A very odd film haha was weird from start to finish. But kept me entertained
The irony is Smoochy would be a MAGA mascot nowadays after that Nazi rally...
Not the worst movie of 2002, Roger.
A dark satire from director Danny DeVito, Death to Smoochy delivers some wicked laughs but it’s also kind of a mess. After children’s’ TV show star Rainbow Randolph is arrested for accepting bribes the network cancels his show and replaces it with newcomer Sheldon Mopes’ Smoochy the Rhino, but Mopes soon finds his new show being sabotaged by Randolph who’s determined to get his old show back. Starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, and Danny DeVito, the film features an impressive cast; though their performances are rather weak. And the comedy is all over the place, ranging from clever satire to slapstick; there no consistent tone. Also, the plot is pretty convoluted, with extraneous characters and subplots that don’t really go anywhere. Yet even with all its problems, Death to Smoochy is an entertaining bit of wacky fun that has its moments.
War of the kid's show mascots, as a shameless Barney stand-in steals the national adoration (and television slot) of a down-on-his-luck Captain Kangaroo stand-in. With an invested Ed Norton as the former and a cackling, chaotic Robin Williams as the latter, the right pieces might appear to be in-place for some fireworks, but the film never gets there.
Hopelessly predictable and cut-rate, it's a watery humorless mess. The cast seems to know they're in a stinker, too, with a steaming mound of half-assed performances and a full gallery of awful, borderline-offensive caricatures. Norton is really the only one who seems like he's into it, throwing his all into the part of a hopelessly naive nice guy who falls in bed with a den of vipers, though Williams admittedly doesn't get much substance to work with. Jon Stewart is particularly atrocious in his supporting role as a weak-willed executive with bad hair who constantly, pointlessly lingers around the fringe like a wet fart.
Riddled with holes and desperately short on laughs, Smoochy's questionable morals seem to hint that the key to success in show business involves choosing the nicer of two warring mob factions. Bizarre, boring fodder without a purpose, this one was a real chore to finish.
Shout by NarateVIP 5BlockedParent2022-04-09T15:26:44Z
As I was watching this all I could think of was "why are these camera angles familiar and the script is so awkward" and then it hit me: It reminded me of Matilda. Then I saw that it was directed by Danny Devito and it all made sense. This is one odd film that has some hilarious moments but only because Edward Norton is so innocent in this.