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By Robert Scucci
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Death to Smoochy considered to be the worst film of the year by Roger Ebert after being released in 2002, and a Chicago Sun-Times critic as long as saying that “only extremely talented people” could even have thought of making a film that was “so bad, so mistaken, so cramped, so lacking in connection with any possible audience.” While this sounds like a devastating indication of this dark satire about the sports programming of children behind the scenes and the types of conversations that happen behind closed doors in TV networks, I can’t say that I agree with Ebert on this one although I feel that his reviews are almost always on the nose during his long and storytelling career.
After re -watching Death to Smoochy (Not on streaming, but by rent on demand), my main takeaway shop is that the film is too big ahead of its time to win over critics, and catch up astonishingly through a cynicism lens we all experience in the year 2025.
The corruption behind children’s programming
Wasting no time setting up his conflict, Death to Smoochy First presents his audience to Rainbow Randolph Smiley (Robin Williams), a beloved children’s character on the caught Kidnet channel receiving bribes, forcing the network for immediate fire and looking for replacement.
Kidnet executive Marion Frank Stokes (Jon Stewart) is told that he needs to quickly find another with a clean reputation, and send out his producer Nora Wells (Catherine Keener) to find the next big thing that will produce no argument at all.
In Nora’s search for talent, she finds the healthy and sweet mopes sheldon (Edward Norton), better known to his audience at the Methadone Clinic as Smoochy the Rhino. Smoochy, who wants to share his positive message with the force, signs with Kidnet and gets his own TV show, which sets up the epic, one -sided row who plays out through the rest Death to Smoochy.
Randolph Rainbow Dial arc
Now homeless and orphaned, Rainbow Randolph does everything he can to destroy Sheldon’s reputation Death to Smoochy In the hopes of regaining his glory and getting his show back on the air.
In the meantime, Sheldon is learning the dark side of broadcasting when goods that conflict directly with its healthy message are going to be sold by the network, leading it to Burke Bennett (Danny Devito), a corrupted agent in which a whole operation depends on the exploitation of charitable events for personal benefit.
Sheldon, who is too genuine and naive to go along with all the cynical instructions whose conscience is removed, is caught between his wholesome and reckless creativity, his vigorous romance with Nora, the greed of the polluted network and handling the sequence of his public image, Rainbow Boss, dragging to work, dragging to work, by lug to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work, dragging to work. As it dragged, dragged back to drag, dragging the tip. Cotter (Pam Ferris) and corrupt charitable organizer Merv Green (Harvey Fierstein) to steal from people in need who would benefit from his charitable appearances.
Every person that Sheldon encounters is Death to Smoochy Absolutely terrible, but soon they find out how he is actually the real deal and sincerely believes every Corny platform that comes out of his mouth when trying to deliver a positive message to the children with his show.
Glitter of light in a world of darkness
Death to Smoochy Difficult to watch because you want Sheldon to snap under the weight all the time. While it comes close on more than one occasion, it is refreshing to know, no matter how overwhelming and in over it, it never loses the plot, and wants to use its platform on Kidet forever.
Robin Williams Playing the perfect villain, and I’ve been shocked to be nominated for a worst supporting actor in the Razzies because his unrivaled performance is exactly what you would expect from a corrupt TV personality that he will stop on nothing to restore his time slot when someone is infinitely more healthy having a chance to replace it. What’s more, Edward Norton knew the assignment because his good boy image comes from such a serious place that you can’t help but root for Sheldon when his worldview is completely shattered along the road when he realizes he works for a bunch of crocks.
Watch Death to Smoochy
Although it may not be the Academy Award Material, Death to Smoochy Deserves better because of how its many side plots meet beautifully in the third act without appearing untidy or having to be explained specifically to the audience. Sheldon Mopes is the real deal, and everyone else wants a piece of it for selfish and stealth reasons, making the audience double down on Smoochy while also a form of hope that it fails because it would be the ultimate tragedy.
Overturn audience expectations with his unique brand of cynicism and misbehavior, Death to Smoochy is lost to time because there is nowhere on steaming. From this writing, this dark masterpiece of treatment and abuse can only be bought on demand Video Prime. Apple TV+. Youtubeand Mandango at home.
