PINK PANTHER FILM GUIDE

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(LAST UPDATE 06/24/2010 02:23 PM , CLICK ON THE TITLES TO READ MY REVIEW, PINK PANTHER FILM GROSSES BELOW)

MIKE'S PINK PANTHER REVIEWS WITH MPAA RATING

THE PINK PANTHER (1963) - The first of the Panther films is definitely slow in parts especially when focused on David Niven. But he was a big star, and Peter Sellers had only replaced Peter Ustinov a week before filming started. Peter's part was expanded once it was realized that he was stealing the film with his hilarious improvisations. In fact, whenever Peter is on the screen the film is very funny with some hilarious moments. Watch for him in his first scene spinning a globe and falling. Hilarious! Definitely recommended for Sellers' genius, but it's not the best in the series.

A SHOT IN THE DARK (PG) - The most hilarious Panther film does not even have the Panther diamond in the story. The screenplay was a mystery that was turned into a Clouseau story. It has so many hilarious scenes, it's hard to think of them all. Look for when he spins the globe in his office, it gets a different hilarious result this time. You will probably laugh through most of the nudist camp scene, when he gets arrested while undercover and near the end of the film when he interrogates the suspects. This was the first appearance of the Dreyfus and Cato characters, and Herbert Lom was especially hilarious as Dreyfus. Definitely highly recommended, it's probably the best in the series.

INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU (G) - For the third Panther film, The studio tried to get Sellers and Edwards back but they would not work together. Instead the studio hired Alan Arkin as Clouseau and Bud Yorkin as director. The film released on DVD on January 31 2006, with my review to follow.

THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (G) - The fourth Panther film is one of the top 3 funniest Panther films. It's probably the third best. The film has many hilarious scenes like Clouseau getting sucked into a vacuum cleaner, driving 2 vans into a swimming pool and gluing himself to a chair. When the film focuses on the diamond heist and on Christopher Plummer as Charles Litton, it's more serious. But Sellers is at his best during the slapstick scenes, as usual. Definitely highly recommended.

THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (PG) - The fifth Panther film is the most hilarious next to A Shot In the Dark. I remember when I had seen this in the theater, I was laughing so hard I was almost sick. The teaser is probably the funniest in comedy film history, when Clouseau goes to see Dreyfus at the asylum. The interrogation of the staff at the kidnapped Professor's house, the Cato fights, when he asks the hotel clerk about his dog, when he tries to get over a moat into Dreyfus' castle hideout, when they both use the laughing gas, these are scenes where you will be dying from laughter. It's so hilarious! Definitely highly recommended.

REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER (PG) - Revenge is the sixth Panther film and unfortunately it is not as consistently hilarious as the last two, but it does have many funny scenes. Dreyfus giving Clouseau's eulogy when Dreyfus thinks he's dead, is hilarious. Clouseau masquerading as a Godfather, Cato's slapstick scenes while he's wearing thick glasses, when the two break through a bakery's glass front, the chases through Hong Kong and a firework warehouse are classic funny Panther scenes. Dyan Cannon also is very entertaining and funny in her scenes with Sellers. Definitely recommended.

TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER (PG) - The seventh Panther film was made after Sellers' death. The first half of the film consists of outtakes from the previous films. During this first half the film is very funny with some hilarious moments, especially when he asks for a "message" from the hotel clerk and when he sets Dreyfus' office on fire. Herbert Lom is also very good as Dreyfus, as usual. But it slows up during the second half when everyone thinks Clouseau is dead, and a news reporter interviews people that knew him. Make sure you continue watching the closing credits, highlights of some of the most hilarious moments in the series are shown. Recommended for Panther fans.

CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER (PG) - The eighth Panther film has Roger Moore playing Clouseau in a cameo at the film's end. It centers around the world's worst detective being sent to find the missing Clouseau, after Dreyfus rigs the computer to do the opposite of its programming. Ted Wass of the TV show Soap, plays officer Clifton Sleigh. He's funny, it's just too bad that the jokes weren't as funny this time around. But the movie has some good points, Herbert Lom is again very funny as Dreyfus, there is a well staged fight scene with a woman protecting Sleigh and Robert Loggia is a fun villain. Recommended for Panther fans.

SON OF THE PINK PANTHER (PG) - The ninth Panther film has Roberto Benigni as Gendarme Jacques Gambrelli, illegitimate son of Clouseau. Nobody knew that he would hit it so big with Life Is Beautiful 4 years later. He definitely showed some promising slapstick talent in this film, but like I said above about Curse, it wasn't the funniest. The opening credits as usual are excellent as is Henry Mancini's music score. There are some jokes that work but it seems Blake Edwards stretched some of them too far like the bike in the cement. On the other hand, the fight scenes are very good as usual and Robert Davi is a good villain. Recommended for Panther fans.

THE PINK PANTHER (2006) (PG) - Steve Martin's first Pink Panther film and tenth in the series released on February 10 2006. DVD release date was June 13 2006. Its also the first without Blake Edwards since Inspector Clouseau. Kevin Kline plays his boss, Chief Inspector Dreyfus, and does a very fine job. Also, fortunately, Steve Martin makes a very funny Inspector Clouseau and the film is funnier than the last 3 Panther films. Some scenes were so hilarious that I was crying and laughing into the next scene, I had not laughed this hard in a very long time. I don't want to spoil some of the funny scenes for people who have not seen it yet but it is consistently funny most of the way through. One difference was that this Clouseau did not have as big an ego as Sellers' Inspector, he was a little more humble. Panther fans should definitely go out and see this in the theatres and laugh with everyone else. The film has also done well at the overseas box office, taking in $76.4 million. Definitely recommended.

THE PINK PANTHER 2 (PG) - U.S. Release Date is 2/6/09. Steve Martin co-wrote the sequel about Clouseau trying to foil an international crime wave with the help of genuine detectives. When Steve Martin is allowed some slapstick comedy in his second Panther film, the sequel comes alive. I did not think it was as funny as his first, even though it had an all-star cast and surprise guest stars. John Cleese, funny as Inspector Dreyfus, was not allowed enough screen time, unfortunately. How Clouseau finally solved the crimes was interesting and funny, but it takes awhile to get there. But I still recommend it for Panther fans.

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