La malédiction de la panthère rose

Peter Sellers made 5 Pink Panther movies; this was the last and, in my opinion, the best. Planning a 6th, he died before it could be made. I remember reading in a biography that, as he was practising his Clousseau voice for the 6th film, his wife told him that the dialog he was reciting was "barely intelligible." Just the thought of that makes me chuckle. (Very nasal now: Peuwp - did you say "Peuwp?").

This Pink Panther film contains myriad classic scenes. Right at the beginning we see Clousseau (dressed as Toulouse Lautrec) tossing the "beuwm!" toward Professor Balls, who is saved from the explosion by the "new shipment of inflatable goiters!" Then, as he explains to his boss what has happened, he sets the office afire from the burning embers on his clothes and, exiting, proclaims "I must apprehend this mad 'beuwmber' before he does anymore of the 'dam-ajje'."

This goes on and on. You must be a real Clousseau aficionado to appreciate it, I suppose. It's an acquired taste! Nevertheless, I think it's a funny movie if you like silly, somewhat refined, slapstick comedy.

It appears that Peter Sellers' number is finally up, but the attempt on his life fails and he takes it upon himself to find the person who tried to have him assassinated. Naturally Sellers trips into every situation and the results are once again hilarious and tedious at the same time. The by-the-numbers-film-making is apparent here, but still Sellers is able to make the material work to an extent. Sadly this would be his last "Pink Panther" film as he would pass away before the next could come out (the next one just has archived footage of Sellers). Fair once again, but probably the weakest of the first five in the series. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

4 out of 10

That sound you hear is the engine conking out on a car that has been driven too long and too far. The formula here has become dried up. Nothing new is injected and absolutely nothing is clever. The first half deals with the most basic of pratfalls. The second half comes to an almost screeching halt while the final third wraps up in Hong Kong in a desperate attempt to liven things up. Nothing works and if star Sellers hadn't died so soon afterwards this film series most certainly would have anyways.

One of the biggest problems here is that it's predecessor THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN was so good that this by comparison seems like a major letdown. Lom, as the villain in the predecessor, was both lively and campy. Webber, as the villain here, seems very wimpy and boring. Even a silly comedy needs a villain that is somewhat threatening. There is also some glaring loopholes. One involves the presence of Lom himself. He supposedly got evaporated in the previous entry and yet here is looking perfectly healthy and no explanation. He is also diagnosed as being 'cured' and able to return to his former job with no loss in status despite having tried to destroy half the planet.

The addition of Cannon is the only plus. She is older than most of the past female leads and yet is still gorgeous and distinctive. She has a lot of energy and personality and doesn't seem used just to help the scenery.

The formula of having a blundering idiot that is considered brilliant by everyone who doesn't know him is still a good one despite the weak script. The genius of Sellers manages to still get a few laughs. His characterizations and timing are impeccable. The Closeau character is a joy to watch all in itself. The part where he dresses up like a Marlon Brando type Godfather is hilarious and should have been played out more.

My second favourite Clouseau film, after The Pink Panther Strikes again. I am at a loss to read reviews from those that fail to find this movie funny, it contains some incredibly funny scenes, it is virtually a live action cartoon, gags an' all. The funniest scene of the lot has to be the Eulogy, Lom's delivery is nothing short of sublime, it is an agonisingly funny moment, only he could have done it in such a way. Other highlights include The Salty Swedish Seadog, it's the look on the dog's face that makes it so funny, and of course there's the hilarious wardrobe scene, where all it took was the word peekaboo, and a reaction from Lom to make a hilarious scene. The first half of the movie is definitely funnier then the second, and it does perhaps tail of a little, but it is still a hugely enjoyable watch, with some super funny moments, who could forget Sellers's godfather? 8/10

Peter Sellers is once again Inspector Clouseau in "Revenge of the Pink Panther," a 1978 film also starring Herbert Lom, Dyan Cannon, Robert Webber and Robert Loggia. A mobster decides to get Clouseau out of the way with disastrous results for everyone around the clumsy detective. In one of the best scenes, Clouseau picks up a good-looking woman, ladies man that he is, but she turns out to be a transvestite. Clouseau is forced to change clothes with her and is left on the highway. When the car crashes, the dead body is identified as Clouseau's, and the world mourns, with one exception - Clouseau's superior, Dreyfus (Lom) who feels that now, he can start living again. Forced to give the eulogy and on the verge of a psychotic break, Dreyfus keeps laughing as he speaks. A great scene. When Clouseau returns to his house, he finds that Cato, believing him dead, has turned it into an Asian brothel, making for more hilarity This isn't the best Blake Edwards-Peter Sellers collaboration, but it has some great moments. There is a tremendous amount slapstick; some of it is funny, and some goes a long way. Seeing Sellers as Clouseau, however, is always worth it.