The greatest comedy since talkies became the standard

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 1999)

The marx brothers are the greatest comedy team to ever grace the silver screen since the advent of sound. Duck Soup, is not only the funniest comedy to date, but quite possibly the most intelligent satire on war ever to be produced. The fictional country of Freedonia enlists the wise guidance of Rufus T. Firefly to keep their humble nation out of war. Ambassador Trentino hires the efforts of two spies, Chicolini and Pinky to thwart Fireflie's attempts. "Then we go to the ball game, but he no show up". Chicolini is tried for treason, in one of the funniest dance sequences ever filmed, "We got guns...they got guns...all god's chillin's got guns".
Firefly rejects the final offer of Ambassador Trentino and Slavania declares war. "Suppose he refuses, what a fine notion that would be...I hold out my hand and he refuses". Duck Soup contains, not only some of the greatest one liners of all time, "If I were any closer I'd be behind you", "I've got an uncle that lives in Taxes. Dollars, Taxes", but the classic mirror sequence. Many people recognize this gag to be from the I Love Lucy episode that Harpo guest starred in, but in actuality it was performed here first.
My favorite gag is where Groucho accidently gets a vase lodged on his head. Before the dynamite can explode, Harpo draws Groucho's face onto the vase to remedy the situation. The ridiculous side of war is exemplified, and has yet to be lampooned as brilliantly as in Duck Soup.