Dated, yes. Humor-wise, absolutely not.

Rating: 10/10 (1 April 2012)

"Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup for the rest of your life." - Groucho Marx's explanation for the title of Duck Soup.
Duck Soup is an unprecedented comedy of wit and satire, with its range of material and jokes reaching a rare amount of diversity. The film is short, whimsical, and delightfully anarchic at only sixty-eight minutes, and it seems after every ten minutes you need a break to sometimes decipher what just happened. Things progress at a rapid fire pace, and the end feels like about twenty-five minutes or so got lost in a blaze.
This sounds like how I'd comment on a bad film, but Duck Soup uses these tactics in its favor. Its main benefit is that the brothers wanted to do nothing more than make an enjoyable comedy, but they accidentally succeeded in making one of the most cynical and brutally honest political satires in a blue moon. It's very rare that I award a comedy a perfect rating, but Duck Soup has proved to be more than meets the eye in substance, character-acting, and overall, look and feel.
We are placed in the country of Freedonia, a small, corrupt, and bankrupt place that has struggled politically for many years. Mrs. Teasdale (Dumont) suggest they appoint Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho) as the leader of the country, and see if he can get the country back on the route of prosperity. It's clear that his plans are radical, unsustainable, and virtually outlandish. The funny part is no one sees it that way. He says that anyone chewing gum will be pursued, and despite how absurd that idea is, no one scolds him. They are too smitten with his sunny and kind-hearted disposition. Perhaps that's how we are as people.
While this is in the mix, the neighboring country of Sylvania has been itching to take over the land of Freedonia, and the Sylvanian ambassador Trentino (Calhern) attempts to destroy the country bit by bit by hiring two spies to dig up dirt on Firefly, and further tries to implement and carry on with a revolution. The spies he appoints, Chicolini (Chico) and Pinky (Harpo), are incompetent buffoons who wind up being unnecessary roadblocks and distractions, bringing trouble wherever they show up. This results in a never-ending slew of comedic possibilities, all working in the film's favor.
Next to Rufus, the funniest character is Chicolini, the silent half of the spy duo, who appears in some of the film's most enjoyable segments. There are a number of scenes where Chicolini and Pinky obnoxiously harass a poor street vendor who wants nothing but a successful business. This results in the infamous scene where the three tirelessly exchange hats, and where Chicolini jumps into and rides the bucket of lemonade like a bicycle, disgusting the vendors' customers. The scene is simply hilarious, and I can't recall laughing harder to a scene in a comedy in recent years.
But what makes Chicolini's character avoid insufferable schtick is his ability to perform physical comedy. His facial expressions are simply entrancing and his antics on par with his explosive personality. He's almost like Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean, but more shameless and rowdy. Chicolini has an intense and infectious form of likability, and he never comes off as a nuisance.
Duck Soup was released in 1933, and was met with less than stellar box office numbers, causing Paramount to drop The Marx Brothers, among other issues. The most likely reason it took in a low amount of revenue is because of the subject matter. The film is highly cynical, sarcastic, and unapologetically rude. America was hitting the time of The Great Depression, among the beginning stages of World War II. It goes to show that people weren't interested in seeing a cheeky, satirical portrayal of government and politics. Thankfully, the film has gotten its proper respect over the years, and is often hailed as The Marx Brothers' best film.
I also wouldn't hesitate to bill this as one of the funniest and smartest comedy films ever made. At least on my personal list. The film tackles a number of subjects, from politics, imperialism, government, outlandish rules, and society itself, and satirizes them to the point of utter disbelief and hilarity. In no way is the film mean-spirited or deliberately crude. This was before that became the standard in comedy. It always keeps a sunny, cheery disposition, right down to the final frame. Its bravery is astonishing, even to this day. How often do we see comedies tackle difficult subjects, let alone with so much confidence, power, and pride, never becoming indulgent, cocky, or simply crass and ignorant? This is comedic and satirical filmmaking at its absolute finest. The Marx Brothers are clearly a treasure, under-appreciated in this day and age, and painfully overlooked in a time where politics and social issues plague our nation. Duck Soup is slapstick done right, with a great band of character actors, one-liners galore, and a simple and effective premise that goes very far, surpassing anyone's expectations of "another stupid comedy from the year one." NOTE: It's also interesting to note that Groucho goes on record saying that him and his three brothers were just "Jews trying to get laughs." He denies that the film covered the topics of government and politics purposefully, and that he believes people read too much into it. I guess I'll reword my previous question like so; "How often do we see comedies tackle difficult subjects, let alone with so much confidence, power, and pride, never becoming indulgent, cocky, or simply crass and ignorant? And they don't even try?" Starring: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont, Louis Calhern, Raquel Torres, and Edgar Kennedy. Directed by: Leo McCarey.