Rating: 
Summary: Victory is ours!
Review: Sing it, Mrs Teasdale. This is a really nonsense picture but it gets four stars because it really is a good comedy. I'd sooner watch this than any Cary Grant comedy, because it's not nearly as annoying! Groucho gets another Name with an Initial - Rufus T. Firefly. Margaret Dumont is the rich widow - again. Harpo is scissors-happy. The courtroom scene was the most unconventional one I've seen in my moderately wide movie-watching experience. Zeppo was in it but not very remarkable. He seems too normal to be a good Marx brother. He was better in Horse Feathers. And Chico is Chicolini and he's-a funny as always. Not a whole lot one can say about a long string of nonsense - but you should see it anyway, because I don't see how you could not laugh.
Rating: 
Summary: The greatest Marx Brothers movie
Review: Of all the comedy acts in the history of film, the Marx Brothers are my favorite. This is almost universally regarded as the Marx Brothers best film, and I would agree with that, while qualifying it. I think, in fact, that the skits in ANIMAL CRACKERS and the first half of MONKEY BUSINESS are funnier and more insane than anything in DUCK SOUP. What makes DUCK SOUP their best is not that it contains their best skits and scenes (though they are very good), but that it doesn't contain any of the things that mar their other great films. For instance: COCONUTS (1929)--Probably the earliest talking film that is still widely watched, it definitely has some nice moments. But it has two problems: first, it was the Brothers first film and they hadn't fully adjusted to the medium, and two, it is severely hampered by the technical limitations of the time. The sound is dreadful, and to have music, the orchestra had to be playing on the edge of the set. In the famous "Why a duck?" skit, they had to soak the map in water to keep it from making too much noise. ANIMAL CRACKERS (1930)--Awesome sketches, and has the boys at their anarchic best and contains many, many famous lines. But the film is marred by an unfortunate romance and a tedious mystery involving several paintings. Also hurt somewhat by sound engineering being in its infancy, though a huge improvement over the sound in COCONUTS. MONKEY BUSINESS (1931)--The first half is extraordinary; the second half falls off a bit. Also, marred, again, by the inclusion of a romance that no one cares about. HORSEFEATHERS (1932)--Loads of fun, more great skits, but, again, musical numbers and romantic intrigue that just gets in the way of the nuttiness. A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935)--More romance and singing (you would have thought that DUCK SOUP taught the studio the best formula), though it should be added that Allan Jones is the least offensive of all the romantic leads in any of their films. This was also the first film without Zeppo, who quit to become an agent (Barbara Stanwyck would be one of his clients). AT THE RACES (1937)--Their last first rate movie is, again, harmed by romance and music. (Look harm for Dorothy Dandridge in this one.) DUCK SOUP is the only film that gets all of the clutter out of the way and focuses exclusively for the entire film on the Marx Brothers. The problem in the other films is that Groucho, Harpo, and Chico (and occasionally Zeppo) are so extraordinary, that anything other than them is a severe disappointment. The dance numbers and romantic scenes are opportunities to run and get something to drink, or a chance to rush to the restroom. Today these extraneous bits are sources of irritation and dismay. Did filmgoers in the 1930s enjoy the non-Marx Brothers bits? Perhaps, though I rather doubt it.
Rating:
Summary: The Marx Brothers Strike Back
Review: Groucho and his brothers serve up yet another couple of classics. Animal Crackers is a terrific movie, but Duck Soup will always be my favorite of the two. Each of the Marxes has their own unique style and personality on the silver screen, and they all blend together for a wholly entertaining mix. If you want slapstick, you'd better stick to the The Three Stooges. However, I highly recommend these videos to anyone who enjoys wordplay and intelligent comedy.
Rating:
Summary: Simply "Duckey"!
Review: This wild offering of one-liners plus the famous mirror sequence put this comic romp in the Marx Brothers' Hall of Fame. Groucho plays Rufus T. Firefly, the president of Freedonia, and ineptly instigates war against a neighboring country. Some critics dwell on a possible "meaning" of the satire in this farce (communists are spreading their propaganda everywhere!), but viewers will enjoy the comedy for what it's worth: It's a RIOT! This is an all-time classic comedy treat!*****
Rating:
Summary: If you can't send help, send 2 more women!
Review: This is my favorite Marx Brothers comedy. Absolutely nuts from beginning to end, they kicked out all the stops on this one, with one of the best and truest satirical jabs at jingoism and militarism ever put on film. "Freedonia's Going to War" and everyone is singing about it! There are so many great bits in this one: Harpo & Chico battling the lemonade vendor; Groucho & the inimitable Margaret Dumont "That covers a lot of ground, matter of fact you cover a lot of ground, I hear they're going to tear you down and put up an office building... can't you see what I'm saying, I love you!"; the 3 brothers dressed in nightshirts with groucho moustaches (Gad they looked alike)doing the mirror pantomime; Groucho insulting & taking umbrage with Louis Calhern's Ambassador Trentino "Upstart? My father was a little Upstart, my mother was a little Armstrong...."; Groucho's Rufus T. Firefly with the Tommygun ("Look at em run" "But you're killing your own men" "Here's 5 bucks, keep it under your hat."); and on and on. Arguably their best,this effort didn't do well on release. I think because it was ahead of its time and was the riskiest because of the political jokes and the times. But, it is just plain funny with some of Groucho's best lines and some of the best interplay between the brothers, and without a lot of the shmaltz & corn & musical interludes. Classic.
Rating:
Summary: Hail, Hail Freedonia....
