Rating: 
Summary: Classic humour but perhaps limited in appeal
Review: Much has already been said about this movie already - suffice to say that this is a classic comedy that will suit a limited audience.What interests me is Groucho's acting. Look carefully at his manner, especially during the early stages of the film. To me he looks uneasy, almost embarassed in front of the camera. This spoils the effect. I've never heard this mentioned before but as a first-time Marx viewer it is the thing that surprised me most of all.
Rating: 
Summary: Pure Soup!!
Review: It must be understood that when the Marx Bros. went over to MGM, Thalberg created a different world for the Brothers. In "Night at the Opera" and "Day at the Races" the songs ( not integrated) slow the films down and bring them to a screaching halt. At the end of those songs the films have to go through the gears again..to get the momentum back. Thankfully, there are no such songs to slow the proceedings down here. It,s pure Marx mayhem..and it never stops until Dumont breaks into a song..for that "crime" she is punished immediately. Easily there best film!
Rating:
Summary: One of the funniest movies of all time!
Review: If you like situation humor, disjointed connections, spontaneous one-liners, and sight gags, then the Marx Brothers in general, and "Duck Soup" in particular are are made to order for you! Groucho, of all people, is called in to save the financially troubled country of Freedonia. Little does he know, its neighbor, Sylvania, wants to stir revolt in Freedonia and then overrun it. But that's mostly in the background, designed to provide situations for the four Marx Brothers to interact with each other at the expense of various and sundry respectable people. This movie has it all -- romance (sort of), intruige (I suppose), international conflict (after a fashion), and a poor woman who in real life didn't get most of the jokes and gags surrounding her. If you pay attention to this movie you'll see the magic of Marx Bros' comedy and how bits and pieces of it have made it into films made by the likes of Monty Python. And, last, but not least, you've got to LOVE Freedonia's national anthem! 5+ stars all the way! Definitely the Marx Brother's best movie ever!
Rating:
Summary: A close second to "Horse Feathers"
Review: A delightful anti-war film that was far ahead of its time. You would expect a movie this anti-war to have been made in the 1960s. The film was made in 1933 and is just as biting and hilarious today as it was almost 7 decades ago. Groucho as dictator of Freedonia is at his best, whether he is playing with a ball and jacks in the middle of a cabinet meeting or wooing Margaret Dumont. Hilarious musical numbers parody many of the silly dance numbers so often found in films of the early 30s.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, marred by audio problems
Review: "Duck Soup" is, wall to wall, the funniest of the Marx Brothers movies. Pure anarchy, great satire. There's no padding in this Paramount release, unlike their later MGM releases in which the comedy was brought to a dead halt for lame musical numbers. But that's what audiences wanted back then, I guess. The disc has an audio problem, though. The lip sync is noticably off for the first reel of the movie (around 10 minutes). I know it's an old movie, but the problem clears up at the reel change. I think they messed up the transfer. I was going to try to return it to Amazon, but it was fairly cheap, so I decided to live with the problem. It's still an excellent movie.
Rating:
Summary: Duck Soup Boring...what is wrong with you
Review: Duck Soup is just about one of the funniest movies i have ever seen and the Marx Brothers are probably the funniest group i have ever seen...the whole movie is an anti-war movie with a purpose...it demonstrates the idiocy of war and nationalism and how we should all look at everyone as individuals not members of nations....if you didn't get the jokes then that is your problem..i love this movie
Rating:
Summary: pure, wonderful marx genius
Review: Quite possibly the best of the Marx Brothers and a wonderful performance from Margret Dumont
Rating:
Summary: Baffling.
Review: I can't figure out why anyone ever thought this was funny. The audiences that found this film so hilarious must have a had a very different sensibility. Maybe we've lost something as viewers, or maybe this film was tuned into some part of the cultural consciousness that no longer resonates. The characters were thin, even for farce, and many of the jokes were so clearly set up that you could see them coming before they were delivered. Maybe that's why so many people consider this a classic-- because what was once Groucho's unique and surprising sense of humor is now so much a part of the popular culture that it's more like a brand name delivering a reliable product than an act of spontaneous wit. The setting up of the jokes, however, and their irrelevency to the other characters and to the action of the film takes a lot of the edge off of that wit, as does the absence of any real interaction between the characters. I really thought "A Day at the Races" was funnier. Why does "Duck Soup" have the better reputation? Any of you Marx brothers fans care to answer that?
Rating:
Summary: Shmeckt Gut!
Review: Sehr Gut, Mein Freund
Rating:
Summary: The greatest comedy ever made, but where are the extras?
Review: This is the best Marx Brothers movie and undoubtedly the funniest comedy ever made -- a satiric romp through international relations that preaches pure anarchy, defiance of all modes of rational thought, and shows what dangerous clowns dictators can be (Mussolini banned the film in Italy because he deemed it to be a personal insult. Guess what Benito? It is!). Unfortunately, this overpriced DVD from Universal has absolutely no frills, and the transfer is merely adequate for the format. Getting it at Amazon at least cuts the price down a bit, so there's no excuse not to buy it. Still, a bit a disappointment (hence only four out of five stars).
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