Movie Review: The Pink Panther (2006)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laugh out loud humor from start to finish

Cons: Too many sexual jokes.

The Bottom Line:

So many good jokes

Diminished by the sex jokes

Still, a funny film

Steve Martin is Out to Solve the Crime

It's the murder that shocked France. Just after winning a very important football match (that's soccer for us Americans), coach Yves Gluant is murdered. To top it off, Yves owned the Pink Panther diamond, and the diamond has vanished. It's a case guaranteed to make headlines for months if not years.

And Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) knows it. Thinking this is finally his opportunity to gain the recognition he deserves, he decides to assign the most incompetent detective he can to the case. Dreyfus will then solve the crime behind the scenes and come in and save the day, making himself the hero.

Chosen to be the fall guy is Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin). When we first meet Clouseau, he's trying to solve the murder of a man who is still alive, by accusing everyone he meets, including a baby and the supposed victim, of the crime. Who could be better at not solving the crime then that?

Of course, Clouseau thinks he's been given a great honor and sets out to solve the crime. He quickly begins making the rounds and coming up with suspects, including the victim's fiancee (Beyonce Knowles) and the soccer player who was first dating the fiancee. Then another murder takes place. Can Clouseau solve the case? Or will Dreyfus get all the glory?

I must admit to not being familiar with the original Pink Panther movies. I came into this one with no expectations or preconceived ideas. I don't know if this helped me or not, but all I can say is I enjoyed the film.

The plot is good and the mystery is logically solved, but it's merely an excuse for the comedy. Here, the movie shines. Clouseau is a complete bumbler, usually leaving behind ruin in his wake. A group of cyclists have several run ins with him, and Dreyfus has many a painful encounter as well. Additionally, Clouseau is thick headed, usually missing the obvious, even when it smacks him in the head. To top it off, there's the horrid French accent. Not even the other French in the film can understand him all the time, making the movie funnier for us. And the scenes where he is trying to pronounce "hamburger" are a riot.

Obviously, for a movie like this to work, the performances have to be good. Steve Martin leads the way as Clouseau, making the dim-witted detective completely believable. Yes, much of the action is over the top, but watching Steve Martin, you easily forget that fact. Kevin Kline gets the thankless job of the straight man, and does a good job with it. The other straight man is Jean Reno, who plays the assistant assigned to keep an eye on Clouseau. He does an outstanding job with the role. Not only do we grow to like him by the end, but he also get some great laughs at the climax. Beyonce Knowles is the biggest weakness in the cast, but she has few scenes and hardly detracts from the overall effect.

My biggest problem with the film is the sexual humor. Being a PG movie, I didn't think there would be so much or it would be so prevalent. I was shocked by a few of the gags, especially one involving Viagra. Frankly, not only were they not funny, they also did nothing to advance the story. Either these scenes should have been cut, or the film should have been given a more honest PG-13.

Not having seen the originals, I can't compare them to this one. All I can tell you is I laughed from start to finish. By the time The Pink Panther was over, my sides hurt. This is a great movie for those looking to laugh; just watch it before you let the kids see it.