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After seeing Steve Martin’s mediocre and only occasionally amusing comic adventure, The Pink Panther, back in 2006, I seriously questioned the need for a sequel. So, as I prepared to see The Pink Panther 2, I did so with the lowest of expectations—but even that couldn’t save this failed follow-up.
In The Pink Panther 2, Martin once again stars as the bumbling yet somehow world-renowned French inspector, Jacques Clouseau. After a cunning thief known only as The Tornado steals a number of valuable artifacts—including France’s own Pink Panther diamond—Clouseau is asked to join a Dream Team of international investigators in bringing The Tornado to justice.
Meanwhile, as the Dream Team hunts for clues that will lead them to The Tornado, Clouseau struggles with his feelings for his co-worker, Nicole (Emily Mortimer). Though he tries to deny that there’s anything between them, he can’t help but feel jealous when smooth Italian inspector Vicenzo (Andy Garcia) starts putting the moves on her.
The Pink Panther 2 is yet another totally overdone slapstick adventure that relies on a blundering imbecile to garner some cheap laughs. And though he may have been slightly amusing from time to time in the first film, Martin’s clueless inspector—with his bad accent and his tendency to make an absolute fool of himself at every turn—has officially overstayed his welcome. Whether he’s burning down restaurants or impersonating the pope, his antics aren’t funny; they’re painful to watch. If I were Steve Martin, I’d be embarrassed—and, quite possibly, ashamed of myself.
For a while, at least I had the supporting characters—the other members of the “Dream Team”—who act as the voice of reason in the midst of Clouseau’s insanity. But, by the end of the movie, they, too, are reduced to little more than bumbling stooges.
Meanwhile, the story is thin and predictable, and the writing is unsurprising. And, since there’s not a whole lot to the Tornado case, it’s crammed with pointless filler—like Clouseau’s regular meetings with politically-correctness coach Mrs. Berenger (Lily Tomlin) or his karate battles with friend and colleague Ponton’s (Jean Reno) kids.
On the other hand, though, I did see Paul Blart: Mall Cop a few weeks ago, and, fortunately, The Pink Panther 2 isn’t quite as painfully idiotic as its precursor (which, much to my chagrin, already has its own needless sequel in the works). At least this one could be good for a chuckle or two (though probably no more than two). And, if nothing else, well…the European scenery is nice to look at.
If you love brainless slapstick comedy, The Pink Panther 2 is right up your alley. But, for everyone else, it’s just another pointless sequel—and there’s just no point in seeing it.
Blu-ray Review:
It may not make my top-ten list this year, but if you enjoyed the wacky, slapstick comedy of Steve Martin’s The Pink Panther 2, you’ll find plenty of interesting extras on the film’s three-disc Blu-ray set.
The main disc includes a short gag reel, along with two making-of features: one on the challenges (and dangers) of the film’s physical style of comedy and another on the international ensemble of characters. There’s also an interactive Master Thief game, which tests players’ knowledge of history and art. It’s a great idea, but the implementation seems to be a bit buggy—and I gave up after I was instantly spotted by Inspector Clouseau and forced to forfeit several turns in a row (while my computer opponent played on).
In addition to the feature disc, the set also comes with two bonus discs. One includes a digital copy of the film, and the other is a bonus DVD, featuring 27 episodes of the classic Pink Panther cartoon series. I’ll admit that I never really appreciated this super-simple series when I first saw it as a kid, so it wasn’t much of a blast from the past for me—but fans of the series will enjoy watching the panther outsmart burglars, department store janitors, big-game hunters, and, of course, the Inspector himself. Of course, if you really enjoyed the series, you can always buy the cartoons separately—but it’s a fun addition to the set anyway.
