| MOVIE REVIEWS
The Pink Panther
Starring: Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Beyonce Knowles
Director: Shawn Levy
Metro Goldwin Mayer & Columbia
-- reviewed by
Courtney Bowerman
Funny but dumb
In spite of my opinion that most remakes make a mockery of movies, I went to go see The Pink Panther, in the hope that it would at least be funny. I was surprised to discover that it was funny. However, the humor wasn't enough to make it a good movie.
The Pink Panther was originally a 1963 comedy caper starring Peter Sellers as the bumbling, idiotic Inspector Clouseau, who tries to track down a jewel thief. In case you have not seen the original film, the Pink Panther is a diamond that has a flaw resembling a “leaping panther.” The film not only generated several sequels, but also made the cartoon Pink Panther famous.
Technically, the new Panther film is a prequel, not a remake. The movie begins in Paris where a famous soccer coach is murdered. At the same time, his famous Pink Panther diamond ring—quite possibly the gaudiest piece of jewelry I have ever seen in my life—has been stolen. To get the media off the case, the chief inspector of the French police (Kevin Kline) comes up with a brilliant plan: get a stupid police officer to “work” on the case in the public eye, while he solves the case himself.
Enter Clouseau (Steve Martin), who is the dumbest, clumsiest guy on the force. To ensure that his plan isn’t screwed up, the chief inspector assigns fellow officer Gilbert Ponton (Jean Reno) to pose as Clouseau’s partner and watch his every move. However, Clouseau is determined to crack the case and find the jewel himself.
Like its predecessors, the film is basically consisted of cheesy slapstick humor. Although Martin nails the French accent to a T, he doesn’t even come close to filling Sellers’ shoes. There isn’t much to be said about the rest of the cast, which includes singer Beyoncé Knowles as the murder victim’s girlfriend. Her main purpose seemed only to be the movie’s eye candy, since she didn’t really appear until halfway through the film. However, I believe that is capable of acting if giving an ample role, such as her hilarious performance as Foxxy Cleopatra in Goldmember.
Most of the humor consists of fart jokes and Viagra (don’t ask!). Still, there are some funny scenes, such as the opening animated sequence with the cartoon Pink Panther, along with the familiar theme song. Another one involves Clouseau and Ponton trying to pose as Beyoncé’s backup dancers while undercover. The whole theatre was rolling with laughter at that part.
Basically, I’d recommend seeing the movie if you want to see a simple, cheesy comedy. Or better yet, rent the original, which I have to say was funnier than this new movie.
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