OK, yeah, it's a mess, and there's no glory in the messiness either. Eventually it loses its balance altogether and degenerates into something resembling a variety show, with the comedy subjugated to, God help us, "The Tenement Symphony" - which soon enough gives way to a SECOND harp solo, a cardinal sin. The chase scene at the end, while quite fun in its way, is hyper-extended, ill-motivated, and entirely word-free, hence a waste of their talents. And the unexpected onslaught of racial stereotyping in the middle third is just one example of the throwing-sh*t-against-the-wall distractions and gadgeteering that clutter things up. But at this remove, the gadgets and their attendant art-deco design are fascinating in and of themselves, as is the big production number, especially that super-hip rockabye deadpan woman. While they're terribly integrated, Chico's piano number and Harpo's super-eclectic trio with himself are, in and of themselves, as enjoyable as any of their interludes that I've seen. And when the comedy we're all there for is actually going on, the boys are as sharp, fresh, and at-home in their shtick as ever, with Groucho making a welcome return to ironic self-referentiality, not to mention Margaret Dumont. And the impressive swath that Harpo removes from a vamp's dress can't have pleased the Hays Office.
Review of The Big Store
