Martin is worthy successor to Sellers in new addition to Panther series
In 1963, the legendary Peter Sellers starred in a small film called The Pink Panther, a movie that would later be nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and a Grammy Award. Today, The Pink Panther is considered a classic film and one of the best films in Sellers' career.
When Sony Pictures decided to add a new version of the classical film series for a younger generation, it was a task that needed to be approached with either great caution or reckless disregard. Somehow the team of Steve Martin, Kevin Kline and Jean Reno, under the supervision of director Shawn Levy, found a way to not only do both, but do it well.
This version of The Pink Panther is actually a prequel to the Peter Sellers version. It involves detective Jacques Clouseau as a simple French policeman who is called up by Chief Inspector Dreyfus, played by Kevin Kline, to help investigate the murder of Yves Gluant, played by The Transporter's Jason Statham, and the robbery of his trademark piece of jewelry, the Pink Panther diamond.
Dreyfus does not disguise his ulterior motives from Clouseau, stating that he wants Clouseau as a decoy for the press until he can form his own investigation. When Clouseau drops the ball, Dreyfus would then pick up the case with the ultimate goal of finally winning the French Medal of Honor after being nominated seven times in the past and never winning.
This premise works remarkably well for the film, and from the very first scenes, you get pulled in to the world of the bumbling detective and trade off between laughing at Clouseau and laughing with Clouseau. The packed crowd watching the preview enjoyed every minute of it, only pausing to take a breath before belting out laughter. The crowd even stood up and cheered for Martin's performance.
One of the questions on everybody's mind is how Beyonce Knowles does in her role as Xania, girlfriend of Gluant and a suspect in the Pink Panther case. The answer is that Knowles does surprisingly well for what her role allows, and that is just fine, because one senses when watching the film that Knowles' skills, if overused, could fall under the old adage of "too much of a good thing." The only real problem with Knowles is that she is given a platform to sing in a seemingly unnecessary scene near the end of the film. But if her presence helps bring people to the movie, then it will prove to be a successful casting choice.
If there is one glaring problem with the film, it is that Clouseau is sometimes shown as much smarter than he actually is, or should be, given his body of work. Despite the humor being a bit too obvious and the plot being relatively simplistic, the choices made are understandable. This is being primarily pitched as a children's film and definitely succeeds in providing an enjoyable experience for parents and kids alike.
Thanks to the still hilarious and studious acting of the film's star, Martin, The Pink Panther is without a doubt the best kind of plain and harmless fun. This is what movies today should be: An escape from reality where you can kick back and relax and watch someone else screw things up, even if it is only for a stingy 90-minute runtime that almost seems to be too short, and leaves you wanting more.
Grade: B-
Originally published Feb. 10, 2006
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