Movies
Screenwriters: Len Blum
Starring: Steve Martin, Beyoncé Knowles, Kevin Kline, Jean Reno
Running time: 93 mins
Certificate: PG
Serving as a prequel to 1963’s Peter Sellers classic, The Pink Panther sees the hapless Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Martin) assigned to solve the mysterious murder of a world-famous football coach and the theft of the Pink Panther diamond from his finger, with his superstar girlfriend songstress Xania (Knowles) among the suspects. Career man Inspector Dreyfus (Kline) assigns Gendarme Ponton (Reno) to acts as Clouseau’s partner, Dreyfus hoping to solve the case himself while the media’s focus is on the bumbling detective.
In theory, this movie ought to be irredeemably awful. It takes a role which a well-loved comic genius made his own and fills it with Steve Martin, an actor whose recent efforts have been far from spectacular, and places his Cheaper by the Dozen director Shawn Levy at the helm. Thankfully though, this Pink Panther update surpasses (admittedly very low) expectations.
Whether or not you’ll enjoy this film depends greatly upon whether you think Clouseau should be interpreted or played as the inimitable Sellers played him – if it's the latter, the film is most likely to disappoint. Steve Martin reinvents the character and really the whole sense of the Panther film, which will be seen as sacrilege by many fans of the original series and of course the new version can’t hold a candle to the some of its predecessors. However, judged on its own merits Martin’s effort is far from being a write-off.
The story really is paper-thin and hard to care about and unfortunately the jokes seem dumbed-down compared to the Sellers films and the (often unfunny) slapstick is somehow more juvenile (farting into microphones in a sound-proof recording booth, etc.), but on the other hand there are enough genuinely funny moments to keep The Pink Panther afloat.
Far from being a masterpiece, the reimagined Pink Panther isn’t to be dismissed out of hand by those who accept reinvention.
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I absolutely loathed this film. I didn't laugh once throughout the entire time. What a waste of money.
I went to see this last night with my girlfriend who hasnt seen the originals (have NO idea why). For me who remembers Peter Sellers in the role I was suprised to find the film is no where near dire as I thought I even laughed once or twice. My girlfriend however thought it was very good. So oldies (40+) dont think you won't enjoy some bits its not a bad film youngers ones will take a lot more out of it.
Awful just doesnt begin to describe this film... why oh why did they bother?
Martin is no Sellars, but it would be cruel to keep making that comparison. On it's own, this is a very funny movie, but a very unnecessary remake/sequel.
This movie is very funny. I enjoyed this movie very much. My favorite part is the part when Steve martain go in Beyonce's apartment and his goes in to the bathroom to take a middle age pill. then he drop it in the sink and conpletly destroys it just to get the pill back
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It is a laugh-out-loud farce! Martin at his hit!