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The Pink Panther
Rated PG for occasional crude and suggestive humor and language;
Later, Inspector Clouseau and his second-in-command try to blend into a stage show by camouflaging themselves in bodysuits matching the backdrop.
I laughed out loud both times, and only those two times during "The Pink Panther." I might have been alone in that reaction. The rest of a packed preview audience found a good 80 to 90 percent of the jokes and sight gags positively hilarious.
"The Pink Panther," starring Steve Martin as bumbling Inspector Clouseau, turned out to be better than the listless trailers might indicate, though that's hardly a point to which one would aspire. Kevin Kline sadly gets little opportunity to showcase his comic virtuosity as the pompous and jealous Inspector Dreyfus, and Jean Reno appears uncomfortable in his macho-comic role as Clouseau's sidekick and Dreyfus' mole Ponton. Beyonce Knowles turns up as a pop star who's also a murder suspect and Emily Mortimer, playing a clumsy, vision-impaired assistant, proves she should stick to drama. A continuing joke involving "Agent 006" played by Clive Owen -- who was reportedly being considered for the role of James Bond before it ultimately went to Daniel Craig -- feels oddly out of place. "The Pink Panther" was delayed in opening, and it's not clear whether the joke was meant to be topical or was just a coincidence. Either way, it had the scent of mustiness about it.
How much you enjoy this updating of "The Pink Panther" might ultimately depend upon how much good will you have toward Steve Martin, or how high of a bar you set for excellence in physical comedy.
