Duck Soup (1933) ****

Rating: 10/10 (3 December 2004)

DUCK SOUP is a consistently funny comedy that never slows down, and takes honors as the best of all the Marx Brothers' movies. Comedy is largely a subjective matter, but for me this film easily earns its place atop the AFI Greatest List.
Those looking for a plot (ha!) would do well to stop wasting their time -- this is the surreal world of the early Marxes we're talking about, after all! Groucho has rarely been more naughty with a choice selection of witty lines and insults. Harpo is a hilarious nuisance as he drives Edgar Kennedy (the perfect foil) out of his mind with hats, nuts and lemonade - and Chico is perfectly on cue working alongside him. As much as I've come to enjoy their piano and harp playing, it's refreshing to have Chico and Harpo take somewhat of a break from their instruments this time out, too.
DUCK SOUP also returns Margaret Dumont to the mayhem, and hers is a very welcome presence, as always. She'll always be Groucho's number one leading gal for me.
Along with the amusing and clever mangling of politics, there are many sharp gags to enjoy. And of them all, the highlight just may be the famous "mirror sequence," which is worth the price of admission all on its own.