When Death to Smoochy (DTS) came out I'd heard nothing but bad things about it from film critics and never paid it much attention. But after stumbling upon it on the IMDb several years later, and reading numerous rave reviews about it, I decided to take a risk and give DTS a shot anyway.
For those who have spoken highly of the film's concept, acting, look, or uniqueness, I agree with you on those points. DTS throws out most of the conventional comedy mold and attempts to do something different and off the wall. The cast is also a great ensemble, including Edward Norton, Robin Williams, Catherine Keener, and Danny DeVitto among others.
The problem for me was the delivery of the humor just didn't work. DTS relies too much on the uniqueness of itself to generate laughs. A theoretically good concept can't make up for the lack of substance of the greater product. The movie just drags on and on for nearly two hours, despite barely having enough humorous material to fill half that time. The only scene that I really found memorable was Robin Williams's rant about a certain phallic shaped cookie.
Maybe I'm overlooking some deep inner meaning or something, but for me this film just didn't work and while some will no doubt like it for being different, it's a tough sell.
For those who have spoken highly of the film's concept, acting, look, or uniqueness, I agree with you on those points. DTS throws out most of the conventional comedy mold and attempts to do something different and off the wall. The cast is also a great ensemble, including Edward Norton, Robin Williams, Catherine Keener, and Danny DeVitto among others.
The problem for me was the delivery of the humor just didn't work. DTS relies too much on the uniqueness of itself to generate laughs. A theoretically good concept can't make up for the lack of substance of the greater product. The movie just drags on and on for nearly two hours, despite barely having enough humorous material to fill half that time. The only scene that I really found memorable was Robin Williams's rant about a certain phallic shaped cookie.
Maybe I'm overlooking some deep inner meaning or something, but for me this film just didn't work and while some will no doubt like it for being different, it's a tough sell.