"You'll duck 'Duck Soup' for the rest of your life"

Rating: 4/10 (20 November 2010)

When asked to explain the meaning of the title, Groucho replied, "Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup the rest of your life." Unfortunately, this appears more apt to describe this film than the relatively delicious sounding soup in the aforementioned quote. Having nearly completed the AFI top 100 a few years ago, I decided to go back and watch the last three movies that I had trouble renting at that time. Prior to watching this film I watched Chaplin's masterpiece 'City Lights.' Perhaps it was the juxtaposition of the two films that made Duck Soup appear to be absolute dreck. I, like some other rational viewers who gave this film less than 5 stars, went into this film buying into the hype and expecting to be surprised with witty remarks and political satire from an earlier era. Regrettably the film barely managed to make my smile despite my natural disposition towards smiling. There was no coherency in the storyline (if that was ever even intended). The jokes were a high majority of puns that made me want to research the history of the pun as a joke in case if it is a recent phenomenon to consider the pun on par with the 'football in the groin' on the comedic intellect index. The remainder of (alleged) jokes were awkward slapstick or a few lame attempts by Chico to get a few gags out of Italian pronunciation. I recommend this movie if you want to complete the AFI top 100 list (a shallow reason if there ever was one), but save it for last or else you may decide to never watch a film again without a thorough review in advance. I don't know if I can begin to comprehend how this film has become so highly regarded when its contemporary films still stand the test of time. Perhaps it deserved a higher rating upon release, but its reception at the time would refute that assumption. It certainly isn't funny now even if you are into esoteric 1930's humor.