Just perfect...

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

When Discussing a Marx Brothers Film it is Obligatory to Condescend to the Extraneous Musical Numbers (those without the Brothers) and the Plot. In this, the Second Marx Feature and the Second Filmed Stage Play, the Plot is Heavily Intrusive and the Music is Forgettable at Best.The Marx Brothers, perhaps more than Any other Comedy Team, seem to Contrast greatly with the "Filler" of Burdensome Baggage because Their Zany Anarchy is so Wildly Untamed and Ill Fitting to the Society Surrounding Them. It is a Catastrophic Collision. When Groucho, Chico, and Harpo are doing Their Thing it Commands attention and admiration. The Timing is Pure Punctuated Pandemonium and the Appearance of the Odd Looking Brothers demands Comment just because of the How Strange They Look. They are like Another Species Invading Our World."Sometimes" Zeppo is On Hand in this one as is Fan and Groucho Favorite Margaret Dumont. The "Straights" are Lillian Roth and Louis Sorin. The Camera is "Still" in the Motionless Mode of 1930, however the Sound has Improved since "Coconuts" (1929). Overall, it is Better than Their Deut but Not as Good as what was to come as the Marx Brothers Continued to Improve, Peaking with either "Duck Soup" (1933) or "A Night at the Opera" (1935) depending on Who is Doing the Talking. You can bet it won't be Harpo.

The Marx Brothers' second movie is one of their funniest, despite suffering from some of the same limitations of the early sound era as their first film, The Cocoanuts. It's a great movie with the Marx Bros. at their zany best. Groucho is Captain Spaulding, Chico is Signor Emanuel Ravelli, Harpo is The Professor, and Zeppo is....well, who cares who Zeppo is? He actually gets a funny scene in this movie, taking dictation from Groucho. That's uncommon as he was usually just the straight man. The movie's plot, such as it is, revolves around a painting stolen at a party thrown by a rich dowager (Margaret Dumont) for famed explorer Capt. Spaulding. The guys are all funny and the movie's full of memorable sketches, songs, and one-liners. Lllian Roth is enjoyable as half of the obligatory romantic subplot. That's a rarity for the Marx Bros. movies, where typically the two young people shoehorned in for a romantic subplot are the worst part of the picture. Roth's charming presence makes it more bearable this time. Special mention to the amazing Margaret Dumont, who was a vital part of the success of the best Marx movies. Here she even gets to do some physical comedy in a hilarious scene with Harpo.I love the Marx Bros' Paramount films for their energy and eccentricities. From this movie until Duck Soup, the boys were at their best, in my opinion. Yes, they made some good ones after that but they were more polished and structured than the Paramount movies. Animal Crackers is a classic with many great jokes and routines, including "Hello I Must Be Going," breaking the fourth wall, the bridge scene, "elephant in my pajamas" and pretty much every line of dialogue Groucho has.

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!

The second Marx Brothers film shows the brothers Marx on a little surer footing then their early sound debut in The Cocoanuts. The brothers are sharper, the musical numbers peppier and the sound vastly improved as the anarchic quartet (read as trio) take high society and the art world to task with a fusillade of non-sequitor, malaprop and the impish pantomine of Harpo.Guest of honor Captain Spaulding (Groucho) regales guests in song and dance with tales of adventure at a Hamptons soirée. Brothers Harpo and Chico are also on the guest list and after a valuable painting disappears they become suspects. Groucho meanwhile continues to insult his hostess Mrs. Rittenhouse ( Margaret Dumont ) as well as make satiric comment about the stock market and Oneill's Strange Interlude.Grouch leads the way with two signature tunes Hooray for Captain Spaulding and Hello I Must Be Going while Chico murders the English language and tickles the ivories with his unique style. Harpo meanwhile steals silverware and cheats at bridge as well as contribute a harp solo follow-up to Lillian Roth's rendition of Why am I so Romantic. Crowning all the zaniness is the austere presence of dowager Dumont who despite being put through the wringer by the brothers never loses her dignity or sense of propriety.