Feb 28, 2009 11:58 PM
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Cast: Steve Martin, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno
Filled with juvenile gags involving a wobbly wine rack, and one involving surveillance cameras, The Pink Panther 2is a more-or-less silly take on the popular Peter Sellers movies of the 60s.
Steve Martin reprises his role as the bumbling but lovable inspector Jacques Clousseau from the 2006 film, and in this installment Clousseau must lead a dream team of international detectives to pindown an elusive thief who has made off with the Magna Carta, the Pope'sring, and other priceless articles including the coveted Pink Panther diamond.
Stacked with impressive actors who spend pretty much the entire duration of the film looking embarrassed at Steve Martin's slapstick antics, The Pink Panther 2 is the kind of movie that might appeal to eight and nine year-olds who don't know any better.
If you're familiar with the Peter Sellers films, you might remember those weren't exactly landmark films - at best they were respectable comedies- but they were held together by the sheer presence of Peter Sellers, easily one of the most instinctive comic actors whose every movement, every crick of the neck suggested impending mischief and mayhem.
Steve Martin, on the other hand, although he's a fine physical comic, is too preoccupied with the silly French accent to notice that there's nothin goriginal or engaging about his chandelier-swinging, chimney-crashing, restaurant-burning gags which have such a phony ring to them.
AndyGarcia and Alfred Molina play members of the dream team, while EmilyMortimer returns as Clousseau's shy secretary and love interest, and Jean Reno as his sidekick; John Cleese steps in as Clousseau'sexasperated boss, Jeremy Irons as the chief suspect in these thefts, and Lily Tomlin as a sensitivity teacher who has trouble ridding Clousseau of his prejudices.
There's also Aishwarya Rai Bachchan whoappears as the stunning special agent Sonia Sondres, and to be entirelyfair she does as good a job as anyone else in this film. Landing a partthat comes with a surprise twist, Aishwarya entirely succeeds in makingher presence felt in this ensemble piece.
The Pink Panther 2isn't all bad, there is pleasure to be had in some of the smarterscenes in the film, especially those between Clousseau and LilyTomlin's character. Look for that bit in which she tests him bynarrating a provocative tale, or the one in which she bickers with himover gaping at a pretty intern - it's moments like this that make this a not entirely un watchable film.
I'm going with two out of five for The Pink Panther 2;it's a retread of old jokes and silly lines, but boy, it feels good to watch one of our own up there in a true-blue Hollywood film!
