Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Brandin Lindsey Animal Crackers is a 1930 comedy film starring the Marx Brothers. The story begins with a lavish house party thrown by Mrs. Rittenhouse, a wealthy socialite. Included among those invited is Captain Spaulding, played by Groucho Marx, who is an explorer that has just returned from an African expedition and is the guest of honor. Also in attendance is a hired band, consisting of characters played by Harpo and Zeppo Marx. Chaos ensues as an expensive painting disappears and Captain Spaulding assists the police in solving the crime.This Marx Brothers film is hilarious at times, especially the first few scenes containing the Captain Spaulding character. Some of the comedic elements, such as the singing of the party guests when greeting Spaulding, are timeless. Each Marx brother is given an opportunity to show off their own style and talents. Masterful sleight-of-hand, musical ability, and mimery are all exhibited in this film.Unfortunately, not all of the jokes in Animal Crackers work. Some of the humor falls flat with a few bad puns, cringe-inducing slapstick, and a couple of back-and-forth quips that don't end soon enough. Spots of bad acting don't help the film, either. The movie is shot like a stage play, and the actors are acting as if they are in a play, usually facing forward. Most of the songs work well but a few don't, namely the butler's song. It would have been nice to see the music incorporated more into the comedy, as it was in the first act of the film. The introduction of Harpo's character is too chaotic and Looney Tunes-esque, not matching the tone of the rest of the film. Lastly, the movie suffers from a boring final act. The first act is great and the rest of the film declines afterward.Overall, Animal Crackers if a fun film. A couple of the songs, especially those involving the Captain Spaulding character, are great and memorable. The Marx Brothers really show off their talents throughout the story. This film is a good watch for any Marx Brothers fan, and there is still plenty of comedy that has aged well for everyone else.

MisterWhiplash This was the second Marx brothers film and still on the cusp of when sound was being implemented in cinematic technique. So of course it's a little "creaky" or "stagey", as this was originally a musical for the stage and the technology didn't allow for much in the way of innovation. And yet it speaks to how fabulously insane the Marx's were that they make as good an argument for sound being introduced to the movies as any other.It's got a threadbare plot, as might be expected - Captain Spaulding comes in from being away in Africa to Margaret Dumont's mansion, and a "Professor" (good ol' Harpo) and Signor Ravelli (Chico) follow along, and there's a missing/stolen painting plot point - but who needs a plot with these guys? The joy is seeing what Spaulding will say to Dumont next, or how quickly Harpo will chase after the woman and then get into a rather bizarre series of card-shuffling (or not shuffling really), or how Chico can twist words and meaning around through his interactions. Zeppo is... also there too! I think that you either tap into this old-school madness or you don't. I feel sorry for those who don't but can sort of understand how some of this may seem uh 'dated' or even borderline "un-PC" (there may be some jokes at the expense of girls getting hit, but it's from Harpo so I find myself laughing anyway, I mean, look at the guy!) Not every moment is always sparking on comedic cylinders, and there's one point where the movie kind of stops for a romantic song (though it is genuinely, sweetly romantic) and Harpo playing the, well, the harp (is that where he gets the name?!)And of course there's Groucho throwing insult after insult in such a flow that it comes close to something like poetry or iambic pentameter for comic insults (peppered with an occasionally 4th wall break so that we know what's what). But all of the gags work off each other since there's dialog zingers, visual gags, and timing from the 'straight' players that makes it all come flying. So I can't fault it from being "dated" because, for me, this can never truly be dated so long as irrational behavior by the likes of these self-knowing, practically post-modern clowns hits hard.

zardoz-13 Groucho Marx has a field day as the famed African explorer Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding in the second Marx Brothers' sound comedy "Animal Crackers." Incidentally, like their first sound film "The Coconuts," "Animal Crackers" was adapted from a Broadway play that the Marx Brothers toplined for 191 performances. The action occurs in one location. High Society dame Mrs. Rittenhouse (Margaret Dumont) invites Captain Spaulding to be her guest of honor at her palatial, Long Island estate.He arrives via a sedan chair lugged by a quartet of African-Americans. Affluent art patron Roscoe W. Chandler (Louis Sorin) plans to unveil Beaugard's famous painting "After the Hunt" to celebrate Spaulding's fame. Initially, Mrs. Rittenhouse's daughter Arabella (Lillian Roth of 'Madam Satan") plans to marry below her social status to a painter who is penniless. He has only sold two paintings in his life. The ever optimistic Arabella (Lillian Roth) thinks that if Johnny showed his paintings to Chandler that the latter might give the former some painting jobs. Meantime, Mrs. Whitehead (Margaret Irving) and her friend Grace (Kathryn Reece)plan to play a prank on Mrs. Rittenhouse. Mrs. Whitehead convinces Mrs. Rittenhouse's butler, Hives (Robert Greig) to substitute Grace's copy of the Beaugard for the real Beaugard. While Captain Spaulding flirting with Mrs. Rittenhouse, Emanuel Ravelli (Chico Marx) shows up with the Professor (Harpo Marx) who goes on a shooting rampage at one point. He shoots a clock, a bird cage, ladies' hats, a bottle on a tray, and two battling statues. The thief of the Beaugard eventually draws the police into the crime while Captain Spaulding struggles to recover the painting. Clocking in at 97 minutes, "Animal Crackers" contains lots of laughs!

mark.waltz When you've got Groucho cracking wise, Chico destroying the English language, and Harpo chasing the girls, you're not really going to care either about the plot or the stilted, boring romance between Zeppo and Lillian Roth. All you want is a ton of Groucho insulting imperious Margaret Dumont, Harpo playing the leg game and as many malapropisms from Chico as possible. The minor plot concerns the search for an original painting replaced by a fake, but is totally over-shadowed by the vaudeville style gags which influenced many fairly recent comedy film makers. You'll howl as Groucho not only crows about the elephant in his pajamas but a traveling polar bear as well. Harpo manages to steal all of Dumont's silverware and sheds it like raindrops when confronted. Chico confuses Groucho by twisting everything he says, and Dumont keeps her cool even when being insulted. While others in their series, particularly at Paramount, had better plot, this is non- stop laughter, and it is easy to see why this ranks as probably their most famous film, even if "Duck Soup" and "A Night at the Opera" are slightly better.