“Death To Smoochy” is a film directed by and co-starring Danny DeVito (“Matilda”, “Twins”) with Robin Williams (“Hook”, “Aladdin”) and Edward Norton (“Fight Club”, “American History X”) headlining it and it is seriously disappointing. It is purely aggression and no wit.

In this so-called comedy, Williams is tv kids’ show host ‘Rainbow’ Randolph Smiley, who turns out to be a crook so the network replace him. The new entertainer is a purple rhino named ‘Smoochy’, who is played by Sheldon Mopes (Norton); a man of good ethics. Rainbow Randolph and several others are out to get Smoochy so sit back as Nazis, the Irish mafia and evil charities make attempts on his life but without an ounce of good humour.

Both Williams and Norton are trying really hard but the material is dire. The anger shown by Williams and the niceness shown by Norton are not done creatively and come across as boring. It’s deeply sad to see Williams continue his streak of underwhelming films and to drag Norton down too. DeVito reserves himself a role as a slimy piece of work and doesn’t help the film. The only remotely funny character is a network executive played by Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich”).

“Death To Smoochy” doesn’t have the intelligence to make all the naughty words, dirty jokes and violent attitudes the slightest bit amusing and it lacks the humanity to make them emotional as demonstrated perfectly in the scene in which Rainbow Randolph threatens to set himself alight on a crowded street. I like the performance and I like the premise but “Death To Smoochy” is so reluctant in giving its stars even the tiniest bit of anything for them to work their magic; it’s an unpleasant experience to say the least and I’m sad that I’m having to say that about a film I actually had quite high hopes for.