Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: This movie was full of dark, sick, and overall STUPID humor (in a Pythonesque way), that is like a breath of fresh air in today's homogenized, by-the-books school of 'comedy' films. Kudos to Danny DeVito and the entire cast. 4.5 stars. (PS: Catherine Keener is HOT!)
Rating: 
Summary: NOT FUNNY!
Review: This movie was full of dark, sick, and overall STUPID humor, that is NOT funny, but, just came off as distirbinmg.
Rating:
Summary: Only for those with a sense of humour
Review: Danny DeVito's blacker-than-black comedy went straight to video in most countries after famously tanking at the US box-office. Maybe American audiences started having unfortunate flashbacks to "Pee Wee's Playhouse" and thought they were being subliminally corrupted. Who knows? The film's fundamental "problem" - that it's a daring kind of "screwball noir" fusion of kids' television, mob violence, foul language and artful satire that skewers big business right where it hurts - is also the best thing about it. Adam Resnick's tightly plotted and wonderfully acerbic screenplay fell into just the right hands with DeVito who realises its misanthropic vision with an almost maniacal flair. If you have no sense of humour, or think it's sacrilege to suggest that kids' television is made for profit (gasp!), or simply can't accept that the stuffed foam suits prancing around your kid's TV screen contain real human beings with as much call to be bitter and twisted as the rest of us, then "Death to Smoochy" probably isn't for you. If, however, you appreciate cutting satire and the immense comic talents of DeVito, Williams and Norton, then bring it on. Williams, in a refreshingly nasty turn, has never been better that when he's spitting out the vicious one-liners Resnick gives him. In a scene where he's being harassed by reporters about how it feels to be the most hated man in America, he replies: "In a country of Neanderthals, I wear it as a badge of honor." Reading the reviews, Danny DeVito might say the same.
Rating: 
Summary: Funny--the first time
Review: I loved this movie in the theater--giggling throughout. The only complaint I had at the time was that Robin Williams went into a few of his stock manic rants (how many times are we going to hear his speech of the various euphemisms for a male body part?). I thought Ed Norton was wonderful, and I walked out of the theater laughing about the "Step Dad" song.However, when I watched it again, I just found it dull, dull, dull. The humor is dark and definitely not for everyone. If you like it the first time, watch it again before adding it to your permanent collection.
Rating: 
Summary: the end to a good career?
Review: I hardly have the words to describe this movie. It's a Danny Devito film, and you have to be a devoted fan to even get the slightest enjoyment our of it. His mind is dark and demented, and it's shown in full through this film. The plot was stable, but not very memorable. A star of a children's television show is caught accepting bribes and loses his job. He's then replaced by another who is 'squeaky clean'. The entirety of it is based on a consipiring agent and a washed up TV star's obsession with revenge. It wasn't the worst movie I've seen, but it is lacking too much to mention. This is not a movie for Robin Williams fans. His character is the complete opposite of the usual quirky, humorous ones he's known for. I was amused with the fact that nearly every other word out of his mouth was foul. He pulls off the insanely jealous, psychotic nature of his character very well. Edward Norton also does a great job playing a love all veggan whose primary goal in life is to make others happy and give them hope in humanity. Over all, I'd say this movie isn't worth the money. It was nothing like the previews made it out to be. There was scarcely any amount of quality in it. I find dark, demented humor amusing, yet in the end I loathed paying the 4 bucks to rent it. I can see this movie damaging Williams' career. I hope, for his sake, he has a better come back very soon. It would be a shame to lose such a talented actor.
Rating:
Summary: Death to Schmaltzy
Review: Two things a lot of us know about Robin Williams: 1.) he once seemed an enormous talent, and 2.) we couldn't be sicker of his movie shtick. I've grown to loathe him...his typical sappy protagonist have come to be unwatchable. His low key bad guys are better (Insomnia, One Hour Photo) but still mainly interesting because he's playing against type, I think. And then...Smoochy! They've finally harnessed -- no, unleashed -- all of his manic energy into a character who is just a total a#$hole...and to me, he was terrific. Each progressive scene was a reminder that -- huzzah! -- this guy was once a special talent. Still is, it turns out...we've just been wasting him in crap. The rest of the movie...ok. Forget the satire talk; I don't think they're aiming that high here. Edward Norton is good, as always. Catherine Keener is basically wasted. Good premise, executed just a bit too formulaically for my tastes. But none of this matters. If you've ever liked Robin Williams, you have to check out his force of nature performance.
