THE PINK PANTHER
US, 2006, 93 minutes, Colour.
Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Henry Czerny, Roger Rees, Beyonce Knowles.
Directed by Shawn Levy.
Once upon a time, the Pink Panther was a fabulous jewel. When it was stolen in the very popular film of 1963, the French detective brought in to solve the mystery was the accident-prone, vowel-mumbling Inspector Clouseau. The Pink Panther turned into a literal panther in the wonderful cartoon series – with his own recognisable Henry Mancini signature tune. And Inspector Clouseau became one of the most recognisable of Peter Sellers’ screen characters as well as the similarly inept cartoon detective – again with his own recognisable Henry Mancini signature tune.
Television has kept the Peter Sellers Pink Panther series alive – and now they are being packaged in DVD collections. The funniest Clouseau film was the Pink Panther sequel, A Shot in the Dark. Later there was the PP Strikes Again, The Return of the PP and The Revenge of the PP. Producers tried to get some mileage (and dollars) our of the franchise and Alan Arkin had a go at being Inspector Clouseau and that seemed to be that…
Until… the character’s creator tried again with the rather lame Trail of the Pink Panther – but Peter Sellers was already dead and the makers used archival footage of Sellers himself (and Sellers’ wife won a lawsuit claiming that it insulted his memory). Which didn’t stop the movies. Curse of the Pink Panther had Ted Wass as another inept detective searching for Clouseau who had disappeared. One would have thought that would be the end of it. No, then came Son of the Pink Panther – apparently the Inspector had fathered a son in Italy. He turned out to be Roberto Benigni fifteen years before he amazed us with his Oscar-winning Life is Beautiful.
Inspector Clouseau’s life had been extended for twenty years beyond his original appearance. (Of course, James Bond is still going forty-five years after his debut in 1961.)
All this is a bit of history to give a context for why most people have awaited in horror the resurrection of Inspector Clouseau. And, even worse, with Steve Martin in the role. In recent years he has done a number of remakes of popular films – and has not shone: Sergeant Bilko, the Father of the Bride films, The Out-of-Towners? and the (at least for this reviewer) excruciating Cheaper by the Dozen films which desecrated the originals, which only we oldies have seen and appreciated!
Well, should we go to see the new Pink Panther? Updated to the present? Is it funny? Is Steve Martin any good? And what about Kevin Kline taking Herbert Lom’s place as Inspector Dreyfuss? Will Cato be there?
The answer is yes and no!
Critics in the US and the UK have been devastatingly negative. Box office in the US and the UK has confounded the critics and has been very successful.
There are some laughs at the slapstick and the bumbling – which also confounds the authorities as Clouseau solves the mystery in some deductions that would put Poirot and Miss Marple to shame. In fact, the new PP is more cheerful and amusing than I would have anticipated.
However, Steve Martin does not have the same finesse and timing as Sellers and the supreme self-confidence as he walks through accidents and mayhem that he has caused. One way of gauging this would be to have a look at the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers where Geoffrey Rush (not the first actor one would have thought of to portray Sellers) impersonates a fictional scene where Sellers is flying to Rome to film The Pink Panther. He is not happy about how he will do the role. He goes to the toilet and when he comes out he acts like Clouseau with a flight attendant. It is Sellers. It is Clouseau. And it is funny.
But, as with all films, we can make up our own minds.
1.The popularity of Peter Sellers’ impersonation of Inspector Clouseau? For forty years?
2.Steve Martin in the Inspector Clouseau role? Comparisons with Peter Sellers? Favourable? Screen presence? Manner? Pronunciations and mispronunciations? Bumbling? Pratfalls?
3.The quality of the comedy? Verbal, mispronunciations? Innuendo? The physical comedy, the pratfalls – and Inspector Clouseau unaware of the chaos that he causes? Misunderstandings?
4.The basic plot – based on The Pink Panther, updated, variations on the theme? The Pink Panther as the jewel, the robbery, suspicions? Murders? Inspector Clouseau solving the crime?
5.The personality of Inspector Clouseau: Steve Martin’s appearance, manner? Seeing him in the provinces, making a mess of things, even parking his car? His being called to Paris? The interactions with Dreyfus? His inability to see through his being set up? Gilbert being appointed to accompany him? Nicole and her help, her devotion? The interviews, at the football club, with Yuri? The discussions with Xania? The various mistakes that he made? Inspector Dreyfus suspecting the Chinese? Clouseau and Gilbert going to New York? Xania under suspicion? The casino? The interviews with Laroque? The build-up to the reception, Gilbert and Clouseau infiltrating the dinner, the contemporary dance and their disguise? Clouseau humiliated and off the case – but noticing clues? Dreyfus and the attack on the Chinese ambassador? Clouseau and his unmasking Yuri? The Poirot-like explanation of all that at happened? Dreyfus and his wanting the Medal of Honour, his having to support Clouseau? Clouseau receiving the honours? The bond with Gilbert? The devotion of Nicole?
6.Inspector Dreyfus, Kevin Kline and his style? Smartly dressed, dapper, interviewed for the Medal of Honour, his hopes? His scheme concerning Clouseau? Interviewing him – and the signature and the ink on his shirt? His suspecting the Chinese? His own associates and his explanation of his plan? His observing Clouseau – finally sacking him? The dinner, the build-up to the arrest, the humiliation? His having to go on the media to support Clouseau?
7.Gilbert, the Frenchman, his skill as a policeman? His having to protect Clouseau? His sharing in the pratfalls? The interrogations, his bringing some common sense? The one-upmanship of Clouseau? New York, the interview at the casino? Having to infiltrate the dinner – and the disguise and the contemporary dance? His bonding with Clouseau?
8.Nicole, her glasses, devotion, the awkward scenes – with her on the table and Clouseau’s rescuing her – and the innuendo? Taking her glasses of – and walking into the tree? Her helping with the case? The touch of romance?
9.Xania, kissing the coach at the beginning of the match? Her career, songs, recording session – and Clouseau interrupting it, talking and the engineer’s anger? Her going to New York, the session? The truth about The Pink Panther, her not wanting to tell the truth, afraid to be a suspect? Her vindication after her song at the dinner?
10.Laroque, the casino, bets, the football club? The mix-ups with the interrogation?
11.Yuri, the initial interview? His suspicious behaviour? His being unmasked as the murderer and his explanations?
12.The set-up of the murderer, the football match, the manager, the celebration, his kissing Xania, his death? The suspicion of the football player, the interrogation, his relationship with Xania? His being murdered?
13.Popular entertainment, for a wide audience? A worthy successor to Peter Sellers – or, as so many critics said, not?
