Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- sardonic
- irreverent
- grotesque
- dark comedy night
- robin williams double feature
What critics said
Critics generally found the premise and talented cast promising but judged the script overextended, miscalculated, and unable to sustain its dark satire.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The children's television network, sponsors, performers, and mob-linked operators repeatedly treat Smoochy's wholesome persona as a vehicle for money and influence.
Randolph's obsessive hatred, criminal manipulation, threats, and violent schemes are framed through grotesque humor rather than sentimental redemption.
Sheldon Mopes attempts to preserve Smoochy's integrity while network figures and corrupt partners pursue financial gain.
The purple rhino costume, children's-show imagery, exaggerated performances, and flamboyant criminal situations create a deliberately cartoonish world.
Films like Death to Smoochy, and why
The Player
shares blackly comic satire, corrupt entertainment institutions, and volatile character-driven conflict
The Hudsucker Proxy
shares caustic workplace satire, criminal schemes, and an aggressively cynical tone
Fargo
shares dark comedy, criminal absurdity, and escalating revenge driven by an unstable antagonist
The Cable Guy
shares misanthropic humor, cartoonish violence, and a critique of commercialized family entertainment
Movie Details
- Director
- Danny DeVito
- Release Date
- 2002-03-29
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (466)
Cast
- Robin Williams
- Edward Norton
- Catherine Keener
- Danny DeVito
- Jon Stewart
- Pam Ferris
- Danny Woodburn
- Michael Rispoli
- Harvey Fierstein
- Vincent Schiavelli
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Death to Smoochy about?
- A disgraced children's television star wages an increasingly unhinged war against the wholesome purple rhino who took his job, exposing the corrupt machinery behind family entertainment.
- What is Death to Smoochy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Death to Smoochy as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Death to Smoochy violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Death to Smoochy as moderate.
- What did critics think of Death to Smoochy?
- Critics generally found the premise and talented cast promising but judged the script overextended, miscalculated, and unable to sustain its dark satire.
- Which films are like Death to Smoochy?
- Films with a similar feel include The Player, The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, and The Cable Guy.
- How long is Death to Smoochy?
- Death to Smoochy runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Death to Smoochy?
- In United States, Death to Smoochy is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
