So the Pink Panther is out in theatres today, and for the longest time I was really wanting to see it. I thought that out of everyone, Steve Martin would be able to resurrect the series. Unfortunately, it seems that in modernizing the movie (which is supposed to be a prequel, but takes place in modern days… figure that one out) they decided to try to modernize the humor. Hooray… just what it needed, fart jokes, Viagra jokes, etc. 
I’ve been a fan of the Pink Panther series for years, and while I’ve watched them all, I’ve only truly enjoyed Inspector Clouseau as played by the late Peter Sellers. I was hoping so much that Steve Martin could do it justice, but alas, it wasn’t in the cards.
I guess Steve Martin, the director, and others aren’t to blame… just look at this (reviews from RottenTomatoes.com):
88% Good - The Pink Panther
100% Good - A Shot in the Dark
25% Good - Inspector Clouseau*
93% Good - The Return of the Pink Panther
80% Good - The Pink Panther Strikes Again
80% Good - Revenge of the Pink Panther
36% Good - Trail of the Pink Panther*
25% Good - Curse of the Pink Panther*
19% Good - Son of the Pink Panther*
33% Good - Pink Panther*
The movies with a star are movies where Peter Sellers did not play Inspector Clouseau (I included “The Trail” because when he was in the movie, it was just outtakes from previous films). It seems the series was doomed the day he passed away.
All I can hope for is that they don’t try to make another… or if they do, they try their best to capture the real feeling of Clouseau… the way Peter Sellers played him.
