Pink Panther Begins Again
Brings Out Martin's Not-So-Subtle Side

The much-delayed release of The Pink Panther, starring Steve Martin as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, led me to believe that this film had been shelved by producers because it would not live up to the reputation of the series. While critics have been quick to compare it to the legendary Blake Edwards films (and compare Martin to Peter Sellers, who defined Clouseau), the film pleased me with plenty of laughs and unexpected surprises.

The Pink Panther
Inspector Clouseau (Steve Martin) gets himself into a tight situation while interviewing a suspect in the new adaptation of the legendary Pink Panther series. (MGM, 2006)
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Written by: Len Blum and Steve Martin
Starring: Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Beyoncé Knowles, and Emily Mortimer

Rated PG (for occasional crude and suggestive humor and language)
Running time: 93 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 7 out of 10.

The Pink Panther is a prequel to the original series. The film begins with a large amount of exposition by Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline). He explains the background of the lowly gendarme named Clouseau and how this man came to be selected for a high-profile murder investigation.

Following the murder of soccer coach Yves Gluant (Jason Statham) and the theft of the Pink Panther diamond, Clouseau is promoted to Inspector and charged with finding the murderer. Dreyfus gives Clouseau his own secretary (Emily Mortimer) and appoints an assistant, Gendarme Gilbert Ponton (Jean Reno). Ponton reports on Clouseau to Dreyfus while Dreyfus heads up the real investigation in secret.

Clouseau quickly takes every opportunity to prove his lack of cunning and detective skills, with several displays of physical comedy. Along the way, he meets a variety of suspects and interesting people. He is dazzled by pop singer Xania (Beyoncé Knowles), the girlfriend of the murder victim. The result is an amusing game of cat and mouse, in which Clouseau appears to be a hapless victim. Clouseau also encounters a fellow lawman, Agent 006 (Clive Owen). The exchange becomes a case of mistaken identity, which only helps to bolster Clouseau's reputation (to Dreyfus's dismay).

The film is a variety of comic moments that range from crude fart jokes to absurd character stereotypes. Martin's outrageous French accent brought to mind his old stand-up comedy routine about the French language sounding like someone choking. Yet he managed to keep his accent throughout the film. By the end, Kline's more subtle accent had deteriorated to one more British than French (when he was trying at all).

The best moments of the film were the simple ones. Watching a large globe roll down a flight of stairs brought me to giggles. Seeing the ubiquitous French bike riders meet all manner of calamity gave me some laughs. Listening to Clouseau walk into a "soundproofed" room to relieve himself made me laugh hysterically. It may not be high-brow humor, but it struck me as funny.

I grew up watching the original Pink Panther films and appreciate Sellers's unique brand of comedy. However, I don't see this film as an affront to the memory of the original. This Pink Panther stands on its own as a funny film with a very memorable performance by Martin. My only complaint is the title. I wish the studio had used a modicum of originality to give the film a name that would not confuse it with the 1963 original.