Movie Review: The Pink Panther

I saw The Pink Panther this weekend. Yes, I think I was highly contagious at the time, but I didn't sit near anyone else. :)

No spoilers!

I don't think I've seen any of the other Pink Panther movies, so I can't comment on how this movie compares to the others. Considered in isolation, however … it was about what you'd expect. Slapstick comedy, hugely overwrought accents, and a plot that's more or less simply along for the ride. Happily, funny accents figure into the plot. (That's too vague to be a spoiler, right?)

Please don't misinterpret any of this as heavy criticism; this isn't supposed to be a serious film. And it isn't. It's supposed to be a lot of fun. And it is. But I was a little upset by the adult humor in this film. While I realize that children would be unlikely to understand it, I'd prefer it wasn't there at all. It didn't need to be there — most of it isn't very funny, anyway.

I wish more of the gags were related to the plot instead of being random. Yes yes, random silliness is essential the movie. But I think the random silliness could've been better integrated, making for a stronger film.

There was only one improbable explosion in the movie and I think it was added just so I'd roll my eyes — well done. There was a bit of incorrect biology in the movie and it didn't seem deliberate, so that disappointed me. But in a movie with so many laughs, I didn't mind for long.

The main characters Jacques Clouseau and Inspector Dreyfus were well done. The characterization of all the others was weak. I expected that; this is a short film.

Overall, it's a very funny movie. I laughed a lot despite being sick. And I still crack up thinking about hamburgers. Take the kids.