It's hard to pinpoint where things go wrong.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
New Times (L.A.) by Gregory Weinkauf
Resnick has crafted an ambitious, if extremely uneven, character study.
Death to Smoochy is often very funny, but what's even more remarkable is the integrity of DeVito's misanthropic vision.
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
In general, parodies may not rely overmuch on plot, but they need more in this department than Death to Smoochy possesses.
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
Starts out as such a deliciously savage satire of TV kiddie shows that it's a shame it swerves out of control and over the top, sliding into tedium before pulling together for a clever, if protracted, finish.
So off-the-wall that it may well ultimately acquire the cult status of Resnick's earlier Chris Elliot vehicle, "Cabin Boy."
Austin Chronicle by Marc Savlov
It's good -- no, great -- to see Williams as a mean rat bastard.
Rolling Stone by Peter Travers
This black-comic assault on family entertainment is going to set a lot of teeth on edge -- If only his (De Vito's) material were better this time.
All noise with very little fun, and almost no restraint.
Philadelphia Inquirer by Steven Rea
Williams, going full throttle as the desperate deposed kiddie icon Rainbow Ralph, is, well, simply exhausting.