"Death to Smoochy" is Better Than Its Rotten Tomatoes Score

Published Mar 7, 2026, 10:00 PM EST

Despite its all-star cast, Death to Smoochy was a huge box office bomb, and a critical failure. Yet 20+ years later, it’s a certified cult classic. So, what’s up with that?

"Death To Smoochy" Is An Outrageous Satire About The Entertainment Industry With An Iconic Cast

Directed By Danny DeVito; Starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Caherine Keener, & More; Released In 2002

Smoochy is a Barney analog, though he's a rhino instead of a dinosaur. Ed Norton plays the man who plays him, Sheldon Mopes, as being almost childlike himself. His gentle nature makes him perfectly suited for hosting a children's television program, but as it turns out, leaves him completely unprepared for the violent and dangerous people behind-the-scenes.

That includes "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley, Smoochy's predecessor, played by Robin Williams. Smiley loses his hosting gig after being caught up in an FBI sting; Smoochy's subsequent success leaves him murderously jealous. That's the movie's inciting incident.. It kicks off an absurd rollercoaster ride of dark comedy hijinx with a shockingly high body count for a comedy.

Death to Smoochy mystified audiences and critics when it came out. Rober Ebert declared it 2002's worst movie. Part of that is because the movie was ahead of its time. Part is that it is jarring, abrasive, and at times intentionally offensive. Which is the point. You don't go into Smoochy looking for a great story. Smoochy is a cinematic experience.

24 Years Later, Danny DeVito's Dark Comedy "Death To Smoochy" Is More In Line With Pop Culture's Comedic Sensibilities

Why The No-Holds-Barred Satire Is Worth A Watch

Death to Smoochy is outrageous. That obviously turns a lot of people off the movie. It is tailor-made to a specific sensibility. It's like infamous newspaper comic The Far Side, or the stand-up of Andrew Dice Clay. Or, like the boundary-pushing sitcom Dabby DeVito joined in its sophomore season: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

It surprised a lot of people when DeVito took the Always Sunny role in 2006. You know who wasn't surprised? Anyone who knew he made Death to Smoochy. DeVito made zero attempt to hide his extremely dark sense of humor with the 2002 film. 24 years later, Smoochy definitely feels a lot more in line with the caustic sensibilities of modern humor.

So, either we've caught up to Danny DeVito's vision, or sunk to his level. In any case, if you feel like you have an edgy sense of humor, Death to Smoochy is worth 109 minutes of your time. And afterward? Maybe do the film a favor and give it a boost on Rotten Tomatoes.

A New Generation Of Viewers Are Already Learning To Love "Death To Smoochy" Decades After Its Box Office Debacle

Digging Deeper Into The Rotten Tomatoes Stats For Smoochy

Actually, it's fair to say the audience reappraisal of Death to Smoochy has already started. Take a closer look at its Rotten Tomatoes reviews, and they are trending in a more positive direction. Of the latest 20 RT reviews for Smoochy, left over the last several years, only four rate the movie less than three stars.

As of now, Smoochy's "Popcornmeter" rating on RT rests at 66%, based on over fifty thousand viewer reviews. What does that tell us about its 42% critics' rating? That it is a little too harsh. 6.5 people reacting positively to the movie seems more reasonable. Not everyone will like Death to Smoochy, but it has its audience.

What do you think? Have you seen Death to Smoochy? How did you feel about it?