After the Thin Man

Saw After the Thin Man (thanks, Anne!) It was a sequel to The Thin Man. The film is now trying, I think, to become a series so we start to see formulas emerging. The final Big Reveal scene, for example, is exactly the same as in the first film (and also, amazingly, features some hysterics from a very young Jimmy Stewart who is already far too sincere for believable hysterics.) Unfortunately, this results in more business with their terrier, Asta, who spends a lot of time jealously guarding his "girlfriend" from another dog. This is kind of grotesque considering that all of the dogs involved are surely neutered.

Anyway, the dog business aside, the protagonists are the same cutesy alcoholics as before, staying up to all hours boozing and wittily discussing the case before seamlessly transitioning into sleepily making breakfast. They're as adorable as ever.

I felt this mystery was more obvious than before. It looks like one character Did It early on but we're already shown before hand that they didn't do it, so there's a sort of strange non-twist when their innocence is revealed. This film allegedly cost more but is a bit inferior to the original product. Worryingly this is known as the best of the sequels so perhaps this is a good place to put the series to rest anyway. Wonderful characters but cracks are beginning to subtly show.