Death to Smoochy

The spectacle is nothing short of refreshing.

In general, parodies may not rely overmuch on plot, but they need more in this department than Death to Smoochy possesses.

Pushes its dark, smart, clever, cynical, satirical, nasty, provocative and sarcastic instincts to the point of heavily diminished returns -- to the point where the very amusing premise just isn't funny anymore.

A broad, braying yuk fest that revels in coarse jokes, lacks the courage of its own cynicism (things keep wavering into sentimentality) and refuses to develop its own premise.

Tells a moldy-oldie, not-nearly-as-nasty-as-it-thinks-it-is joke. Over and over again.

To call Death to Smoochy satire -- or parody, burlesque, or even lampoon -- would be too generous. The moviemakers merely glide on the thin ice of yesterday's cynicism.

It's hard to pinpoint where things go wrong.

Death to Smoochy is the most ambiguously hysterical unique story ever cinematically portrayed! It is not a simplistic plot (as is Napoleon Dynamite) so one must have as least HALF a brain to engage intelligently with the four plot lines sequentially. Ergo if one likes Napoleon Dynamite it is quite logical the the one who does could not possibly comprehend Smoochy. You must also realize that comedy is quite difficult to rate for the sole reason that comedy is extremely personal. Numerous things might make you laugh that would make others bored or irritated. However, drama contains universal emotional magnets... Virtually everything that makes you cry will create the same emotion in the rest of us. Hence, intellect and comedy connect. The cast of this movie contains very interesting and funny members. Robin Williams can become any character in a millisecond. He is incredible! Anyone that has rated this unique movie a zero, has matched the rating with their own intelligence quotient! Watch it again with an open mind... OH NO don't do that then the rest of your intellect may leak out! (and you may not have much to spare so be very very careful with that opening). I can't wait to see this movie again!

This movie is priceless to me, Its a cult classic. Solid cast, Hilariously funny, original plot. Why people hate it, I have no idea. I think it was great.

Death Too Smoochy has an amazing premise, sadly its played off a little too safe for comfort. It just simply as entertaining as it should be. Rating - 58%

This film is a black comedy about the universe of children's TV programs. In the movie, idealistic Sheldon Mopes (aka Smoochy the Rhino), after a meteoric rise in television and fame, will face several enemies and rivals, who will wish his disappearance, beginning with Rainbow Randolph (which he came to replace without doing anything to it) and ending in his own unscrupulous agent. A story that can be very unpleasant as there are no pleasant characters. Mopes is the nicest character, but he's so angelic, overly well-intentioned and uncommon in his way of thinking (which, though, is consistent with what the character stands for) that we end up not being able to like him. He is too naïve and, therefore, becomes worthy of our mistrust. As a comedy, the film turns out partially, especially if you enjoy black humor. But the jokes are rather weak and make you smile rather than laugh, perhaps because black humor has some moral stigma for many people and isn't pleasing to the majority of the public. The actors do a decent job, especially Edward Norton and Danny DeVito. Robin Williams is a great comic actor but this is perhaps his weakest film. It just wasn't the right character for him. The remaining cast is limited to comply with what it has to do, without great merit. All this contributes to make this film into a weak and forgettable comedy, where small notes of irony are the most positive point to emphasize.

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 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 naïve 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, Death to 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.