In 1963 writer/director Blake Edwards and actor Peter Sellers combined to create one of the most popular characters in the history of movie comedies: Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Now, 46 years later, Steve Martin took his second shot at playing Clouseau in “The Pink Panther 2”.
The plot is pretty simple: Once again the legendary Pink Panther diamond has been stolen and it’s up to Clouseau and a group of other top detectives from around the world to work together to find it, and the thief, known only as “The Tornado”.
Just like in Martin’s first Pink Panther movie in 2006, this version is filled with slapstick comedy. I’m not a big fan of slapstick comedy, especially when it isn’t very funny, as in this movie.
The acting is o.k. In fact the cast for “The Pink Panther 2” is pretty impressive – Andy Garcia, Jeremy Irons, Alfred Molina, but the weak script doesn’t give them much to do. The story is very predictable, so the comedy has to be great to make the film work, and it just isn’t.
This is Steve Martin’s first starring role since the ’06 remake. If he’s serious about his acting he’s got to get away from Clouseau and back to playing better characters in better movies.
“The Pink Panther 2” is rated PG for a few, brief, adult references and a few scenes involving guns. It’s safe for all ages. If you’re a fan of the series you’ll certainly want to see it, but if not there are better comedy choices out on DVD right now.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “The Pink Panther 2” get a C. Disappointing, considering the success of the 2006 version and the fact that Martin was one of the writers. My guess is there won’t be a “Pink Panther 3”.