I had avoided the first Pink Panther remake when it came out because it didn’t appear to be in line with what I liked about the original series and the advance reviews were less than favorable. So when a screener arrived for me for the second one I was not looking forward to viewing the film and I procrastinated like a master. However, when I found my time running out I sat down to watch the film and I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This movie follows the “great” Inspector Clouseau who joins forces with a team of detectives to catch the elusive Tornado who stole a myriad of world treasures including the Pink Panther diamond.
First, you need to understand that this movie is a throwback to classic slapstick physical comedy and plays very much like an old Three Stooges or Marx Brothers movie, therefore the movie’s appeal is stronger for people who enjoy that style of comedy and kids who always love a good pratfall. On one of the featurettes Steve Martin explained that he loved to play around in the world of physical comedy and the same appealed to the likes of John Cleese and the other actors who fill out the cast including Jean Reno (Leon – The Professional), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Lily Tomlin (Her first role with Martin since All of Me) and Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven). I would recommend setting low expectations for the plot and character development and just enjoy some comedy masters goof around with one another for an hour and a half.
The features include a gag reel and a few short featurettes on the joys of physical comedy and a feature on the dream cast. However the two-disc edition comes with twenty-seven classic Pink Panther cartoons including “The Pink Phink” which won the Academy Award for animated short in 1964. If you grab the Blu-ray disc you can get a Digital copy as well.
Special Features
Gag Reel
Drama is Easy…Comedy is Dangerous
A Dream Team Like No Other
Master Thief – Global Crime Showdown
Second disc has twenty-seven Pink Panther Cartoons
Blu-Ray comes with a Digital Copy on a third disc