Spring Break
Slapstick comedy of 'Pink Panther 2' not funny
1 out of 5 stars
Paresh Jha
Issue date: 2/10/09 Section: Focus
Never has there been a film with such a talented, yet unnecessary cast. "The Pink Panther 2" stars Steve Martin, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno, John Cleese and Bollywood sensation Aishwarya Rai, but does not make use of any of their abilities.
The original Pink Panther movies starred Peter Sellers, one of the greatest actors of our time. This person most likely has him turning in his grave.
Maybe it isn't fair to compare these new films to the old ones but it is unavoidable. Steve Martin is a good actor and a great comedian but his take on Inspector Clouseau is a contrived effort and an insult to everyone involved.
Slapstick comedy is tricky because if you rely too heavily on it, then all you have is nonsense. "The Pink Panther 2" is almost entirely made up of slapstick comedy and rehashed jokes from the previous movie, which was slightly more tolerable.
The plot is your typical stolen artifacts deal, with Clouseau coming to the aid of the French government with his classic accidental revelations.
All the supporting actors are capable of a good performance, but something went horribly wrong here, because they all hit some pretty bad notes.
The only upside is John Cleese, who somehow manages to maintain some charm. It seems like Martin is trying to do something with his role but just cannot get out of the cage of physical comedy. Sellers was originally able to combine wit and slapstick into something quite charming. Again, the comparisons are what make this film not just bad, but tragic and sad.
The only good thing about this movie is the length. At an hour an half it is short enough that you can forget about it five minutes after it's over. Don't get me wrong; there are a few cheap laughs, but they are so few and far between that all one can remember is how horrible the whole experience really was.
Steve Martin is in this film so it just might make enough money to warrant another sequel. Hopefully, if another film does happen, it will be handled with the care and respect that the series deserves.
The original Pink Panther movies starred Peter Sellers, one of the greatest actors of our time. This person most likely has him turning in his grave.
Maybe it isn't fair to compare these new films to the old ones but it is unavoidable. Steve Martin is a good actor and a great comedian but his take on Inspector Clouseau is a contrived effort and an insult to everyone involved.
Slapstick comedy is tricky because if you rely too heavily on it, then all you have is nonsense. "The Pink Panther 2" is almost entirely made up of slapstick comedy and rehashed jokes from the previous movie, which was slightly more tolerable.
The plot is your typical stolen artifacts deal, with Clouseau coming to the aid of the French government with his classic accidental revelations.
All the supporting actors are capable of a good performance, but something went horribly wrong here, because they all hit some pretty bad notes.
The only upside is John Cleese, who somehow manages to maintain some charm. It seems like Martin is trying to do something with his role but just cannot get out of the cage of physical comedy. Sellers was originally able to combine wit and slapstick into something quite charming. Again, the comparisons are what make this film not just bad, but tragic and sad.
The only good thing about this movie is the length. At an hour an half it is short enough that you can forget about it five minutes after it's over. Don't get me wrong; there are a few cheap laughs, but they are so few and far between that all one can remember is how horrible the whole experience really was.
Steve Martin is in this film so it just might make enough money to warrant another sequel. Hopefully, if another film does happen, it will be handled with the care and respect that the series deserves.
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