Duck Soup

Starring: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont
Directed by: Leo McCarey
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy
Box Office: $
1933

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) is named President of Freedonia, immediately annoying and frustrating his entire cabinet and pushing rival Sylvania to the brink of war.

Review:

Tim: This is widely regarded as one of the greatest comedies of all time. It is an absolute classic and required viewing for any true movie lover. While watching it, I realized that many of the jokes might have been hilarious in 1933, but are purely corny today. However- and this is what is so amazing- so many of the jokes, skits, and stunts are every bit as funny today, 75+ years after it first came out. This movie was so influential to so many movies, and I highly recommend every single person see this movie.

The cast is really up and down. I really, really enjoyed Groucho Marx as Rufus T. Firefly. He had such charisma and that leading man presence. He was excellent. I also enjoyed Margaret Dumont, playing the straight-woman to the zaniness taking place everywhere around her. Chico and Harpo were actually more annoying than anything else. However, they do have some terrific sequences. There were some very funny moments between them.

This movie has some absolutely classic, nearly perfect scenes. The crown jewel of the film is the scene where Groucho tries to trick his "mirror" image. I honestly cannot describe how amazing this scene truly is. It is hilarious, brilliant, and I found myself laughing out loud as I watched. There is also a never-ending stream of funny one-liners, quips, and witticisms, almost the point where it is impossible to catch them all. I couldn't believe how many funny lines were in this one relatively short movie! The peanut stall scene is so impressive, you absolutely have to see it to believe it.

This isn't a perfect movie. The film's plot oftentimes takes a back seat to the sheer comedic craziness that occurs nearly every second of the film. There is also some interesting commentary on war and politics, but this often gets lost just trying to keep up with the absurd speeches, acts, and events throughout the movie.

I really enjoyed this movie, and while it has lost some effectiveness over the years, it is still a wonderful, classic comedy. I highly recommend this landmark film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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A Night in Casablanca, Go West, Monkey Business, Animal Crackers