Shadow Of The Thin Man and The Thin Man Goes Home Blu-ray Reviews
2 more Thin Man films get Blu-ray releases.
Director W.S. Van Dyke’s “Shadow Of The Thin Man” (the fourth installment in the series) finds Nick and Nora Charles settling into parenthood with their son Nick Jr. (and of course Asta the dog). Nick and Nora plan on checking out a horse race, but, surprise surprise, Nick gets roped into taking on another case involving a murdered Jockey. Naturally more interconnected crimes begin to spring up after that, but are they related?
For whatever reason, the actual mysteries of the Thin Man sequels tend to be rather lackluster, dry and downright tired. Luckily, you have the ever charming William Powell (Nick) and Myrna Loy (Nora) in the lead roles to carry the movies. And carry this sequel they do. In addition to some highly amusing comedic bits (the milk drink, the wrestling match and the Merry Go Round sequences in particular), it was nice to see a different dynamic with Nick and Nora as they raise their son. The family aspect was a nice change of pace from the norm and a refreshing side element to the mystery.
Not to get into spoiler territory here, but I was also happy to see that Nora gets to be the hero here. Not only did it showcase the love between Nick and Nora, but writers Harry Kurnitz and Irving Brecher also gave Nora more to do in this one as opposed to her sitting on the sidelines while Nick investigates and solves cases.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? This is another gem of a print for this B&W movie.
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The audio is a tad bit snowy but otherwise solid.
Extras include a theatrical trailer, a 20 minute short based on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and a cartoon titled “The Goose Goes South.”
Richard Thorpe directs the fifth entry (“The Thin Man Goes Home”) which doesn’t involve Nick and Nora’s son at all. Instead, Nick, Nora and Asta venture to Nick’s childhood home in Sycamore Springs where his parents reside. Naturally, nothing goes right on this trip as they are stuck on a crowded train and, once again, get no rest and relaxation as Nick is roped into a case involving murders and paintings.
Despite containing another mystery that isn’t very involving, “The Thin Man Goes Home” is one of the better sequels primarily because it adds more dimension to the characters thanks to the script by Robert Riskin and Dwight Taylor. Nick has stopped drinking and is into cider now, we get to learn more about Nick’s past and his parents, and we get an arc about a rift between Nick and his father that pays off in the end. It’s also fun to see Nora learning more about her husband and sticking up for him further displaying the love between them.
A few added bonuses here. 1. There’s more Asta in this one compared to the fourth entry. That’s always a plus. 2. I like that this script pokes a little fun at the mysteries (especially when Nick’s father comments on of his cases). They’re little things, but they add to the enjoyment.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? Another fine print
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? B+ worthy sound.
Extras include a theatrical trailer, a comedy short titled “Why Daddy?” and a cartoon “Screwball Squirrel.”
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