Monkey Business details
| Format: | TBC DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Rockliffe Fellowes, Harry Woods |
| Director: | Norman Z. McLeod |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Studio: | UNIVERSAL PICTURES VIDEO |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
Monkey Business |
TBC Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 14 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 10 Nov 2003 |
| Main languages: | English |
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Most helpful review
TOP MOVIE !!!
By a customer from GLASGOW , 31 Aug 2005[Highly rated reviewer]
'Monkey Business' is the one otherwise known as 'the one on the boat'. The Marx brothers (all playing characters with their own names) are stowaways, and cause chaos on the ocean liner before getting mixed up with gangsters and wrecking a high society ball.
It's a set-up just ripe for their own brand of anarchy, but it unfortunately limits them instead of giving them free range to do whatever they want. The Marx brothers are always at their best when they're not constricted by the plot and can just run amok throughout the film, but this isn't the case here unfortunately.
The plot is too constrictive on them and strangles a little bit of life out of them, meaning 'Monkey Business' is that rare thing indeed: a Marx brothers film that has dull patches. The gangster storyline (they become bodyguards in a running battle between two rival gangsters) is full of potential but never fully comes off and just gets in the way instead. It's as if director McLeod didn't have the full confidence in the brothers to carry the film and so insisted on hampering their style with an overly fussy plot.
Put it this way, Zeppo has almost as much screen and plot time as Groucho. And that is never a good thing. Chico and Harpo seem unusually subdued too, with only a practice punching moment being anywhere near their best.
But for as much as the first forty minutes may be dull, the last forty are much brighter, much sparkier and much funnier. 'Monkey Business' really kicks into gear when the Marx brothers are trying to sneak off the boat and past passport control. From there on in, it's pretty much classic Marx brothers tomfoolery as the lecherous Groucho proceeds to devastate everything he comes into touch with. It's just a shame that it's such a wait to get there.- Was this review helpful to you?
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(11)Joyous Mess
By THZweibel (22 reviews) from London , 22 Mar 2009one of the least plotted of the Brothers' films (the boys are stowaways on a liner, er, that's about your lot).
the humour is a little to scattershot to work consistently.
the occasional inventive set-piece (the barrels at the start) are largely lost in an increasingly manic series of chases around deck.
there is a lack of the usual clever word-play between the man with the mustache and various randoms and on the whole, the movie feels somewhat of a let-down.- Was this review helpful to you?
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monkey business
By soaps (1 review) from Oxford , 05 Jun 2008superb fun. Chico is the MAN!. Wonderful humour delivered with panache.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Riotous Marx Brothers.
By Robert Dawson from Cardiff,Wales , 23 Jan 2008After watching this film, I actually had a dream about Harpo Marx....now I don't know what that that symbolises, and maybe only a Freud/Jung boffin can elaborate, but this film is very, very funny,.and the boys are at their anarchic best...the Chevalier gag as they're attempting to disembark is wonderful.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Great Entertainment
By Paul Evans from Hampshire, England , 01 Oct 2007Some of the jokes are almost painful there so bad but you can't help but smile at the completely wild antics of the Marx Brothers team as they run amuck on a ocean liner. Some of the scenes reminded me of the monty python sketches, one wonders if the brothers were part of the inspiration for gillan and crew- Was this review helpful to you?
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film
By STEPHEN RENNELL from walsall , 22 Feb 2006this film was a very good laugh and i would watch it again- Was this review helpful to you?
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