Review: Duck Soup. Whenever I'm feeling depressed, this is the video I pop in the VCR whenever I'm feeling depressed because I know that as long as I live in a world where I can watch the Marx Brothers, there is no darkness that can't be ridiculed. The Marx Brothers were perhaps the funniest performers to ever appear in American film and Duck Soup, directed by Leo McCarey who had a far greater talent for comedy than their previous director Sam Wood ("You cannot make a directer out of Wood," as one of them -- I always chose to believe it was famously silent Harpo -- once quipped), is their funniest film. Of course, Duck Soup was the only one of their early films to be reviled by critics and ignored by audiences. Perhaps it was the subject matter, which still remains relavent today and can still lead to a few uncomfortable laughs as a result. Duck Soup is the Marx Brothers film that finds Groucho playing Rufus T. Firefly, the happily uncouth man who has -- through the usual hilarious courting of impassive Margaret Dumont -- become the ruler of Freedonia. Freedonia's enemies recruit to spies to undermine Firefly -- Chico and Harpo Marx. While Harpo torments lemonade salesman Egdar Buchanan, steals anything he can get his hands on, and eventually ends up sleeping with a horse, Chico is appointed to the cabinet by Groucho. Meanwhile, fourth Marx Brother Zeppo makes a few fleeting appearances as Groucho's private secretary. As usual, nobody seems to know what to do with Zeppo but they seem happy to have him around. Anyway, this film contains many classic bits that will be familiar to fans of the Marx Brothers and comedy in general. Though all have been endlessly redone by imitators, they all remain hilarious in the hands of the originals. Along with Groucho and Chico's vaudevillian wordplay, this film also contains Harpo at his most wild. Grinning like a demonic child, he steals everything he can find, revels in destroying random objects, and produces almost anything from the depths of his baggy trenchcoat. It is this film that firmly establishes the central Marx Brothers relationship -- Chico hangs out with Harpo while Groucho tolerates Harpo so he can hang out with Chico. In what made this film rather controversial for its time (and probably still would if it weren't now accepted as both a comedy classic and -- quite wrongly in my opinion -- a relic from a previous age), the film ultimately builds up to Groucho declaring war on his enemies. (Capped off by a riotous song in which the four Marx Brothers lead the country in happily singing "We're going to war!") The film ends on the battlefield and, in a rather jarring scene, actual footage of charging World War I soldiers is mixed with the Marx Brothers holed up in one besieged cabin. For a world still haunted by the slaughter of the Great War and on the verge of World War II, this was pretty strong stuff as were comments like Groucho saying the war will end because he's only rented the battlefield for a week. It also shows that the humor of the Marx Brothers was, for all of its seeming elitism and disregard for all other sensibilities, a truly populist expression. Through their ridicule, the Marx Brothers attacked the forces of the pompous and the humorless and never was that attack more potent and subversive than in Duck Soup. A classic film and, most importantly, proof that wild comedy need not be stupid comedy.
Rating:
Summary: I'll take another bowl, please
Review: Of all the Marx brothers' films I've seen, this has to be my absolute favorite. Imagine Groucho as the head of a country with Chico and Harp acting as spies against him. That's enough to evoke trouble of all sorts. The movie is rarely bogged down by boring talk and rolls from one originally crazy and clever scene to the next. Speaking of such, though I've seen many comedy acts in my day, I was still impressed by the innovation of the Marx brothers. Duck Soup also has some great songs and does away with any lengthy love numbers and musical pieces by Haro or Chico. Of all their videos, I'm sure this is the one you'll never grow tired of watching time and time again. Classic comedy at its best, there's just too much to laugh about.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing beats it
Review: Nothing produced in the history of cinema (viewed by me to date) has surpassed Duck Soup. It is fast moving, visually and verbally ingenious comedy. It is a short and sweet pep up that must be experienced on a periodic basis. Nothing has beat it yet, almost a century later.
Rating:
Summary: A must for true Marx Brothers Fans
Review: This is a high quality copy of three Max Brothers classics. A Night at the Opera, and A Day at the Races would have properly complete the collection but they were from a different studio. At the time of my purchase neither was available on DVD. These are great movies for the hollidays for those people who are tired of Christmas Story or It a wonderful life.
Rating:
Summary: Hail Freedonia - land of the brave and free!
Review: DUCK SOUP is the most famous and arguably the best of all the Marx Bros.' movies, though audiences at the time of its release were confused and disappointed. One reason for this, I think, is that the movie is really just a series of comedy sketches strung together by the barest thread of a plot. But the comedy sketches are unforgettable, and the audience is treated to one unforgettable, side-splitting scenario after another: the inauguration of Rufus T. Firefly ("Pop Goes The Weasel"), the spies, the book seller, the mirror scene (imitated countless times over the years), and "Freedonia's Going To War!" Groucho said many of his best lines here; Chico is the straight man who changes sides in the war at the drop of a hat; and Harpo is bursting with energy (and lechery). Margaret Dumont plays the straight lady to Grouchos insults and affections (and it's said that in real life, she didn't understand half of the things being said about her!). This was Zeppo's last movie with the other Brothers, as their cartoony antics continually overshadowed him. Much has been made of the political satire present in this movie; and indeed, in these crazy times after the events of September 11, 2001, the antics of a number of the people in power (on both sides of this conflict) can be compared to the antics of Rufus T. Firefly. Viewers who watch this movie expecting an actual plot will be disappointed, which may be the reason why the it was a box-office flop. Newcomers should take this movie in the way they take a Monty Python movie, as a series of comedy sketches. It's sad to have to invoke the name of Monty Python when praising this all-time comedy classic, but the truth is that these days, far more people have seen "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" than any of the great Marx Bros. movies.
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