Pink Panther 2

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 6th Feb ‘09
Time : 92 minutes
Director : Harald Zwart; Writers : Scott Neustadter, Michael Weber; Music : Christophe Beck
Starring : Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Yuki Matsuzaki, Alfred Molina, Aishwarya Rai, John Cleese, Molly Sims, Jeremy Irons


It makes you laugh in a few places, half of the humour being slapstick and the other half, slightly but only slightly more cerebral. But it misses for me, as someone who’s seen most of the Peter Seller’s versions, the sheer madness that infected the earlier films (like the whole sequence around Kato attacking his master) and also the sheer lovability and sympathy that Peter Seller’s brought to the character of Inspector Clouseau.


The plot, as in most of the Pink Panther movies, is largely irrelevant. They manage to find a way though, to put together a very impressive supporting cast of Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Andy Garcia and John Cleese, who plays the frustrated boss. And, of course, our very own Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. It felt good to see her in such exalted company – I didn’t find her wooden, thought she handled herself well & admirably, though I felt she didn’t look as good looking as she can, even sporting dark circles in some scenes (your make-up man is slipping up, Ash, he needs his socks pulled up a bit). But then my bias towards her is well known and well documented in previous reviews.


One of the negatives of having such a stellar cast is that it gives less time to build Inspector Clouseaus character or even that of his boss and of their relationship. So at the end of it all, you have a fun movie, a decent way to end the day but its just a string of gags. Nothing with the spark and zest and sheer exuberance of the earlier films. Worth a one time watch but if would still rather buy the DVD of the Peter Seller’s movies.