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Death to Smoochy (2002)
Tomatometer
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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.
Runtime: 2 hrs 23 mins
Genre: Comedies
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.
Reviews for Death to Smoochy
Nada excepcional, pero si gustan del humor mordaz pero moderado de DeVito no saldrán desilusionados.
Some viewers will enjoy the movie's sheer weirdness, but for me it proved too odd and too erratic to maintain my attention for long.
Its cruel pointlessness zaps Williams back into the fearless encroachment his best work has contained.
A broad, braying yuk fest that revels in coarse jokes ... lacks the courage of its own cynicism ... and refuses to develop its own premise.
A movie that can't decide how it feels about any of its characters, and becomes exhausted with indifference before the one-hour mark.
A dark comedy that blows up like an exploding cigar, leaving nothing much behind but smoke, noise and a bad taste.
Just when most comedies would begin to back-pedal away from bitterness, "Smoochy" goes into satiric overdrive ... It's enough to make a Teletubby blush.
The funniest thing about De Vito's fiasco is the way it was abbreviated on the theater ticket: 'Death Smooch.'
A dark comedy that goes for sick and demented humor simply to do so. The movie is without intent.
It has “comedic dead zone” written all over it. Its subject might be prime fodder for satire, but it lacks even the smallest words for an essay.
... 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...
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