Rating: 
Summary: Python does Barney
Review: Look folks, a Devito film is like paté, either you like it...or you don't. Personally, I found this film to be a gem. It is a cynical look at do-gooders, and who wouldn't LOVE the opportunity to one day make Barney show a cookie shaped like a male organ on TV? Also, after dealing with numerous 'charitable' organizations in my day, the idea seeing these people shown as one small step sideways from the mob gives me a warm fuzzy feeling all over. This film is hilarious. My wife and I were both in tears. If you love dark, well written, superbly acted satire, good hunting. It is not for everyone, thankfully. If this film had been focus grouped, it would have never been made. I'm hopeful that this will be a film that will have a long, fruitful live on DVD and will be regarded in the future as a classic.
Rating:
Summary: I Love It
Review: Robin Williams is great in this. I didn't expect much out of it but after seing it i realized i had laughed so hard my belly ached. I watch it every time it's on HBO.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely hilarious
Review: Let me begin this review by saying that, as you can probably tell by most of the other reviews here, this is a movie you'll either love or hate. There are a lot of people out there who slammed "Death to Smoochy" when it came out, unfortunately including a large number of critics, and it hasn't done all that well as a result. But if you have the right sort of sense of humor, this movie will make you laugh until you've got tears in your eyes. Robin Williams plays the star of a children's television show (whose television persona couldn't be more different from what he's like in his real life) who is replaced by Ed Norton, an impossibly naïve do-gooder of a fuchsia rhinoceros, and vows to have revenge. Everyone in the cast does an excellent job, but it's Robin Williams who provides most of the many howling, tears-in-your-eyes laughs you'll find in this movie. He is as hilarious as he's ever been in "Death to Smoochy," and shines in every scene. There are a few points in the film where it seems to slow down a little, but for the most part, it's great fun from start to finish. If you're the kind of person who thinks it can be hilarious to skewer unlikely targets such as nationwide charities and children's television, if you often laugh out loud at jokes that many others consider to be irreverent, or if "twisted" is a word you can easily apply to your sense of humor, chances are that you'll find this DVD to be worth its weight in platinum. If you're a more conventional type, or think that Robin Williams giving a child a cookie in the shape of a phallus isn't amusing, you should probably stay away.
Rating:
Summary: underappreciated dark comedy with fantastic cast
Review: Directed by Danny DeVito (War of the Roses) and written by Adam Resnick (Larry Sanders Show, Get a Life), Death of Smoochy tells the story of a homicidally bitter kids' show has-been, Rainbow Randolph (Robin Williams), and the object of his loathing, Smoochy, a fuschia rhino played by genuinely nice Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton). Based on the premise that kid shows are run by greedy corporate marketers who don't care much about kids at all, this dark satire manages to throw barbs at the media, entertainers, executives, the mob, charities -- even ice shows! The supporting cast is stellar -- Catherine Keener, Harvey Fierstein, Jon Stewart, Danny DeVito, Vincent Schiavelli, Pam Farris and more. Everyone does a GREAT job. I watched this despite horrid reviews because I really enjoy the work of so many of the participants, and upon viewing it I have to say that I think the critics were absolutely wrong. I kept waiting for the plot to fall apart, for the pacing to slow, some fatal flaw -- but it stayed funny throughout the film. Not every comedy makes me laugh out loud, but this did several times, and I wanted to watch it again the next day. The climactic ice show is surreal good time -- watch for the Chinese characters spelling out "dead rhino" on the ice! It's a shame that this gem didn't get the audiences it deserved. If you like satire, dark comedy, DeVito's previous work, an unrestrained Robin Williams, OR if you are suspicious of Barney and corporate media, you will probably get a real kick out of this film. Caveat: Inappropriate viewing for kids due to violence and foul language. DVD extras are excellent and exemplary. There is a very good commentary track with DeVito and DP Michos; a largely unnarrated 7-1/2 minute behind-the-scenes documentary; 10 additional scenes; bloopers; 3 trailers; lots of stills, including Smoochy's post-production vacation; crew & cast info; and an interactive ice show, in which you can watch the film's ice show scene using 4 camera angles. As with most satire, you may judge it by how offended the skewer-ees were, and these were plenty upset! Even though the critical buzz is bad, you should take a chance on this film. Essential for fans of comedic satire. Highest recommendation.
|
