Blu-ray Review – Death to Smoochy

On paper, 2002's "Death to Smoochy" has it all. It offers a killer premise from screenwriter Adam Resnick ("Cabin Boy"), exploring the extremities of children's television as a battle for power and fame commences between two performers. It has a director in Danny DeVito, who's typically skilled with black comedies, previously scoring with "Throw Momma from the Train" and "The War of the Roses." And there's the participation of Robin Williams, ideally cast as an unhinged man feeling every moment of his professional and personal failure. The package is impressive, but "Death to Smoochy" is a frustrating movie to watch. It's clear DeVito is looking to generate an anarchic viewing experience with this dive into opportunity, corruption, and madness, but laughs are practically nonexistent in the overlong endeavor, which never lives up to its potential as a nasty slice of entertainment business satire. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com