Inspetor Clouseau

I saw this particular feature, and am understandably curious why neither Peter Sellers or Blake Edwards would associate themselves with this one.

Alan Arkin looked nothing like the character made popular by Sellers. He looks like Alan Arkin with a small mustache. He sounded nothing like Clouseau, he sounded like a real Frenchman.

This movie would have been better with Peter Sellers. The screenplay by veteran Pink Panther screenwriters Frank and Tom Waldman would have been better had Peter Sellers or Blake Edwards been more involved. Even the absence of the Henry Mancini soundtrack was a crippling effect. This movie is just plain awful!

Bad movies with bad actors acting badly are just blah. Bad movies where you can see great actors struggling (with bad material or parts that don't fit them) bring their own special kind of pain. Watching Alan Arkin and Frank Finlay trying to make one of their unfunny scenes work, I realised that these two guys had five Oscar nominations between them. You may read in some places that this film is an overlooked gem. It isn't. Avoid it.

Alan Arkin playing Clouseau would have to rank as one of the most awful casting choices ever made. (Will Smith as Mohammed Ali? Close. Di Crapio as a tough guy in 19th-century New York? Very close.) Arkin has never played clowns, nor is he one. He is far too cynical-looking for this type of role. Watching him say his lines was an exercise in embarrassment and major cringing. I suppose that die-hard PP fans who have nothing better to do can have endless discussions as to who was worse: Martin or Arkin. Maybe it'll take another 40 years for someone to attempt to make a PP movie without Sellers. What with the direction Hollywood is heading towards in recent years, it'll be someone like David Arquette's son who'll be cast to play the goofy Frenchman...

One person here wrote that one should forget about Peter Sellers and watch this movie on its own merits. Maybe he/she can do that, probably with some help from hallucinogenic drugs, but personally I'd find that a task both impossible and stupid. The fact is that Sellers DID do Panther earlier and was about 1000 times better.

Arkin is terminally unfunny with the sight gags, but it's the dialogue that really exposes his miscasting: there isn't a single line he says that is even remotely funny.

In all fairness, though, the script is garbage. The story has no flow, just a bunch of barely connected scenes strung together, the gags being rare and rather pathetic. The only thing the movie has going for it are the high production values, which make it watchable, if nothing else.

The Mirisch company should have tried harder. It is bad enough having an Inspector Clouseau movie without Peter Sellers, but why no Blake Edwards to direct or William Peter Blatty[A shot in the Dark] to script? Instead we have a rather clever and better looking than Clouseau should be, in the shape of Alan Arkin and a rather boring director in Bud Yorkin. The problem itself is with the script which is unoriginal, tedious and not in the least bit funny. Served with a good script Arkin would have become an adequate Clouseau, but still not as funny or entertaining as Peter Sellers. This is like someone else trying to play Frank Spencer or Rigsby, from british television. Despite this Arkin is at times quite good for the film, wich does have its moments. But i suppose the lesson to be learned is if it aint broke dont fix it. If you haven't seen any other Clouseau movies then you will like this i am sure. Otherwise hunt down A shot in the Dark or The Pink Panther Strikes Again. A total waste!

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 .