Disc Details
Special Features:	Commentary by Danny DeVito and Director of Photography Anastas Michos Theatrical trailer(s) 10 Additional Scenes Bloopers and Outtakes Behind the scenes Documentary Interactive Ice Show Magic Cookie Bag Gallery Hidden Scene (Easter Egg) Web Enabled Interactive Smoochy Games
Video Format:	Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) [SS-SL]
Languages:	English (Dolby Digital 5.1) French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles:	English, Spanish, French.
Captions:	Yes
Casing:	1-Disc Snap Case

Robin Williams plays recently disgraced children’s show host Rainbow Randolph, who after a bribery scandal is replaced by huggable rhino Smoochy (Ed Norton) -- looking strangely close to a fuscia-colored Barney. Bent on revenge, Randolph vows to take Smoochy out for good, in a smack-down, drag-out battle to the death. If only Barney and Bozo were in the same predicament. Along for the ride are cutthroat studio execs Nora (Catherine Keener) and Marion (a matted-hair Jon Stewart), and shady agent Burke (Danny DeVito), who leads Smoochy down the dark and dingey world of contract negotiations.

Made to be a statement against the cutthroat, ratings-driven TV culture of today, the Danny DeVito-directed comedy is often hit or miss. The script definitely has its share of rough spots; Catherine Keener’s Nora is poorly written and completely out of place, while Norton and Williams occasionally aren’t on the same page. The film would have played out better four or five years ago, when the Barney Cult had reached a frenzied (more like frightening) pace, but still, there are plenty of laughs to be had. A Nazi "Smoochy rally" and a dildo-shaped cookie that finds its way onto the set are bust-a-gut funny. Uncompromising to a fault, you'll either love or hate the film.

Picture Quality: 9/10
Anastas Michos did a wonderful job filming "Death to Smoochy," utilitizing a very dark, but very saturated color scheme. Films of this nature usually come across well on DVD, and this disc is no exception. The presentation is excellent. The image is incredibly sharp, and there is no noticeable artifacting or grain. The disc is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer.

Sound Quality: 9/10
The 5.1 Dolby Digital transfer (in both English and French) is extremely effective, accurately setting up the front three-channels, and using the surrounds when needed. Dialogue is extremely crisp, and the front channels are well-balanced.

Menu: 9/10
A very funny animated menu system, giving the disc a campy kid's show quality to it. As an added bonus, the uber-cheesy "Friends come in all sizes" song plays in the background.

Easter Eggs:
There is a hidden blooper reel of Williams cracking jokes in a car with Norton egging him on.
To access:
-Go to the Special Features menu.
-Click on "Continue" to get to the next page
-Move down until you've highlighted the Smoochy homicide "chalk line". Hit select and enjoy!

Extra Features: 8/10
A pretty sizeable number of features lace the disc. The commentary track by DeVito and Director of Photography Anastas Michos is worth sitting through, if you're a film buff. DeVito is extremely sharp, and the visual flair he used for "Smoochy" is explained in full detail on the track.

The blooper reel is nothing to write home about (save for a few funny Jon Stewart moments), though the deleted scenes -- a whopping 10 of them, with text explanations for why they were cut -- and behind-the-scenes documentary are nice additions. There's also a funny blooper eater egg (see Menu above).

The Interactive Ice Show is an interesting feature that lets you control the camera angle of the "Smoochy on Ice" show, though I couldn't find a way to get back to the main menu from that screen. Magic Cookie Bag has a bunch of production stills.

The Final Word:
"Death to Smoochy" is a hit or miss comedy that will have you gasping for air one minute, and scratching your head the next. Though the film falls short of its ultimate goal, there are still plenty of laughs. The disc holds a host of solid extra-features, which makes "Smoochy" a nice addition to the library for fans of the film.

Stephen Wong