It is a performances centric movie

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This movie is dark, funny and seditious. Excellent work by all involved. Don't listen to the haters. Just watch it and decide for yourself.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first put this film on but I was pleasently surprised. I also love the role reversal for two of my favourite actors. I'm so used to Ed Norton playing the villain role and Robin Williams playing the hero. This is just a testament to their range of acting because someone I generally love (Williams) I found myself despising thoughout the film. It was well paced and great characters and poetic ying/yang chemistry between Norton and Williams.

War of the kid's show mascots, as a shameless Barney stand-in steals the national adoration (and television slot) of a down-on-his-luck Captain Kangaroo stand-in. With an invested Ed Norton as the former and a cackling, chaotic Robin Williams as the latter, the right pieces might appear to be in-place for some fireworks, but the film never gets there. Hopelessly predictable and cut-rate, it's a watery humorless mess. The cast seems to know they're in a stinker, too, with a steaming mound of half-assed performances and a full gallery of awful, borderline-offensive caricatures. Norton is really the only one who seems like he's into it, throwing his all into the part of a hopelessly naive nice guy who falls in bed with a den of vipers, though Williams admittedly doesn't get much substance to work with. Jon Stewart is particularly atrocious in his supporting role as a weak-willed executive with bad hair who constantly, pointlessly lingers around the fringe like a wet fart. Riddled with holes and desperately short on laughs, Smoochy's questionable morals seem to hint that the key to success in show business involves choosing the nicer of two warring mob factions. Bizarre, boring fodder without a purpose, this one was a real chore to finish.

Death to Smoochy is one of those films whose assumed plot we've always fantasized about; especially those of us with young children in the home. Barney the Dinosaur (1992-2010), Teletubbies (1997- 2001), Yo-Gabba-Gabba (2007-Present) inspire just as many kids to use their imaginations and jump up and down as they inspire grown- ups to take up Valium. So why not release a movie about a beloved children's character meeting his demise.Well I'm not sure people knew quite what they were getting into with this one but if you can deal with Edward Norton's painful earnestness and Robin William's mania there's actually quite a lot to like here. Atmospherically the tone is dark and caustically funny. Director Danny DeVito creates a cynical media-centric universe in this film where crime and corruption ooze into the folds of children's programming. Smoochy the Rhino (Edward Norton) is a real believer in the power of his message to kids which is at odds with his angry rival Rainbow Randy (Robin Williams). As a result Smoochy naivety was seen by many as unrealistic and even annoying. I agree but a lot of bad things happen to the pink rhino so to me, it washes out.