|
.. |
|
DEATH TO SMOOCHY
Review by Gordon Justesen
Stars:
Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Danny DeVito, Catherine Keener, Jon Stewart
Director: Danny DeVito
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Studio: Warner Bros.
Features: See Review
Length: 109 Minutes
Release Date: September 17, 2002
“Bastard
Son of Barney! Die! Die, stuffed ball of fluff! Illegitimate Teletubbie! Die,
you Mupppet from hell! Die, you foam motherf***er!”
Film
***
Barney the Dinosaur
may be way past his prime, but I’m much convinced that the one time purple and
popular television personality never faced an ordeal quite like Smoochy the
Rhino. In fact, if there’s an aspect of Danny DeVito’s dark satire, Death
to Smoochy, that is disappointing, it’s the fact that this film wasn’t
released during the height of Barney’s popularity. I’m pretty sure that kids
and parents all across the globe would react with their lower jaw to the floor.
Nevertheless, the
movie at hand still holds true to its subject matter, and plays it with a unique
and sinister comic vibe. I have long been a sucker for dark comedies, and I can
certainly say that Death to Smoochy is
the darkest of comedies in many a moon. There’s also an ironic twist here;
it’s a dark comedy set against a backdrop you’d least expect to be so
twisted, depending on your take, which is that of kids television programming.
It’s actually a good question to ask; would families ever suspect that
somewhere lurking underneath such innocent programming as Sesame
Street or Captain Kangaroo was such a thing as corporate greed? That’s just
what DeVito presents in his no-holds-barred satire.
Robin Williams, at
his insanely comedic best, plays Rainbow Randolph, who at the beginning of the
movie is the headliner of the top children’s television show in the country.
He’s a sparkling crowd-pleaser in front of the camera, but his off-camera
antics leave a lot to be desired. When busted for accepting a bribe from
undercover FBI agents, Randolph is immediately kicked off the air and out of
children’s television for good. While the network, KIDNET, is embarrassed by
Randolph’s incident, they find themselves in dire need of a replacement, and
fast. Of their limited choices, the one that stands out with even the slightest
hint of potential is Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton), who’s creative concept is
the heart-warming personality, Smoochy the Rhino.
Needless to say,
Sheldon’s enthusiastic and uplifting personality both on and off the camera
help make Smoochy’s Magic Jungle the
hottest piece of kids entertainment in the country. Randolph, enduring a
near-homeless life, is dead set on revenge against his cheery replacement,
especially when he strikes a note of intimacy with one of the show’s
producers, Nora (Catherine Keener), who was once Randolph’s squeeze. The
spontaneous Smoochy phenomenon also brings with it the dangers of corporate
sponsorship, including a meddling crook named Burke, played by DeVito, who
supplies Sheldon with a gun as a gift, telling him it’s a handy accessory in
this business. And Randolph’s revenge plot is certainly not too pleasant, but
outlandishly funny in two instances where he plants a peculiarly shaped cookie
for Smoochy to give his kids on the show, and later when he sets Sheldon up to
perform at a rally that turns out to be attended by neo-Nazis.
The strength of
this movie is propelled by three factors. First off, there’s Robin Williams,
who is currently enjoying a nice career revelation in playing seriously demented
characters in Insomnia and One
Hour Photo. While the character of Rainbow Randolph is insane in his own
right, this is in service of Williams’ uncanny knack for his hot wired comic
brilliance, and it’s one of his funniest performances since Mrs.
Doubtfire. Then there’s Edward Norton, who is one of the great versatile
actors working right now. After seeing him in such dark films like Fight Club and American
History X, I’d never thought I would ever see him play a character as
clean and sincere as Sheldon. If I remember correctly, Norton doesn’t utter a
single profane word in the entire film (he comes close at one point, but is
quick to resist). To be honest, I’d like to see Norton play another edgier
character than this kind, but he still shines in a role that is indeed something
of a revelation. Finally, there’s Danny DeVito’s visually inspired
directing. DeVito seems to be working in the same vein as Tim Burton, who’s
also made a number of hideously dark comedies. He, along with cinematographer
Anastas N. Michos, who also supplied the look for Man
on the Moon, create a certain tone that matches well with the devilish
comedy.
My only quibble
with the movie is that its conclusion is too easy and squeaky clean. I don’t
want to give anything away, but I truly feel that if the movie had stayed with
its sinister tone throughout the ending, we may have had something of a knockout
dark comedy. Still, Death to Smoochy
is at times a riotous comedy fueled by the crazed comedic stylings of Mr.
Williams, a gentle revelation in Mr. Norton, and the eye gazing look supplied by
Mr. DeVito.
Video
***1/2
As I’ve kept
saying throughout the year, WB has never failed to deliver even a near solid
transfer, for which in this case, Death to
Smoochy is no exception. The anamorphic transfer boasts some terrific
elements of sharpness and overall picture clarity. I mentioned how good the
directing and cinematography were, and the video job on this disc certainly
enhances that element. The only flaw is a bit instance of softness in a scene or
two, but nothing largely distracting at all.
Audio
***
Death
to Smoochy is very much a
dialogue driven comedy, but the 5.1 mix offered by WB does show some impressive
bits in such other areas, especially in music and all sequences set on the
Smoochy TV show, which includes numerous music performances, etc. A subtle but
nonetheless grand transfer that does display a certain amount of dynamic range.
Features
****
Quite simply one of
the best packages to come from WB in a long time, features-wise. They have never
been known for providing outlandish menu screens, but the menus here really
surprised me. Included is a running commentary by Danny DeVito and
cinematographer Anastas N. Michos, a nice little behind the scenes featurette,
some additional/deleted scenes, a much hilarious outtakes reel, three trailers
for the movie, a hidden Easter egg and two bonus areas titled “Magic Cookie
Bag” and “Interactive Ice Show”. Some DVD-Rom features are included as
well.
Summary: