Watched when I was extraordinarily sleep-deprived and generally of a considerably ill mood, this was like a sharp slap to the face that woke me right up and held my attention completely for its brisk 68 minute running time. I'd not yet gotten around to experiencing the Marx Brothers; whatever I expected of them, it wasn't such a rapid-fire barrage of hilarious one-liners, a perfect mixture of silly gags and intelligently established witticisms. Groucho is incredible, essentially giving more of a stand-up routine than an acting performance per se. There's not much of a narrative to speak of, but nor is there any need for one when you can barely make out the next line of dialogue from laughing so…

A disappointing introduction to the Marx Brothers' brand of humor. Within the modest 70-minute run time, their simplistic slapstick and crude humor is repetitive and works inconsistently. You have to give Groucho, Chico, and Harpo some credit for the energy they bring to the table. They keep a constant assault of jokes and gags, with some hitting home with hilarious results. The mirror scene being an example of improvised delivery perfection. They work best when in scenes together, the second they separate everything becomes unfocused and downright stupid. Lacking any intelligent commentary to go with their half-hearted attempts at satire. Chaplin and Keaton mastered similar comedic styles, but with the absence of sound they had to perfect the art of…

For me, Duck Soup is kind of a film about not knowing stuff.

I last saw it about twelve years ago, when I spent a lot of time in many pubs around Glasgow, one of which was called Rufus T. Firefly. (This is the sort of thing that happens if you are in a relationship with an alcoholic Glaswegian comedian. And before you ask, no, he was never famous.) Rufus T Firefly was a cool name, but I didn't know it was anything except a good combination of words ... Which was unusual: I tend to know where references come from and be good at quizzes, so friends or my then boyfriend eventually got me to watch Duck Soup. Which…

Duck Soup at the moment is the first and only Marx brothers film I have seen so I am not entirely familiar with their style of slap stick comedy. This is my 2nd viewing of the film, the first time seeing it I was actually quite disappointed to the point where I did not bother with any other Marx Bro.'s films. Now I want to retry at their filmography and I decided to start here where I left off and rewatch Duck Soup to see if my opinion changed.

The result is a mixture of both, I did enjoy the slap stick humor and witty jokes much more this time around (I caught alot more of the subtle references in…

Is it really worth the effort, reviewing the Marx Brothers’ 1933 classic “Duck Soup?” I mean honestly, are people going to be interested in reading about an 80-year old film? How many have actually seen it? And if not, are they likely to change their minds now?

I decided in favor of posting this review in hopes that people will take the time to discover how truly funny Groucho was/is. His jokes are sharper, cleverer, more biting and simply laugh-out-loud funny all these years later than anything by Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, Kevin James, and most other contemporary comedic actors. Watch and see. He kills.

I’m not sure the plot matters much, but here it is anyway: the small country…

Originally posted at: evantvmoviegames.tumblr.com/post/49019943283/ducksoupmoviereview

When you think of great physical comedians, there’s almost always three that are brought up. Coincidentally, all made names for themselves at a time when film was finding its voice, both figuratively and literally, in the late 20s and early 30s.

At the forefront were Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers. All three have produced a handful of movies that would come to be considered classics, and among that crop of fine films were the Marx Brother’s splendid work in their motion picture Duck Soup.

After being appointed leader of Freedonia, Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx), declares war on neighboring Slyvania over the wealthy widow Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont).

The film is at its…