The Pink Panther
Comedy
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Steve Martin brings Inspector Clouseau back to life in the amusing and usually funny "Pink Panther" remake
I saw this movie originally way back in February of 2004 when it first finished going through post production at MGM Studios. Back then I was not at all impressed with the original cut and I wrote a very long review which was actually quoted several times online. Soon after the first screening of the film, I noticed the film was pushed back and then a few months later pushed back again. Being a fan of Steve Martin and Kevin Kline I was really disappointed with the original cut. Now almost a year later, the movie has finally been released into the theaters. I thought the new trailers made the film look much better and the promo cell phone commercial with Martin as Clouseau was hilarious. So needless to say, I figured I give the film another shot so continue reading to see what I thought of the final cut of "The Pink Panther."
"The Pink Panther" is a remake of the famous film series starring the late Peter Sellers. This time around, Steve Martin steps in as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, the lovable bumbling detective without a clue. Inspector Clouseau is hired on by Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) who hires him to help solve the murder of famous soccer coach Yves Gluant (Jason Statham) along with finding out who stole the Pink Panther ring. With the help of Gendarme Gilbert Ponton (Jean Reno), Inspector Clouseau sets out to find the answer to this murder mystery. Laughs ensue
When walking out of "The Pink Panther" this afternoon I was very impressed with how the film's final cut turned out. I must admit that they seemed to follow some of my ideas for where to edit the film. I went back and looked at my review and I realized that many of the scenes I complained about were edited out which I feel made the film much better than the original screening I saw. The movie seemed to flow together nicely and with the removal of several sex gags, it made the film much more enjoyable for not only myself but for the family audience. I also realized that some of the stuff I originally criticized when I saw the film back in 2004 was still in the film and I really enjoyed the scenes more now because of how much they edited out. Originally the film was too over the top and stupid but now because of some decent editing it seemed to flow together nicely and create an abundance of laughter throughout the theater. You see when editing is used right it can be successful and to me this movie is a good example of that.
Steve Martin plays the role of Clouseau very well. I loved his very convincing yet funny French accent. Kevin Kline was decent in the film but it's still hard to picture Kline in a comedy when he usually always does dramatic roles. Jean Reno who teams up with Martin for most of the film really makes the film enjoyable. Martin and Reno were a great comedic team. I can't even really complain about Beyonce now. They limited her role and it worked. She was a decent addition to the cast and remained much more as a small supporting role which I think worked out better for the overall film.
The problem many parents will have with this film is the number of adult jokes that seem to be in the film. My mom after the film was over asked, "what was that rated? I said PG and she said "well it sure had a lot of adult undertones" which is when I replied with well you're lucky you didn't see the original cut because there was a lot more of them then. I would have to say though the sexual undertones here are similar to movies like "Shrek" and things of that nature. While the parents see the joke one way, the little kids see it another way. I think the sexual content wasn't as over the top as it was in the original cut and I am very appreciative of the director, Shawn Levy, for editing it out because now it worked and before it just felt like it was too much.
So in the end, "The Pink Panther" won me over. I really enjoyed it and laughed really hard at some parts. It was an enjoyable movie that kids and adults can enjoy alike. If you're a fan of Steve Martin like I am, you will really enjoy this film. The movie contains several memorable comedic scenes including the "hamburger scene" and the "did you just say" scenes. I really had a fun time when watching this movie and I went with my entire family ranging in age from 9 to 50 and everyone loved it. I don't get why the critics hate it. I really think some just don't like Martin and are biased because of that. Because let me be honest, if this film wasn't edited from the original cut I saw back in 2004, I would have probably continued to give this film a 3/10 or 4/10 because I felt it was too much but now after seeing the final product I can honestly say I would give this film a high 7 on the scale of one to ten. It was good fun and great way to spend an hour and a half.
MovieManMenzel's final rating for "The Pink Panther" is a 7/10. Take the whole family or go alone you will probably enjoy it either way.
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