The Pink Panther (2006)

Steve Martin's take on the infamous Inspector Clouseau is shamelessly stupid, but also inherently brilliant. With a French accent that is nowhere near normal; common sense that is, likewise, below average; and observant eyes that are quite selective, Steve Martin takes his role as un-serious as he can...and it completely works.The Inspector is chosen for what is framed as an important job, but in actuality he is the distraction: Kevin Kline's Chief Inspector Dreyfus (who is also the narrator) intentionally picks the biggest idiot he can find to solve the murder of a famed French futbol coach. Naturally, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is the perfect choice, too ignorant to realize he's being set up. He believes the job is an honor, and sets out to use his stupidity to cleverly solve the case. Assigned to help him is Ponton, a detective who faithfully follows Clouseau's lead regardless of the situation.As he interviews absurd suspects and comes to even more absurd conclusions, he believes he's coming closer to finding the criminal, while Chief Inspector Dreyfus, with the public's eyes averted, also believes he's nearing the finish line. The climax is eagerly awaited, knowing that somehow, despite his bumbling foolishness, Inspector Clouseau will come out on top, and the moment his concealed Holmesian nature is revealed is truly comical.However immersive the melodramatically hilarious "Pink Panther" is, its dedication to inciting laughs seems to distract the writers from the plot. Many scenes stray from the main story simply to create laugh-out-loud moments, which are priceless, but nonetheless unnecessary. More scenes could have been cut and replaced to focus more on the mystery, while at the same time inviting laughs. At some points, the film seems to be so intent on not taking itself seriously that it ignores elements essential to any movie, be it a slapstick or a drama. Despite some of its shortcomings, "The Pink Panther" is a roaring good time, with brilliantly crafted scenes that will make you wish you had a spare oxygen tank.Verdict: "The Pink Panther" is near the top of the over-the-top-funny movies, but its lackadaisical approach to the story and its lack of interest to leave a lasting impact impede it from being the classic it wants to be.Official Score: 81.6/100 (3/4)

As with the best remakes out there, the 2006 version of 'The Pink Panther' never tries to copy or outdo the the original, instead presenting its own unique spin on things. The plot is entirely different with only the mysterious whereabouts of an enchanting pink ring in common and none of the supporting characters are the same as in the first two Blake Edwards 'Pink Panther' films. Kevin Kline's character is no doubt inspired by Herbert Lom from 'A Shot in the Dark', but Kline provides his own looks of indignation and astonishment to create a fresh new character. Steve Martin is surprisingly quite palatable as Inspector Clouseau (his good cop/bad cop double act is very funny) even if he does not possess the knack that Peter Sellers had for carrying on as if nothing happened after doing something clumsy. The remake also puts in Clouseau in centre focus, which is something that the original 1963 film of course failed to do. The 2006 version is not all good news though. There are several groan-inducing gags in the mix, ranging from Clouseau making fun of a Russian character's accent, to failing to learn to speak like an American, to some very out-of-place flatulence humour. As far as remakes go though, 'The Pink Panther' is a more accomplished effort than it is often given credit for. The supporting cast are top of the line too, ranging from Clive Owen in a hilarious parody of James Bond, to a not easily amused Jean Reno, placed under Clouseau's wing, to a delightfully over-the- top Jason Statham as the elusive ring's recently deceased owner.

Why I think this film is awful. The main problem was casting --- Steve Martin is a talented comedian, and his comedic brilliance is best portrayed in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, My Blue Heaven, LA Story, Father of the Bride, House Sitter, Sgt. Bilko and Bowfinger" - just to mention a few. Steve Martin is brilliant when portraying American characters, but was unforgivably cringe-worthy watching him attempt to speak English with a French accent and the mediocrity that was supposed to pass as slapstick, was all too painful to watch. The role of Inspector Clouseau's character performance-bar was previously raised by the late British actor Peter Sellers in "A Shot in the Dark" and "The Pink Panther" films. In my opinion Peter Sellers had set the benchmark on the character Clouseau with the accent, clumsy demeanour, body language and facial expressions.In my opinion, this film was a farce.

I don't understand the hate at Steve Martin for taking on the character of Clouseau. When Roger Moore took on James Bond, I'm sure people complained that he was no Sean Connery, but now we accept that many actors have played the role. Same with Batman. Did anyone compare Christian Bale with Adam West, or Michael Keton, or Val Kilmer, or George Clooney? Or do we just accept that it's a new take on a character we like. Same here. Martin's Clouseau is NOT Seller's Clouseau. If you can accept that, you'll probably enjoy the movie because it is quite hilarious in many parts. Martin's Clouseau is bumbling in a different way, not as completely inept, and Martin brings more humanity to the character than Sellers ever did. Overall I found that Martin more fully developed the character, whereas Seller's character is completely one-dimensional (but very funny, none the less). So stop the comparisons, and just enjoy the movie.