Highly OVERRATED

The film is a slapstick comedy; if you see it's not dramatically rich, it isn't their fault. You have to change the way you watch a movie, especially if it's from the past.

Like any 80-year old film, I thought there were parts that were stupid and dated because some jokes have been perfected since then.

Still though some of the one-liners from Groucho are incredible, and the mirror scene is still laugh-out-loud funny. Especially the banter with the women and jokes about war hold up very well.

[deleted]

I'm a big fan of this movie, but I often get why a lot of people don't get it. From my experience -mind you this is just my experience- those who tend not to get it, don't see the political satire in it, and just look at all the shtick. While Groucho and Chico's word play is a treasure, and Harpo's harassing the poor peanut man is hilarious (to me, at least) what sells this movie is knowing what was going on in Europe in the 1930s. The repercussions of the poorly designed Treaty of Versailles were reaching the boil-over point, all of Europe was busy politicking, and all that was happening was that it was hastening the oncoming War.

Freedonia is a nation extremely in debt, the government is falling a part, and a lunatic with arbitrary reasons for going to war is made leader. Look at any of the fascist powers in Europe in the 1930s and you'll see very similar circumstances. As Groucho says himself "And remember while you're out there risking life and limb through shot and shell, we'll be in here thinking what a sucker you are." That was a great critique of not only fascist governments, but pretty much all of the Governments that took part in the first World War. The rumblings of the waking war machines were felt across the globe, and we see here a great realization and a mockery of it.

I totally get that a lot of people don't want a history lesson with their comedy. It's a bit like having to give a massive explanation to set up a joke. However, if you like World History, or simply knew it all before hand, it's really a poignant poke in eye to governments who were beating the drums of war.

You can put me down as one of the people who thinks this movie is one of the best ever made! I first saw it in the early 1980s when I was a teenager and all my friends thought it was a riot. My brother and I used to act out all of the Chico and Harpo routines.

I've seen it a bunch of times! It still holds up as their funniest.

(Although I admit I sometimes think of that gag in Monkey Business where they are trying to get off the ship with Maurice Chevalier's passport and that sends me into hysterics. "You don't look like Chevalier!")

Janet! Donkeys!

No way. It's a masterpiece.


What the hell is a gigawatt?!

Idiots have taken over.

[deleted]