The Pink Panther (2006)

Steve Martin
Kevin Kline
Jean Reno
Emily Mortimer
Beyonce Knowles

Directed by Shawn Levy

Plot: A world-famous soccer coach has been murdered and his priceless, legendary ring has been stolen--a ring set with the stunning diamond known as the "Pink Panther." The French government needs a master detective to solve the crime and recover the gem--but he's not available, so they recruit none other than Inspector Jacques Clouseau. A stunning pop star, a soccer player, a Chinese assassin circles--but who committed the crime? And can anyone solve the case? Clouseau and his partner, Ponton, must unmask the murderer and keep their boss, Dreyfus, from taking credit for the victory, all without bringing the French legal system to a screeching halt.

Review: Being this is a remake (or re-imagining) it is a must to bring up the original first. I loved the original Pink Panther films and thought Peter Sellers was a genius. I have always thought Steve Martin was a brilliant comedian. When I heard this film was being made it ticked me off. After I cooled off about it, I started to think, maybe Steve Martin could pull this off. Then I saw the trailer and realized I was not going to see this movie. Since my son has been nagging me to see it since he saw the trailer, I decided to rent it and watch it with him. The trailer does not do this movie justice.

I am not saying this movie is great, but it was very funny. It had some of the same stuff that made the original movie great. It was very stupid and child-like, but it was meant to be. Although nowhere near as good in it as Peter Sellers, Steve Martin pulled off the role perfectly. My only real problem with this film is Jean Reno. He is very stiff and dry in this movie. He is meant to be the straight man, but comes off just kind of bored, almost as if he didn’t want to be there. Beyonce was ok for what she did, but I cannot stand her anyway, so we will just move on. The story is easy to follow and has plenty of over the top gags to keep you entertained. My biggest surprise came from my children. Both of them laughed out loud at times, which in turn caused me to start laughing. This is a great film for the family, but fans of the original will fall on both sides of the fence.

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