Stars: ** [out of five].

THE PINK PANTHER 2 (M).

Starring: Steve Martin, John Cleese, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Lily Tomlin.

Directed by: Harold Zwart.

Running Time: 89 Minutes.

The huge box office success of the original Pink Panther series is attributed to the marriage, or unique pairing, of  two fiercely complex, independent and highly talented people with a passion for entertainment and  laughter, and they are director Blake Edwards and comic legend Peter Sellers. Add to the mix a charismatic animated Pink Panther, a bumbling, accident prone French detective, a legendary music maestro like Henry Mancini, and a touch of some of the cinemas most respected character actors like Herbert Lom, Graham Stark and Burt Wouk, and you have a recipe that can’t, and never has been, equaled.

This unique blending of mostly British talent, who were born out of vaudeville and radio, fell into place exactly at the right time, and the result for a decade and a half was a series of Pink Panther films that were equaled in success and popularity only to the blockbuster James Bond series.

As the sixth entry in the series, The Romance of the Pink Panther, was in pre-production in 1980, Peter Sellers died following years of heart problems. The Pink Panther series was at the peak of its popularity around the world, so Blake Edwards eventually approached comic great Dudley Moore to take over the role of the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau, and a good choice at that, but Moore made it quite clear that he couldn’t do it as it was Peter’s [Sellers] gig and no one could replace him …. And you know something, he was absolutely right.

This is not the first time an attempt was made to replace Peter Sellers. In 1968 the hugely gifted Alan Arkin gave it a go in the independently produced potboiler ‘Inspector Clouseau,’ and even though he tried his best as the bumbling French detective, audiences wanted Peter Sellers. The film was a box office disaster and disappeared into obscurity soon after.  Blake Edwards had turned down this third entry in the series, and so did Peter Sellers. The two were not getting along by this time and would not get back together another Pink Panther outing until 1975 with The Return of the Pink Panther, which would revitalize the series to enormous success, only to come crashing down with Sellers untimely death.

Enter Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau in 2006 with The Pink Panther and an attempt to bring the popular franchise back to the screen.  Now, I’d like to make it clear that I am a great admirer of Steve Martin as both a comedian and dramatic actor, but one thing is for sure, he is no Peter Sellers, and he is definitely no Inspector Clouseau.

This first attempt with Steve Martin in the title role reduced the classic series to nothing more than a relentless rehash of tired old Saturday Night Live comedy skits that fall as flat and as lifeless as a squashed bug on your car windscreen.

The normally faithful Kevin Kline, replacing Herbert Lom as Inspector Dreyfuss, had a constant look of what am I doing here throughout the film, and iconic French actor Jean Reno was so relaxed he looked almost comatose by it all. The end result though can only be compared to a very poor carbon copy, and crumpled and stained one at that, of a Rembrandt or a Van Gogh.

But through all this it is obvious that Steve Martin’s heart is in the right place, and with the new generation of movie goers proving that any Pink panther is better than no Pink Panther, they made it possible to warrant a sequel, but surprise, surprise, missing one Kevin Kline.

The Pink Panther 2 teams Steve Martin again as Inspector Clouseau with a band of media driven

detectives, who are just about as accident prone, to try stop a thief from stealing rare artifacts. To

my surprise I found it more watchable than the first attempt, but only just, helped by a supporting  cast

that includes Jean Reno once again, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Lily Tomlin, Geoffrey

Palmer and Jeremy Irons. 

The Pink Panther 2 has some mildly humerous moments, and many sad ones. Back is the American

sledgehammer wit which is thrown in your face like a brick, and any character development, pacing,

build up, and most importantly, respect for the intelligence of the audience, are all lost again.

Replacing Kevin Kline in the role of Inspector Dreyfuss is legendary Monty Python alumni John Cleese,

and it is more sad than funny to see this legendary comic straining to tired old gags we’ve seen done to

far more effect first time around in a Monty Python or Fawlty Towers sketch.

But what sets The Pink Panther 2 aside from the previous attempt is that they all seem to have had a

genuinely good time making it, great fun seems to have been had by all, and it shows on the screen.

Steve Martin is more relaxed and comfortable with the role, and the rest of the cast come across

pleasantly to some amusing effect. 

And even though The Pink Panther 2 is not a total loss and will pass the time, it should be

remembered that films are also made for audiences to enjoy, not just the cast and crew. So let’s hope its

third time lucky for Steve Martin, I haven’t given up completely.  

The Original INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU series starring Peter Sellers on DVD:

[1]: The Pink Panther [2]: A Shot in the Dark [3]: The Return of the Pink Panther

[4]: The Pink Panther Strikes Again [5]: Revenge of the Pink Panther.  

Please Note: Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther use outtakes and previously unseen

Footage of Peter Sellers after his death linked with newly filmed material, but still well worth a look.