They took a risk here, hoping to make a wildly offbeat and hilarious comedy unlike anything else to ever hit a movie screen, and they failed.
Death to Smoochy (2002)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:119
Fresh:50
Rotten:69
Average Rating:5.3/10
Consensus: The talent involved can't save a script that has nowhere to go with its promising premise.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language and sexual references
Runtime: 2 hrs 23 mins
Genre: Television
Theatrical Release:Mar 29, 2002 Wide
Box Office: $8,308,230
Synopsis: Robin Williams goes berserk as Rainbow Randolph, the disgraced host of a children's television show, in director Danny DeVito's fast-paced satire, DEATH TO SMOOCHY. Busted by the Feds for accepting... Robin Williams goes berserk as Rainbow Randolph, the disgraced host of a children's television show, in director Danny DeVito's fast-paced satire, DEATH TO SMOOCHY. Busted by the Feds for accepting a bribe to get a child on his show, Randolph gets booted from his network, Kidnet, and is replaced by the earnest do-gooder Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton), who plays Smoochy, a loveable pink rhino with a strong resemblance to Barney. Sheldon sums up his own personality with a classic line, "When my brothers and I played cowboys and Indians, I was always the Chinese railroad worker." As Sheldon becomes a superstar, Randolph plots his revenge. Sheldon's refusal to push cheap toys and sugary drinks angers the Kidnet execs, especially tough-as-nails Nora (Catherine Keener). Sheldon also runs up against the Irish mob and his agent (DeVito) gets him into trouble with a corrupt charity. Meanwhile, Nora finds herself falling for the principled performer. Robin Williams is amazing, completely shedding his "nice guy" persona and making the shockingly foulmouthed kiddie show host simultaneously hilarious and frightening. Norton does a great job of winning the audience over to his buffoonish but truly good hearted character. He and Keener lend heart to the scathingly funny script by Adam Resnick. [More]
Starring: Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, Danny DeVito
Starring: Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, Danny DeVito, Jon Stewart, Harvey Fierstein, Michael Rispoli, Pam Ferris, Danny Woodburn, Vincent Schiavelli, Elvis Stojko
Director: Danny DeVito
Director: Danny DeVito
Screenwriter: Adam Resnick
Producer: Andrew Lazar, Peter MacGregor-Scott
Composer: David Newman
Studio: Warner Bros.
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Reviews for Death to Smoochy
The result comes out loud, brash, vulgar, and considerably entertaining.
The script boasts some tart TV-insider humor, but the film has not a trace of humanity or empathy.
There's much sinister fun here for those who appreciate its unapologetically twisted excesses.
The filmmakers keep their cynical vision intact through the finale, which is as deliriously happy as the rest of the picture is sardonic.
In all the annals of the movies, few films have been this odd, inexplicable and unpleasant.
A dark comedy that blows up like an exploding cigar, leaving nothing much behind but smoke, noise and a bad taste.
If you're in the mood for razor-sharp satire, this is the most refreshingly outrageous movie of the season.
Comédia de humor negro com direção excessiva de DeVito, traz Edward Norton em um bom desempenho. É uma pena que o roteiro não tenha sido melhor aproveitado, já que este filme poderia ser mais interessante.
Nada excepcional, pero si gustan del humor mordaz pero moderado de DeVito no saldrán desilusionados.
Completely nasty and consistently hilarious, Smoochy is wild, wicked fun.
A movie that can't decide how it feels about any of its characters, and becomes exhausted with indifference before the one-hour mark.
Children's shows as fronts for gangster? My innocence would be destroyed if this picture had any subtlety.
... instead go rent "Shakes The Clown", a much funnier film with a similar theme and an equally great Robin Williams performance.
Latest News for Death to Smoochy
January 05, 2006:
Jon Stewart to Host the Oscars!
Every news outlet, movie site, and cine-blog is reporting the news, so I'll just cite good ol' ComingSoon.net as our source, but there's the good news: Everyone's favorite... More...
January 03, 2006:
Vincent Schiavelli Passes at 57
Character actor Vincent Schiavelli, the long-faced veteran of over 150 film and television appearances, died of lung cancer December 26 at home in Sicily. He was 57 years old. More...
February 25, 2002:
It should be noted that when 'black comedies' push the envelope too far, their subsequent box office suffers. Prime recent examples would be: Freddy Got Fingered, Very Bad Things, Whipped, and Jawbreaker. ![]()
More...
February 06, 2002:
The working environment of the shoot may have been buoyant, but as DeVito points out, the film at times is anything but. ![]()
More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
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