![]() ![]() It has a much better story and has a broader well of humor to draw from. I also recently saw 1975’s The Return of the Pink Panther, and this is a better film. Slapstick isn’t my thing, admittedly, but there are some pretty good laughs contained within. In Conclusion: This is a light, breezy comedy with magnificent scenery and lots of fun cameos. I almost expected to see Michael Caine show up as the French President. You could not find two more British people to play the French roles, and neither even take a stab at an accent. John Cleese plays the old Herbert Lom role of Clouseau’s boss Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus and “As Time Goes By” alumni Geoffrey Palmer plays his boss Joubert. In all fairness, this is a bit of a Pink Panther tradition as well. There are stretches of this movie where a gag is not working, and yet it seems to go on forever. I am sure that is Steve doing his own stunts. Steve Martin mind you is no Peter Sellers in the role, but at least he is no Ted Wass either. Martin’s Clouseau has more agency and is more physically coordinated than the traditional reading but often still as dim. Steve Martin puts his own spin on the Inspector Clouseau character, which is refreshing. While slapstick is not for everyone, there are some genuine laughs in this film. Almost worth a viewing for the travelogue. The Pink Panther 2 is beautifully shot with gorgeous location shots throughout Paris. We do get a flashback sequence in cold blue vision. It is actually kind of refreshing not to have to sit through it again. That was always ten minutes or so that while interesting didn’t fit with the rest of the film. Pink Panther 2 also skips the part in every Pink Panther film where we see the thief steal the Pink Panther diamond. I would watch a film just about these two. He is only in the film for a few minutes, but he makes them count. A shirtless Jeremy Irons hams it up as the suspected villain Tornado. He is the perfect foil for Steve Martin’s character, even though he does seem to possess a haircut that is more appropriate for an eight-year-old on school picture day. ![]() Jean Reno, in particular, is excellent as Clouseau’s French partner. The Good: The Pink Panther 2 sports an all-star cast, and it certainly has some stand-outs that carry more than their weight. ![]() Andy Garcia, Emily Mortimer, Alfred Molina and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan make up about half of the star-studded dream team. To the surprise of no one in the viewing audience, the Pink Panther diamond is stolen along with other artifacts from around the world (Shroud of Turin, Piscatory Ring, Kusanagi no Tsurugi) A master thief named The Tornado claims responsibility and a Dream Team of Detectives are sent in to solve the case. _The Pink Panther_ deserves to be considered on its own merits and not compared to movies of another genre that strove to capitalize on the popularity of the original.The Pink Panther 2 (2009): 6 out of 10: Steve Martin reprises his take on that classic Peter Sellers role as Inspector Clouseau. Sellers has more scenes than anyone except David Niven. Just because Clouseau wasn't the only major character doesn't mean he was minor. It also featured inspired comedy performances by its four leads. The Pink Panther cartoons came out well before the next movie. This movie was the inspiration for an American icon. _The Pink Panther_ was not a blueprint for other Clouseau movies. Different humor, different purposes, therefore a different appreciation. That, in itself separates it from all the other Panther clones, which are all farcical slapsticks. _The Pink Panther_ is a great Romantic Comedy. I did enjoy _A Shot in the Dark_ and even liked _Return of the Pink Panther_ and its sequel, but frankly, Herbert Lom's twitch, Kato's surprise attacks, increasingly more ludicrous plot devices, and the very fact that Clouseau was still in a position of responsibility was more disbelief than I was willing to suspend. Unlike most of the other reviewers, I don't share the same admiration for the later Clouseau movies. Since then the movie has never failed to entertain me. I was eleven and it was showing at a local drive-in. This is one of my all-time favorite movies. If those movies are your standard for humor, you are bound to be disappointed. If you are expecting the hackneyed humor and over-the-top performances that came with the last few Panther movies you are bound to be surprised by a movie that took time to make sense out of a story. Nearly every review I have read condemning _The Pink Panther_ to second or third rate status in the "pantheon" of Clouseau movies comes from someone who either didn't know it existed or who was raised on the totally slapstick offerings that came later. ![]()
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