Believe it or not, there was a time when the Pink Panther was something more than an insulation salesman or star of cartoon shorts. Fewer and fewer people remember that the cartoon feline was only seen during the opening credits of the hilarious series of comedies starring Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau, the inept French detective always trying to break the big case. Steve Martin's Clouseau does not approach Sellers', and the newest 'Pink Panther' is not much like many of its successful predecessors.
'The Pink Panther,' set in a time before the original 'Panther' movie, begins as the coach of a French soccer team is murdered and his ring, which holds the famous Pink Panther Diamond, is stolen. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) assigns Clouseau to the case, distracting the media with a fake investigation while Dreyfus really chases the killer. Assisting Clouseau are his assistant (Jean Reno) and secretary (Emily Mortimer). The main suspect is the coach's girlfriend, played by Beyonc?? Knowles who, surprising no one, plays a pop star.
Steve Martin is a fine comedian, and in a different role he can be very fun to watch. His biggest problem is that he is not Peter Sellers, and Sellers is Clouseau. Sellers made his Clouseau an endearing buffoon; the audience always made a connection with him. Sellers lost himself in the role, but Steve Martin plays Steve Martin playing Clouseau; he is not staying true to the material that made the character so lovable in the first place.
The film itself is very predictable, leaving no chance of a slapstick moment missed, but it is the kind of slapstick that is both too easy a joke to make and not particularly funny. Where Sellers' Clouseau tried to lean on the large globe in his office, only to have it spin and leave him to fall on the floor, Martin's globe comes free from its base and bounces out of the building creating pile-ups of (what else?) bikers in the Tour de France. Sellers' comedy was a slow burn; It knew that imagining the punchline of a joke was just as important as the joke itself. Martin's Clouseau rattles off punchlines quickly, and not many are funny. The film provides a few humorous moments, such as a slap at the James Bond franchise by rejected Bond Clive Owen, but it is not enough to make the film entertaining through its entire running time.
Martin's 'Panther' is an admirable attempt to recreate the essence of Sellers' dynamic performance, but the gags are too big, the acting is too much and it does not add up to a good movie. By putting the film so far over the top, Martin has put the film out of reach of what the 'Pink Panther' films were all about'the sly, subtle humor that made Sellers a star and made the films so enjoyable.
If you want to go see 'The Pink Panther,' do yourself a favor and get the 1964 Sellers version or its sequel 'A Shot in the Dark.' Then'if you must'go see the new 'Pink Panther.' Not only will you learn why Peter Sellers was so special and such a gifted comedian, but you will also understand why rapid slapstick sometimes is not as fun as the slow, methodical burn.
