The Pink Panther 2 (2009)

Directed by: Harald Zwart | 91 minutes | comedy, adventure, family | Actors: Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Emily Mortimer, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Andy Garcia, Lily Tomlin, John Cleese

‘The Pink Panther 2′ starts with a crime, of course. The infamous thief ‘Tornado’ hasn’t been heard from for ten years. Then, in a short time, several art treasures of priceless historical value are stolen in London, Turin and Tokyo. The gentleman thief literally leaves his business card at the crime scene. Despite the resistance of his superior Dreyfus (John Cleese), Inspector Clouseau (Steve Martin) is given the honorable assignment of being part of a team of super detectives from the countries that have been victims of the Tornado, with the added bonus of a beautiful, intelligent woman. Clouseau is not at all enthusiastic about joining this ‘dream team’. He wants to stay in France, because he suspects that her most famous art treasure will be the next victim of the Tornado. And he is right, the ‘Pink Panther’ diamond is captured the moment he stands with two feet on the other side of the border. Together with the other detectives, he starts the hunt for the Tornado.

Clouseau’s investigative methods differ somewhat from those of the others, so he feels misunderstood regarding the genius intuition with which he usually solves complex crimes. He is also not happy with the interest of fellow detective Vicenzo (Andy Garcia) in his assistant Nicole (Emily Mortimer). He and Nicole pretend to the outside world and to each other that they are only good colleagues, but secretly they are deeply in love. Despite the common goal, tensions are running high, something that works in the Tornado’s favor.

The key question for fans of the old Pink Panther movies is whether Steve Martin is just as nice an inspector Clouseau as Peter Sellers. No, he’s a much less good comedian and his ‘French’ accent is almost annoying. But who can really compete with Peter Sellers in his most idiotic role on the silver screen that already makes you laugh when he appears on screen? It’s only when you leave the comparison aside that you see a funny film that reverently refers to the old masters Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers, a film made with care and love. Even the animation with the famous pink panther has been honored in a beautiful version. One scene in particular shows that the makers are not only out to make flat jokes, but have also wanted to create their own version. Clouseau is sitting with Nicole in a restaurant in Rome. He wants to impress her and like a real wine connoisseur, he takes bottles from the rack that reaches from floor to ceiling. Unsurprisingly, the rack begins to wobble and bottle after bottle falls out. But instead of it ending in an orgy of shattered glass and wine on the floor, a graceful ballet is created in which everyone in the restaurant participates. A brilliant idea and beautifully executed.

This part makes you very curious about the next part. Steve Martin isn’t quite as good a comedian as Peter Sellers was, but his Inspector Clouseau is just a bit sharper and more up to date, which opens up more opportunities to build the character in a different direction. The scenario is fine and the gameplay is certainly not lacking. All the actors are extremely sporty and act in the service of the whole. And the finding of such a character as Mrs. Berenger (Lily Tomlin), who has to make Clouseau politically correct in words and deeds, has a taste for more. Nice.