Rainbow Randolph, host of his own kid show, was loved and adored by millions of children. That is, until he was taken off the air because of a bribery scandal and replaced by Smoochy the rhinoceros. Now Randolph is upset and wants revenge, scheming to bring down the lovable icon that has taken his place. Thus is the plot of Danny DeVito’s black comedy, Death To Smoochy. Built as a parody of the Barney and Teletubbie fad, Death To Smoochy is a very dark comedy which centers itself around the idea that anarchy combined with Robin Williams and Edward Norton is funny. Subtlety is not a factor in any of the performances here, and the movie banks on the suggestion that bigger is better. That said, if you still think this film may be up your alley, then buckle up, because it’s going to take you for a ride.
Robin Williams, who plays fired host Rainbow Randolph, has apparently been given free reign to go completely nuts. The persona he presents is not charming and far from lovable. He is a complete mental case: a role that Williams can pull off perfectly. He is the absolute last person you would want hosting a kids show. If you can stomach Williams’ antics, then it is likely you are going to exit the theatre smiling. Smoochy, played by Edward Norton, is the complete opposite of Williams. He is the most innocent, likeable guy on television, and is played out as naïve, and extremely caring. Both actors play their parts well, although they certainly won’t be winning any awards given that they both are extreme versions of stereotypical characters lacking any sense of subtlety. As for the film as a whole, it’s hit and miss.
Death To Smoochy plays out as an extreme parody of Barney with a healthy dose of mafia influences. Many of the scenes by themselves are hilarious, but as a whole, don’t seem to quite add up. Many of the turns in the plot seemingly have no motivation, and as the scenes pile up towards a running time of nearly 2 hours, the movie gets progressively more bizarre. If it were trying to create a cohesive whole, then this experiment would have failed miserably, but it is important to remember that this movie is not attempting to be anything more than funny. Luckily, the writing itself is pretty clever, with several fantastic one-liners keeping the audience laughing, so when the action gets muddled and confusing, it doesn’t seem to matter all that much.
Overall, Death To Smoochy is a high-concept movie which is not for everyone. In fact, its probably not for most people. Its brand of uneasy humor and potentially offensive gags have the ability to be either extremely funny or extremely grating, depending on your personality. If you know that you like this type of humor, then by all means, see this movie. On the other hand, if you thought Williams’ performances in Patch Adams and Bicentennial Man were perfect, then perhaps you should avoid this film in favor of a less anarchist movie choice.
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