Robin Williams has had quite a number of films in the past year. I guess he is trying to expand creatively, or maybe he needs the money. Death to Smoochy is perfect for Williams offbeat sense of humor as is this just about the strangest movie I have ever seen.
In a very Pulp Fiction kind of way, this movie grew on me in the days that followed the viewing. To say this tanked at the theaters would be an understatement only seen as wrong when compared to Eddie Murphy's Pluto Nash, but that's another story.
Williams opening scene is possibly the first time I've ever seen something so funny and disturbing at exactly the same time. Williams plays Rainbow Randolph, a children's entertainer whose colorful dance tunes are the nation's tops. Pure, innocent and full of marketing power, his true self is seen only after he is busted by the FBI for taking bribes to place the children in better spots on the show.
After falling to the bottom like Pee Wee Herman did, enter Ed Norton's
Smoochy character. Smoochy is an environmental concious Rhino created by Sheldon Mopes, who represents everything Rainbow Randolph does wrong. Randy down on his luck blames the Rhino instead of himself for all that has happened. To make matters worse, Mopes won't sell out and drinks all sorts of organic drinks and eats organic foods. He is the complete opposite of Randy.
The movie is so shocking at times because on one hand you have the theme of a kids show contrasting with murder, backstabbing, corruption and vulgarity. The movie has a memorable cast of supporting characters, including a mentally disabled former boxing champion that becomes Smoochy's cousin Moochy. This only after he screws up banging the cowbell to a simple tune. Danny Devito, who also directs, and John Stewart also add memorable characters as sleazy partners working with a corrupt charity led by the flamboyant yet still tough Harvey Fierstein.
I think the movie probably flopped because of 911 and negative press. I think Ed Norton is a great actor but he simply does not carry the Sheldon character to the level I think it needed to be. The role needs someone a little more flexible and Jeff Daniels of Dumb and Dumber fame comes to mind. I think the Sheldon/Smoochy character holds the film from really exploding in the way Pulp Fiction did. Now Norton still puts on a valiant effort but to see him try to portray a simple mind just isn't believable.
Still Death to Smoochy, much like a train wreck, held my attention all the way through to the end. During the movie several times I thought to myself this is awful and yet I continued to watch. After days of reflection I'm really wanting to see it again. I think this will be a cult hit years from now and Devito should earn himself that status as director.
The Disc:
One of the coolest extras on this disc really captivated me. There is an ice show sequence in the film and Warner has a mode that lets you play camera director. There are four angles and you by pressing 1-2-3-4 can choose which to see. It gave me a glimpse of what the live tv people do all the time. The other extras are surprisingly well done, especially for a movie that tanked at the theater.
The audio commentary with director/co-star Danny DeVito and director of photography Michos is pretty insightful. This is the first time I've heard from Devito in the directing role so hearing how he handled the contrasting directions of Williams and Norton was quite amusing. The bloopers and outtakes are a bit disappointing but
10 cool additional scenes, including the song "Last Nappy Time" make up for it.
Picture wise the movie looks astounding. The film has a great sense of color, especially in the opening scene with Rainbow Randolph singing about people's sizes. The transfer comes through as we expect it to in this day and age of DVD release. Audio is typical for a movie in the comedy genre with little use of the full range that surround provides.
bottom line:
I highly reccomend a viewing of this film if only to see if you get the same reaction. I disliked it for most of the film then started really enjoying myself toward the end. Quite possibly the strangest film I've ever seen and definitely NOT for the kids.
By - Brian Gray
