Death to Smoochy

Any movie with the exquisite Catherine Keener in it is worth watching. Any movie with Robin Williams in an even slightly funny role is worth watching. And any movie that features the cool Edward Norton -- who I believe is one of the best actors of his generation -- is well worth watching. With that said, sure, Smoochy still has its share of corny, but even those parts fit well because of the theme (doing a children's show). I found this movie very entertaining, and the story held my interest all the way through. And it is Norton who actually makes it a good comedy, rather than Williams. Oh, and having the Irish mob to boot makes it even better! hehe ... B

This film's been released on DVD for a while and at my local blockbusters, i noticed it quietly sitting in a corner next to Day after tomorrow and dirty dancing 2. But as i work in blockbusters, i get free rentals every week so thought i might as well rent it out. Man, was i in for a shocker!! Talk about totally hilarious.

Some of the gags in this film were quality - Robin Williams is at his comical best. I'm not saying it's Williams' best ever film (cough good will hunting cough) but certainly he's never been this funny. His gag about the abnormally shaped cookie was so funny. In fact, i've never laughed this much since Dumb and Dumber.

Edward Norton was actually very believable as the clean cut good guy. I didn't expect it from him after watching Fight club and American history X but he carried out his role really well.

Catherine Keener also looked really beautiful, she played her power-hungry turned nice chick character to a tee.

Even though the story is about a kids show, there's a lot of dark comedy in it e.g. the involvement of the Irish gangsters (by the way also very funny) showing what a good job Danny devito has done directing this film. Credit to him. All the characters in the film served a purpose and above all, did it well!! All seemed believable and Robin Williams was the star.

If you watch this film, persevere for the first 20 minutes because after which the jokes and plot come in hard and thick.

Top stuff, rent if you want a comedy with original storyline and a little bit of good humoured smut thrown in for good measure.

I've never seen a Danny De Vito film I didn't like, and Smoochy is no exception. Original and creative at every turn, with great performances from Edward Norton, Robin Williams, Catherine Keener, and everyone else in the cast. I smiled and/or laughed through the whole film. What more can you ask from a bent and twisted comedy, I ask you?

I have watched this movie four times by now, and it still keeps on being funny. And there is just something uniquely odd about the comedy in the movie which makes "Death to Smoochy" a fantastic comedy movie.

The story told in "Death to Smoochy" is just hilarious. It is about a vindictive former children show star, Rainbow Randolph (played by Robin Williams) who seeks revenge on Smoochy, the new star who replaced his time slot on the network TV. Smoochy (played by Edward Norton) is a gullible person unfamiliar with the way of running children's TV.

There are tons of hilarious situations throughout the entire movie, and they are well-played by the acting talents, and also accompanied by funny dialogue. The characters are colorful - literally and physically. And they all have very real and lovable qualities. I especially love how Rainbow Randolph's appearance becomes more and more ravaged throughout the time.

"Death to Smoochy" is, in my opinion, one of Robin Williams best movies.

There is an impressive ensemble of talents in this fine comedy, and people deliver where it counts.

If you are not already familiar with "Death to Smoochy", then it is a movie well-worth sitting down to watch. Great fun and laughs all around.

I would be wrong if I said that Danny DeVito's films were made with full intent to capture the realisms of life, and it is because of his ability to portray an eccentric world (or relationship) that he is able to made the most original and entertaining characters known to film.

For example, although he didn't create the character Matilda, he was able to portray the girl with telekinetic ability in a very effective manner in the film of the same name. And also the characters in 'War of the Roses' were thoroughly over-the-top, but it was because of this that the films directed by the short man were so entertaining.

'Death to Smoochy' was no exception. It is because of the over-the-top characters that it is so funny. Edward Norton's character in particular is hilarious just because of the OTT reactions the 'atrocities' of the world draw out of him, and the overly-nice attitude he oozes.

There are other things that create humour. The lines are hilariously witty and even the facial expressions created by some of the characters give the film replay value. So IS there anything wrong with it?

I, personally, don't believe the dated storyline creates an obstruction, but I do feel that there is a problem with the dramatic character arcs. The biggest example of this is Robin Williams' character who goes, in one scene, from being ridiculously hateful, to wanting nothing more than to save his ex-arch-rival. This is where the over-the-top obstructs believability, although it doesn't do enough to make me dislike the film even partially.

The film, although flawed only by the very dramatic character arcs, is thoroughly enjoyable, and DeVito sprinkles just enough dramatic camera angles to support the extremity of the storyline. It is a rare gem, battered at the box office, but very safe in my collection of favourite DVDs.

Enjoy.

-Stoate.