The Pink Panther (2006)
When the coach of the France soccer team is killed by a poisoned dart in the stadium in the end of a game, and his expensive and huge ring with the diamond Pink Panther disappears, the ambitious Chief Inspector Dreyfus assigns the worst police inspector Jacques Clouseau to the case.
very funny movie, worth buying, i never got rid of it, i think its worth keeping if you have a good sense of humour lol
Despite being a little better than I expected, it's still not that great. There's some laughs here and there but the movie is still more stupid than it is funny.
While, I don't know who told Steve Martin that he'd make a good Jacques Clouseau. He has his usual look but with a brown mustache glued on. In some scenes, it appears that it's falling off his face. White hair with a brown mustache looks pretty silly as well. Kevin Kline looks more the part and could have pulled it off better. He plays chief inspector Dreyfus. Kline isn't bad in the role but he's miscast as well. Yes, he hates Clouseau but Herbert Lom did a much better job showing his hate for him in the original films.
Martin simply just looks out of place and has been a lot funnier. I do like him as a comedian, I have liked many of his films. I just don't like him in this role. He's totally wrong for the part.
For those who saw the first Pink Panther with Steve Martin know what to expect from this sequel. The movie’s focus is on children and the filmmaker tries to make it mainly for families. I think the role of Inspector Clouseau is a role that will forever be attached to Peter Sellars, but Steve Martin tries. He does not try to be like Peter Sellars, but he puts his own touch on the character. Martin is a physical actor and he uses that to his advantage in playing Clouseau.
This movie is about a thief known as The Tornado, who has stolen some of the world’s greatest treasures. So, the world calls upon its greatest detectives to find The Tornado and get the treasures back and who will lead them? Inspector Clouseau of course. The movie replays some of its jokes from the first movie. For example, Clouseau tries to pronounce things and it sounds terrible. However, this movie delivers some laughs and its Martin who plays a big part in that. The jokes will never get you rolling on the floor, but you will at least crack a smile.
The cast is impressive as well for this movie. Steve Martin, Emily Mortimer and Jean Reno return, but this time they are joined by Andy Garcia and Alfred Molina. There are also small roles played by Lily Tomlin, Jeremy Irons, and John Cleese. It appears that the entire cast is having fun playing ridiculous characters. However, Irons, Cleese, and Tomlin are never used to their full potential. I think they were nice names to put on the poster.
Now this movie can be ridiculous at times and come off a little too stupid. But the movie is not really trying to stick with reality in the first place. Steve Martin really plays Inspector Clouseau with stupidity mixed with cleverness. The focus of the movie is to see what kind of situations Clouseau gets in to and how he gets out of them. He is always getting doubted, but somehow is able to solve the crime.
Movie Reviews
The Pink Panther 2 (G) * * * *
Sacre Bleu!
By ROBERT WALDMAN
Mon Dieux! Just when you thought it was safe to go to the movies MGM studios has the nerve, the absolute nerve, to bring back their all time favourite super sleuth. No, we’re not talking Shaft or even a renegade hombre like Dirty Harry. Sorry Clint. Instead we are blessed, yes blessed, to witness the indefatigable Inspector Jacques Clouseau ply his trade. Likeable Steve Martin (Roxanne) returns to familiar territory as France’s favourite bumbling civil servant in The Pink Panther 2. Original superstar Peter Sellers would be proud indeed that this master comic has resurrected his famous creation and done so with considerable finesse. Enjoy the funny bits that are downright contagious at Tinseltown (on Pender, free parking), Empire Oakridge Cinemas, the Empire Studio 12, Colossus and Famous Players Silver City cites around B.C.
Right from the opening moments the stage is set for this bumbling master detective to plunge head first into his biggest case yet. Europe is Clouseau’s home territory so when a bunch of famed artifacts go missing the powers that be (i.e. legitimate governments) decide that the crimes are so grave one man alone could not find the perpetrator(s). To get to the bottom of these disasters a dream team of super sleuths are assembled, much like Obama’s transition team. Only this bunch of do-gooders out to protect the public at large is to be headed by Inspector Clouseau. Can you spell disaster?
As could be expected, not all the team members are happy with the decision and quite frankly neither is Chief Inspector Dreyfus, so well defined by original master actor Herbert Lom. With Clouseau on the case there’s no telling how long it will take to find the thief(s) and the mistakes and miscues pile up skyward by the second.
You want laughs, you’ve got laughs big time in this classy follow-up to fhe first revitalization of the classic United Artist stalwart which ranks as the number two box office series behind a “little known†other group of films that go by the name of James Bond, 007. Now owned by the same studio, Columbia, you can say both investments have paid off handsomely.
Consider a crack cast to be having a grand time crisscrossing Europe to nab the baddies. Along for the ride as fellow sleuths are Andy Garcia (The Untouchables), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), John Cleese (Die Another Day) and Jeremy Irons (Die Hard 3). And let’s not forget French ace Jean Reno (The Davinci Code) who has effectively taken over a similar role to Kato, made famous by Burt Kwouk. History was once made by the first Panther movies from the 60s and now they are being effectively continued in the late 2000s thanks to the smartness of producer Bob Simonds and Ira Shuman who obviously know what the public wants.
Very funny bits and extremely witty dialogue make this second new Panther film a treat for kids and adults. Martin is terrific as a romantic klutz and there are some side-splitting moments involving food, something that we all need, that folks will be talking about for months. How Sean Connery treated wine selection with Red Grant aboard the Orient Express in the classic From Russia With Love gets turned on it’s head with Clouseau’s attempts to pick wine for one of the many women that grace his ever roving eye. And political correctness gets skewered brilliantly as does Martin’s assault on the French language.
Brought to you by master producer Bob Simonds with the guiding light of steady as she goes co-producer Ira Shuman, fresh off mounting one of the biggest comedy hits of all time with Night at the Museum, folks get their money’s worth and more in this family friendly creation. Director Harald Zwart (Agent Cody Banks) keeps audiences in stitches with the gags and the great chemistry between the players. Given a somewhat surprise ending of sorts it’s safe to say there should be a third in film in the Panther cannon to be offered up and next time maybe they could come stateside. Come to think of it, the global frame of this feature and the comraderie and ingenuity give it a comedic National Treasure feel to it, aided considerably by the zestful writing that really does hit the funny bone regularly.
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