Death To Smoochy (Fullscreen Edition)

Starring:Richard Cocchiaro, Glen Cross, Craig Eldridge, Pam Ferris, Harvey Fierstein, Louis Giambalvo, Catherine Keener, Bill Lake, Tim MacMenamin, Bruce McFee, Edward Norton, Michael Rispoli, Vincent Schiavelli, Jon Stewart, Nick Taylor, Tracey Walter, Judy White, Robin Williams, Danny Woodburn
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Guaranteed to please anyone who thinks Barney is Satan's spawn, Death to Smoochy mines comedy gold by skewering children's television. Adam Resnick's easy-target satire blossoms under the demented influence of director-costar Danny DeVito, who honors his legacy of venom-laced humor with the raucous rivalry of scandalized former kid-show host Rainbow Randolph (Robin Williams) and his squeaky-clean replacement, Sheldon Mopes, a.k.a. Smoochy the Rhino (Edward Norton). Randolph is insanely obsessed with getting his job back, but Smoochy's a smash, and their war for kid-vid supremacy places a jaded "KidNet" producer (Catherine Keener) in the middle of a Rainbow/Rhino smackdown. A few lulls are easily forgiven since much of Death to Smoochy is laugh-out-loud hilarious, with DeVito, Robert Prosky, Jon Stewart, and Harvey Fierstein in choice supporting roles. It's no wonder DeVito's taboo-busting drew fire from family groups and actual kid-show producers; only the humorless would fail to laugh at Smoochy's uncompromised irreverence. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Randolph Smiley (ROBIN WILLIAMS) has it all - as the costumed star of the highest rated kid's show on TV, "Rainbow Randolph" has a Manhattan penthouse, a Times Square billboard featuring his beloved character, cars , boats, horses and all the indulgence that celebrity brings. Until he get's caught by the Feds in an under the table bribe, busted and instantly reviled, Randolph is a star no more. Enter Sheldon Mopes (EDWARD NORTON) and his alter-ego "Smoochy", a puffy, fuscia rhinoceros. Smoochy is the perfect remedy for what ails the networks...Now it's Smoochy who's got the swanky penthouse, the Times Square billboard and the smooth-talking agent (DANNY DEVITO). Sheldon soon learns that children's television is a dangerous world steeped in corruption, back-stabbing and violence with his biggest problem being Rainbow Randolph. Broke and homeless, Randolph seeks revenge on the Rhino that stole his job and his house; he's convinced the foam rubber carpetbagger is the face of evil sent by the devil to destroy him and he will not sleep until Smoochy takes a permanent dirt nap.

Customer Reviews:

You might or might not like it.......2007-06-16

I read the reviews in the newspapers when it first came out. They were nearly all negative, with one of the main criticisms that the market for this movie is very narrow. However I always thought the plot sounded funny, even when described within a bad review.

It turned out to be one of the funniest movies I ever saw. Other than the Nazi bit, the script is terrific - "Rock bottoms a college education kid" "Sorry I smell like piss." "How could you whack the wrong rhino?".

I recommended it to some friends and they hated it. In my opinion the performances are great, Robin Williams is completely unrestrained and hilarious, but none of that will make a difference if you find the plot toxic. My recommendation - read the synopsis. If it sounds funny to you then give it a try.

One of my Fav's........2007-06-11

Definitely one of my favorite movies. Edward Norton's energy is great. Its hilarious. Yay, dark comedy!

A sour, dismal attempt at satire........2007-02-02

How bummed out was I by Danny De Vito's "Death to Smoochy"? When I finished the movie on DVD, I saw that the disc contained a "Bloopers and Outtakes" section on its menu. I passed it by, even though those bloopers and outtakes featured not only De Vito but also Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, Harvey Fierstein and Jon Stewart. Though Norton's performance and a few scattershot funny scenes prevent the movie from becoming a total disaster, the film as a whole is so sour and abrasive that it makes "Bad Santa" look like "Mary Poppins." De Vito and screenwriter Adam Resnick never find the right tone; they mistake frenzy for laughs, and the events on display rarely even make sense-- particularly not during the last twenty minutes, which try to combine "Holiday on Ice" with "Godfather III." A cynical comedy about behind-the-scenes backstabbing in children's TV could have been delightful in the hands of a Billy Wilder or a Christopher Guest, but De Vito's sledgehammer approach pounds to dust whatever humor there might have been. Norton at least is likable as Sheldon Mopes, a/k/a Smoochy the Rhino, and he retains his dignity as a performer even while wearing a hideous fuchsia rhino suit. The same cannot be said for Williams, who prances around like a poisoned troll as Norton's disgraced rival, the scheming, venal Rainbow Randolph. His change of heart at the end is simply not believable, and neither is that of Keener, who punches up her cynical persona from "Being John Malkovich" to new and unpleasant heights. De Vito phones in his performance, while Fierstein and Stewart just stand there and screech. The film, I must admit, held my interest enough for me to watch it in its entirety, but at the end I felt nauseated by a surfeit of Smoochy, Randolph and their noisome friends. Where have you gone, Captain Kangaroo?

Friends come in all sizes.......2006-10-07

I love this movie it's one of the sick twisted R rated comedies about childrens entertainment shows. Robin williams who plays the insane randy and the beloved rainbow randolph was adored by kids everywhere has everything money fame and more. Until he got caught up with the FBI for accepting a huge amount of money for a bribe he now loses every thing and no one cares for him any more. Now they need a replacement for rainbow randolph so they hired sheldon mopes (edward norton) to play the famous smoochy the rhino which everybody loves but some people hate him like the exfamous rainbow randolph and sheldons agent burk (danny devito) who can't seem make money off of him. This is another comedy that I would recommend for comedy fans. 5/5 stars

Death to Smoochy.......2006-09-22

With reviews this polarized, it must come down primarily to taste. Personally, I loved Death to Smoochy. When my husband brought it home from the video store, I groaned because I knew how bad the reviews had been. But I watched it and loved it so much that I rewatched it the next day.

It is a dark comedy and a satire, but one that takes us to a very sweet and uplifting conclusion. It is a story of the loss of innocence, but also of the rediscovery of childhood's faith in the goodness of others. It is both disarming and touching, all the more so for the dark routes it travels.

Perhaps the expectation of a feature-length Barney satire is what leads to such a disappointed reaction in many of the reviewers. Lampooning Barney (who is already a perfect study in self-satire) is not really the focus of the movie. My advice is to watch it with as few preconceptions as possible. You might just be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Average customer rating:

You might or might not like it
One of my Fav's.
A sour, dismal attempt at satire.
Friends come in all sizes
Death to Smoochy

Death To Smoochy (Fullscreen Edition)
Starring: Richard Cocchiaro , Glen Cross , Craig Eldridge , Pam Ferris , and Harvey Fierstein
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Black Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video