L'infallibile ispettore Clouseau?

I guess it would be redundant at this point to say Alan Arkin's Clouseau can't touch Peter Sellers, which is certainly true. Nevertheless, I admit I liked this movie (though a lot less than the Pink Panthers, of course), the plot is actually credible and there are some truly funny moments. I give Arkin credit for attempting a role heavily identified with another- and better- actor, and he's OK in it. It's not a total disaster, as some people have claimed and worth watching, if only for the comparisons. ** 1/2 out of 4

Many reviewers claim this production stinks because Sellers isn't in it. Okay, those are the Sellers fans. But fans of the Pink Panther series (rather than die-hard Sellers fans) may not have minded so much that it wasn't Sellers in the driver's seat so much, had the movie not been a completely disgusting spectacle. This work holds NOTHING of the wit, the humor, or the heart of the others.

I'm sorry to say that this attempt was a failure, and this chapter may comfortably be left out of your Pink Panther collection, as the finished product holds nothing in the way of charm or character.

Sadly, it rates a 2.8/10 from...

the Fiend :.

One has to keep in mind that, when this was made, only 2 other Clouseau movies existed, THE PINK PANTHER and A SHOT IN THE DARK. At that time it may not have been clear to the whole world that only Sellers could really play Clouseau. Maybe this movie helped prove that.

Anyway, it seems that Arkin's Clouseau starts with the character as he was in SHOT and takes him in a different direction than the '70s movies with Sellers would. Sellers' Clouseau at that point didn't yet have his totally ridiculous accent but sounded more like a real Frenchman, so it's only natural that Arkin would sound like one as well. Like Sellers' Clouseau, Arkin's is well-intentioned but with incredibly bad judgment, clumsy, prone to focus on what's not important, and easily thrown off course by a pretty face. Unlike Sellers' Clouseau, Arkin's is not only emotional but prone to panic, and is not only aware of but comes to mourn his ineptitude. It takes some time to get used to his voice, lower and thicker than Sellers. So, this is not the Clouseau we know, though the character here is well-defined and interesting in its own right.

The animated opening credits barely even try for the humor and charm of those in the Sellers films. The score by Ken Thorne (who scored the Beatles' "Help" and the Monkees' "Head") is the next best thing to Mancini, though.

Whatever complaints one might have about the plot and the directing (I won't repeat the ones already made, other than to note that the flow early in the movie is rather bumpy), I'll say this: the Pink Panther films made after this one came so much to rely on familiar formulas that it's actually refreshing how this film does NOT use them. There is no superior of Clouseau's being driven mad by Clouseau's ineptitude -- just one reacting to it like a real person would. The crime plot here is actually pretty interesting -- much more so than the theft of the Pink McGuffin that got so overused later. Sellers' Clouseau always sounded like a Frenchman among Englishmen, even when he was in France, which didn't make sense. So it was a good idea in this case to actually *put* him among Englishmen. (His malapropisms come off, quite logically, as due to his unfamiliarity with English.) And the rather obnoxious fantasy elements present in STRIKES AGAIN are nowhere to be seen here.

So, to sum up: Different from, and not as good as, most of the Sellers entries. But give me Arkin's Clouseau over Ted Wass' Clifton Sleigh.

A few highlights:

• The nicely choreographed scene in Braithwaite's office near the beginning ("And what makes you think I trust YOU?")

• The scene with the tape recorder in the graveyard.

• Clouseau "eavesdropping" on the gang's bank robbery plans.

Item of special interest: the use of an Amphicar as a getaway vehicle. Cool!

Detective Inspector Closeau is borrowed from the Surete on particular mission for Scotland Yard about some bank robberies have occurred in England in hopes that a fresh outlook will help the government recover the stash from the Great Train Robbery , which is being utilized to carry out a new crime wave . Then , to crack potential heist is called bungler Inspector Clouseau . Furthermore , in Switzerland take place a string of robberies and it's up to Inspector Clouseau to detain them . In Zurich , Clouseau is accused of bank robber and is arrested . As various members of a dangerous gang (Alan Arkin played the members with the other actors' voices dubbed onto the soundtrack) were disguised as Inspector Clouseau to execute numerous hold-ups .

This slapstick picture contains amusement , funny scenes , fresh and diverting moments but also flaws and gaps ; but it results to be a below average retelling based on the classic personage . Several chuckles and gags , the result of which is one mediocre entry from series and very inferior to previous and successive installments ; in addition , picture is not especially amusing . As Alan Arkin parodying this known role including his ordinary faces , grimaces and gestures . This is the first of the series without Peter Sellers , being regularly starred by Alan Arkin . Alan got the role of Clouseau because Peter Sellers was busy doing The party (1968), directed by Blake Edwards, who was also the director of the previous Clouseau films . Later , Sellers and Edwards would return to the series as well as the original composer , Henry Mancini . The main novelty turns out to be the Clouseau's coat and hat were introduced in this film and stayed part of the franchise . ¨The Pink Panther ¨ release was the first part of series of Inspector Clouseau from French Surete and being the last entry ¨Trail of the Pink Panther¨ by the late Peter Sellers though he would follow playing but with outtakes in other films . The role of Inspector Clouseau was originally offered to Peter Ustinov ; despite being relatively unknown internationally, Peter Sellers was offered the part, and was paid 90,000 pounds . The second Clouseau film titled , ¨A shot in the dark¨ , was released only three months after this film . It followed by ¨Return of pink panther¨ and ¨Revenge of pink panther¨. After that , it was continued by ¨The curse of the Pink Panther¨ that turned to be another flop and starred by Ted Wass and ¨The son of the Pink Panther ¨ starred by Robert Benigni , this is the eight part of Closeau series and a light comedy . Between 1964 and 1993, nine Inspector Clouseau films would be released, although Inspector Closeau starred by Alan Arkin and the movies made after Peter Sellers's death are mostly not considered canon . The reason they still kept The Pink Panther in the title was because it had become synonymous with inspector Clouseau . It appears some familiar secondaries such as Delia Boccardo who receives an "introducing" credit , Frank Finlay , Barry Foster , Beryl Reid , Clive Francis , Eric Pohlmann , Michael Ripper , among others . An animated Inpector Closeau was created for the opening credits because producers felt that the credits would benefit from some kind of cartoon character , being created by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng . Lively and atmospheric music by Ken Thorne , replacing ordinary Henry Mancini . Colorful and glimmer cinematography by Arthur Ibbetson in Panavison and De Luxe color ; being made in Great Britain and Zurich , Switzerland .

The motion picture was middlingly directed by Budd Yorkin . He was a producer and director, particularly known for Sanford and son (1972), The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show (1956) and Start the revolution without me (1970). He was an expert on comedies , as proved in The Thief Who Came to Dinner , Never too late , He blows your horn , Divorce American Style and Arthur 2 on the rocks .

Not sure why they tried to change the formula as Shot in the Dark was onto something and a vast improvement over the 1st show, but this came out okay considering.

Arkin does a good job of trying to fill Sellers's shoes, which of course could not really be done. The copied James Bond gimmicks kind of worked, would have been interesting to see Sellers with them, and that is what it kind of boils down too. Without Sellers's Clouseau, and even Dreyfus or Cato, it just doesn't feel like a Pink Panther installment. 5.5/10.