Product Details

• Actors: Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, Danny DeVito, Jon Stewart
• Directors: Danny DeVito
• Writers: Adam Resnick
• Producers: Andrew Lazar, Doug Davison, Jill Besnoy, Jody Hedien, John Kreidman
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: September 17, 2002
• Run Time: 109 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (171 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00006CY4W
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,115 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Guaranteed to please anyone who thinks Barney is Satan's spawn, Death to Smoochy mines comedy gold by skewering children's television. Adam Resnick's easy-target satire blossoms under the demented influence of director-costar Danny DeVito, who honors his legacy of venom-laced humor with the raucous rivalry of scandalized former kid-show host Rainbow Randolph (Robin Williams) and his squeaky-clean replacement, Sheldon Mopes, a.k.a. Smoochy the Rhino (Edward Norton). Randolph is insanely obsessed with getting his job back, but Smoochy's a smash, and their war for kid-vid supremacy places a jaded "KidNet" producer (Catherine Keener) in the middle of a Rainbow/Rhino smackdown. A few lulls are easily forgiven since much of Death to Smoochy is laugh-out-loud hilarious, with DeVito, Robert Prosky, Jon Stewart, and Harvey Fierstein in choice supporting roles. It's no wonder DeVito's taboo-busting drew fire from family groups and actual kid-show producers; only the humorless would fail to laugh at Smoochy's uncompromised irreverence. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker

Not really a movie. More of a fifty-car highway pileup disguised as a movie. Robin Williams plays the host of a children's TV show-smiling onstage, all snarls elsewhere. He is fired for taking bribes, and, under the eye of a steely producer (Catherine Keener), his place is taken by a sweet, health-conscious fool (Ed Norton) in a rhino suit. Danny DeVito appears as a bouncy slimeball; he also directed the movie, which-and this is both a wild guess and a recommendation-may not appear on the stars' résumés in future years. It really is one to expunge: semi-plotted, silly yet funless, with overstuffed performances and a strange visual coating that manages to be at once plastic and sweaty. A shame, because there is a great comedy to be made about children's television and the empurpling stranglehold of Barney and his ilk. With Harvey Fierstein as a mobster; yes, it's that convincing. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Laughs!, January 24, 2005

By 

H. Swanson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death to Smoochy (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

This movie stars Edward Norton, is there anything more that can be said? ;) It's so nice to see such amazing diversity in an actor's characters. (If you want to know what I'm referring to, just go watch American History X and then Death to Smoochy).

"I think you'd have to be wired way too tight not to be able to laugh at this movie. It's able to give you a dark chuckle on an adult level and satirize things in a sophisticated way." -Edward Norton

Sure DTS's humor may be a little juvenile at some times, but it's nevertheless hillarious.

Highly recommended, if nothing else see it for Edward Norton, he gives a great performance (as always) and his character (Sheldon Mopes) is a nice change from the usual.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "I despise you! I LOATHE YOU!!!!" I'm Very Pleased, Indeed, September 22, 2002

By 

Michael Crane (Orland Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death to Smoochy (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

This movie is a prime example of why I never listen to professional critics. Most of the time, they hate movies that I love and love movies that I hate. Of course this movie isn't going to win any Acadamy Awards. Of course it isn't the best film ever. It's not trying to be. I found "Death to Smoochy" to be a dark and entertaining comedy with a really creative story. Robin Williams and Edward Norton star in this off-the-wall freak show directed by Danny DeVito.

Williams used to be "Rainbow Randolph;" a kiddie-show host who children just adored. That is, until he was busted for taking a bribe. Now the not so rainbow man is out of the job and is homeless. Out of an act of desperate measures, the company decides to hire Edward Norton; a dorky self-righteous dweeb without a single skeleton hiding in his closet. A new kiddie-show host is born, and his name is "Smoochy the Rhino." Well, Rainbow Randolph is not pleased at all. In fact, he's willing to take the rhino down for good. Because he's going hunting! The story unfolds with some of the most outrageous twists and turns to be seen in a comedy in a long time.

The acting is really good, and is right for this type of movie. Williams is over-the-top as always, and Norton really gives us the impression of such a moral imbecile, he makes Ned Flanders look like a no good hoodlum! The cast also inculdes Jon Stewart, Catherine Keener, and Danny DeVito himself. They all do this movie justice.

The directing by DeVito really shines in this movie. Had it been given to anyone else, it could've been a disaster. He knew when to have the actors take it up a notch and then tone it down when the time was right. I also really liked how the movie was filmed. At one minute, the movie would be bright and colorful, and then dark and grim the next. It really keeps the viewer's attention.

The DVD is quite good. Very surprised with it. As I said before, Warner Bros. usually likes to hold back when it comes to special features, but there's a lot on this one. Some of the features include commentary from the director and director of photography, additional scenes, bloopers and outtakes, trailers, and many more. I especially got a kick out of the bloopers and outtakes. Just wished it was a little longer.

So, if you're looking for an artistic movie or one that's going to win a few Oscars, then skip this movie. If you're looking for an off-the-wall dark comedy with a creative plot and story, then "Death to Smoochy" just may be the movie for you. Yes, I feel there could've been things done to make the movie better, but I was really pleased with the overall product. A very strange and bizarre movie it is, but that's the kind of movie I love.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "But It's The Rhino Angee.... The Devil Sent Him From Hell To Destroy Me....", November 27, 2005

By 

Robert "Insane Music Fanatic/ Musician" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death to Smoochy (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

I must have laughed half way through the movie, no kidding, just thinking about it makes me laugh... it was soooo funny!

The cover gives the impression that it is stupid but in reality the movie itself is a work of certifiable genious... I can't describe how good it is.

The fact that the movie itself was good but slightly stupid, and then any scene with Robin Williams in it makes you think that you will die laughing... His irradical hatred for the rhino "Smoochey" is blown ridiculously out of proportion and is just downright hilarious.

There was a scene where Robin Williams, (Raindbow Randolph) is watching TV and is seeing Smoochey on every channel and the dialouge is just hilarious.

"I Despise You..."
"I Loathe You!"
(Picks up a lamp and starts smashing the Tv while yelling:)

"Bastard son of Barnie!"
"Illeginamat Telitubby!"
"Die You Muppet From Hell!"
and then just starts screaming for like 10 seconds,
"Die!!!!!"
"Die!!!!!!!!"
"Die!!" all the while smashing the Tv into tiny pieces with a lamp, and there's just this crazy look in his eyes that makes me laugh for hours.


I simply can't stress how good this movie is, dumb, ya, a little, but still, hilarious and well made.

give this a watch... you'll laugh.