tony Soprano. Harold Ramis, the director, knew he couldn't go darker than HBO, so he went broader.
The film explores Vitti trying to get a job at an oyster bar. It shows him as a consultant on a TV set. The humor comes from the friction between "Old World" mob values and the "New World" of corporate HR and Hollywood egos. It’s a fish-out-of-water story, but the fish has a gun.
The Critics Weren't Always Kind
Let’s be real. The movie didn't hit as hard as the first one. It holds a significantly lower score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Analyze This. Critics felt the plot was a bit thin—Vitti gets out of prison into Sobel's custody, hijinks ensue.
However, looking back with twenty years of hindsight, the performances hold up. De Niro's commitment to the bit is total. He isn't winking at the camera. He plays Paul Vitti with the same intensity he’d give a Scorsese protagonist, which makes the singing and the sobbing even funnier. The cast of Analyze That was essentially overqualified for the material, and that’s why it remains watchable today.
Technical Execution and Direction
Harold Ramis was a legend. Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Caddyshack. He knew how to pace a comedy. While the script (co-written by Peter Tolan and Peter Steinfeld) leaned heavily on gags, Ramis ensured the actors had room to improvise.
You can tell when Crystal and De Niro are riffing. There’s a loose energy in the car scenes that feels authentic. That’s the benefit of having a veteran cast. You don't have to over-direct them. You just set the stage and let them play off each other.
A Legacy of Character Acting
The cast of Analyze That is a time capsule of great character actors. Beyond the leads, you see faces like John Finn and Kyle Sabihy. These are the people who fill out the world. They make the background feel populated and real.
In modern cinema, we see a lot of "stunt casting" or CGI-heavy comedies. There’s something refreshing about watching a movie where the primary special effect is Billy Crystal’s reaction to a mobster having a panic attack in his guest room.
What You Can Learn from the Analyze That Ensemble
If you're a film student or just a fan of the genre, pay attention to the "straight man" dynamic. Crystal is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Being the funny guy is easy; being the guy who makes the other guy funny is an art form.
Also, look at the career trajectory of Robert De Niro. This movie was a pivotal point where he fully embraced his comedic persona, leading to the Meet the Parents era. Whether you love it or hate it, it changed his legacy.
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Practical Steps for Fans of the Franchise:
- Watch the movies back-to-back. You’ll notice the shift in tone from a character study in the first to a full-blown farce in the second.
- Follow the supporting cast. Check out Joe Viterelli’s work in Bullets Over Broadway. He was a singular talent.
- Analyze the "Movie-within-a-movie." The scenes where Vitti consults on the TV show Little Caesar are some of the sharpest satires of early 2000s television.
- Appreciate Harold Ramis. If you haven't seen his other directorial efforts, you're missing out on the DNA of modern American comedy.
The cast of Analyze That proved that even if a sequel doesn't reinvent the wheel, a group of incredibly talented people can still make the ride worthwhile. It’s a masterclass in ensemble chemistry over plot perfection.