In this crazy world of recycled movie ideas and TV show adaptations on the big screen, the notion of a new “Pink Panther” starring Steve Martin in the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau should shock no one. Yes, we've had a few years to adjust to the idea since news of this potential travesty broke, but the perception of a problematic film permeated this one even BEFORE we were subjected to jarring clips of Martin doing the over-wrought French accent that Peter Sellers made famous. Indeed, the thought of the terminally mainstream Steve Martin filling the extremely highly regarded shoes of Sellers is not at all comforting. Between the fact that the premiere date was pushed off of summer '05 to February '06, and then seeing the badly edited-for-talk-show clips (is it just me, or are more and more promo film clips being compressed and mangled in order to run during actors talk show appearances, thus sucking any rhythmic breathing room out of the scenes, thereby ruining them, and making the films look crappy, which defeats the purpose of showing the clips in the first place?) and TV commercials for this, I had a bad feeling indeed. As it turns out, this “Pink Panther” is not nearly so bad as it could have been, and, even manages to ultimately top its namesake in terms of coherent comedy.
Now before the torch-bearing crowds come to haul me away for that last sentence, let's remember that Blake Edwards' original 1963 “Pink Panther” film was not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. It was in many ways a mishmash ensemble piece that didn't know what it had in the casting Peter Sellers as bumbling detective Clouseau, who was confined to a supporting role so that the spotlight could go to David Niven. It wasn't until the sequel, the hilarious “A Shot in the Dark” the following year that Sellers' Clouseau would take center stage, not just in the “Panther” franchise, but in the filmography of the actor's extremely impressive career as well. For this reason, the prospect of remaking the original film is not so daunting as it may first seem to those going purely on the memory of Sellers at his Clouseau peak. That said, this “Pink Panther” is not so much a remake as it is a hoped relaunch of the series/franchise.
Unfortunately for Steve Martin, the notion of him stepping into the great shoes of the late great Peter Sellers is not one that audiences are going to take lightly. Fortunately for audiences, Steve Martin seems well aware of not only that fact, but also the fact that this film's success or failure rests squarely on his shoulders. As lame as Martin's film career has become in past decade or so (“Shopgirl” aside), chock full of over-wrought “family” pictures and whatnot, it is a relief that he doesn't sink the ship in this much-ballyhooed movie. Those concerned about his forced accent needn't worry. I know, I was certainly among you – I went in fully expecting to cringe every time Martin spoke in that transparent, heavy French manner. After all, Steve Martin is not nearly the chameleon that Peter Sellers was, and we all know good and well what Martin is supposed to sound like. Thankfully, the screenplay, credited to Martin and lowbrow comedy veteran writer Len Blum, creates a relatively likeable and sympathetic Clouseau that is absolutely in keeping with the memory of the bumbling inspector we love and remember. Ten minutes into the film, the accent is no longer an issue.
Perhaps less surprisingly, the gags aren't particularly great. Most notable is the spinning globe gag, carried out with painful subtly in the old days, now becomes a pricey set piece with a mind of its own. All too often, things lean to the overly deliberate in this film, with physical comedy follow-through often becoming over-staged and too “modern”. The bits range from the innocuous to the slightly bizarre (there's at least one head-scratching explosion that occurs), but at least never sink to the level of modern gross-out comedy, instead rightfully preferring to hover in the relatively harmless range of sexual farce and slapstick that the Blake Edwards entries operated in. Back in the sixties, I'm sure Edwards' content was at the very least considered racy, but in today's post-“Austin Powers” world, this comedy is tamer than your average episode of “Will & Grace”. And that is as it should be, in my opinion. Too bad it all too often leans to the bland, though.
Martin is ably assisted by Jean Reno as his partner, Emily Mortimer as his innocent love interest, and Kevin Kline (who probably also could've pulled off a re-imagining of Clouseau) as the ever-frustrated Chief Inspector Dreyfus (made famous by Herbert Lom). Beyoncé Knowles shows up as a diva pop star (what a stretch), but doesn't have as much screen time as her recent publicity blitz would lead one to believe. The locations of Paris and New York shine as well, under the directorial hand of Shawn Levy (yes, of “Cheaper by the Dozen” fame. Let's just forget that for now, shall we?).
All the “Pink Panther” on-screen staples are here – an opening credits cartoon, the stolen Pink Panther diamond plot, the standard familiar Clouseau mannerisms and routines, and of course Henry Mancini's famous theme, properly expanded upon throughout by composer Chistophe Beck. All in all, this is far from a classic, but certainly manages to outshine the Seller-less later “Panther” films Edwards cranked out. If I were to include this in the overall “Pink Panther” filmography, this would most likely place somewhere in the middle/top third. Not nearly the travesty of the remade “Planet of the Apes” or “Psycho”, “The Pink Panther” gets off easy by virtue of the original's missteps. Now if Martin and company attempts to continue the series by mounting a faithful remake of “A Shot in the Dark”, then I may have to revert to my skeptical mode. But as it stands, in our crazy world of filthy-minded, rapid-fire, arbitrary humor passing for mainstream comedy these days, the success of this relatively conventional “Pink Panther” would be a sound (if not particularly memorable), momentary change of pace, and not at all a desecration to the memory of Peter Sellers.
- Jim Tudor