After The Thin Man (1936) :
Brief Review -
W. S. Van Dykeade made "The Thin Man" (1934) in the pre-code era, setting a benchmark in a sub-genre. There hadn't been any murder mysteries in the comedy genre by then. Your modern favorites, like Jacques Clouseau and others, came far too late. I still feel that the Thin Man series lacked a few things, but then I look at other films of this genre and realise that maybe I'm being too optimistic. After The Thin Man proves its title right by cracking another fine case after 'The Thin Man'. Private detective Nick Charles and his wealthy wife Nora are back home at last and hoping for a quiet New Year. Soon as they plan a peaceful new year, there's chaos, and then there's a murder. Nora's cousin was present at the crime scene, so she is the first suspect, but then there are many others, and there are a couple of more murders too to add to the confusion. Nick is onto something, but nobody has a clue about it, not even Nora. Nick seemed like a more relaxed guy in this film than he was in the first Thin Man film. There he solved a case at the dinner table very calmly, while here he had to attend to some action. The investigation is solid this time, and the humour has changed-nevertheless, it is funny. I had said earlier in one of my reviews that William Powell ruled 1936. "The Great Ziegfeld," "My Man Godfrey," "Libeled Lady," and "After The Thin Man," he played on different grounds with the same strike rate. Myrna Loy wins you over again with her gorgeous looks and cute accent. The young bird, James Stewart, will surprise you in many ways-this is not a spoiler. Hackett and Goodrich's screenplay is a little slow in the first, half and that's the only shortcoming here. W. S. Van Dyke makes a solid film to deliver a fulfilling sequel to Thin Man's Legacy. Watch it if you loved the first one.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
W. S. Van Dykeade made "The Thin Man" (1934) in the pre-code era, setting a benchmark in a sub-genre. There hadn't been any murder mysteries in the comedy genre by then. Your modern favorites, like Jacques Clouseau and others, came far too late. I still feel that the Thin Man series lacked a few things, but then I look at other films of this genre and realise that maybe I'm being too optimistic. After The Thin Man proves its title right by cracking another fine case after 'The Thin Man'. Private detective Nick Charles and his wealthy wife Nora are back home at last and hoping for a quiet New Year. Soon as they plan a peaceful new year, there's chaos, and then there's a murder. Nora's cousin was present at the crime scene, so she is the first suspect, but then there are many others, and there are a couple of more murders too to add to the confusion. Nick is onto something, but nobody has a clue about it, not even Nora. Nick seemed like a more relaxed guy in this film than he was in the first Thin Man film. There he solved a case at the dinner table very calmly, while here he had to attend to some action. The investigation is solid this time, and the humour has changed-nevertheless, it is funny. I had said earlier in one of my reviews that William Powell ruled 1936. "The Great Ziegfeld," "My Man Godfrey," "Libeled Lady," and "After The Thin Man," he played on different grounds with the same strike rate. Myrna Loy wins you over again with her gorgeous looks and cute accent. The young bird, James Stewart, will surprise you in many ways-this is not a spoiler. Hackett and Goodrich's screenplay is a little slow in the first, half and that's the only shortcoming here. W. S. Van Dyke makes a solid film to deliver a fulfilling sequel to Thin Man's Legacy. Watch it if you loved the first one.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.