PlatinumRead Just so...so bad

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Red-Barracuda Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers buried the hatchet and returned after more than a decade to make another film in the 'Pink Panther' series, with Sellers once again essaying the inept Inspector Jacques Clouseau. In this one we also see the return of the character Sir Charles Litton, with Christopher Plummer very nicely taking on the role originally filled by David Niven. The plot revolves around the theft of the extremely valuable diamond the Pink Panther by a skilled cat burglar. Clouseau is quickly requested as the man to crack the case.It seems that as the 'Pink Panther' series went on, the comedy became broader and broader, with everything else becoming more and more marginalised. This is certainly true here but it does have to be said that the balance is still good enough. I actually rather liked the crime sub-plot involving the theft and the Littons. This material gave the film a sort of James Bond type of glamour which I felt was an effective counter-point to Seller's bumbling comedy. Sellers is still good, in what amounts to a series of set-pieces which mostly seem to involve ludicrous disguises and slapstick. His performance does however, lack some of the subtle brilliance that he brought to the role in the first two films in the series and the humour overall is noticeably more hit and miss now. He is joined again by two other regulars in Herbert Lom and Burt Kwouk, as respectively Chief Inspector Dreyfuss and Clouseau's martial arts obsessed valet; while it was certainly nice to see them again here, these are pretty one-dimensional characters and their antics get slightly tiresome after a bit. On the whole though, despite a few cracks in the seams, this is definitely a good entry in this series. The balance between comedy and story is sensible and the exotic international flavour adds additional production value.

alfCycle I have been watching the Peter Sellers Pink Panther films in order recently. I didn't really enjoy the first Pink Panther that much, but I did have a lot of fun with A Shot in the Dark. This third entry, Return of the Pink Panther, was decently amusing, though not as enjoyable as A Shot in the Dark. This film has some funny gags and Peter Sellers does physical comedy with the best of them. He also turns up the outrageous french accent to deliver some hilarious lines. However, the slapstick is also turned up to more ridiculous levels, which I felt didn't work as well as it did in A Shot in the Dark. Overall, this is a decent slapstick comedy that should provide some laughs.6/10************SPOILERS************Recommended for those that enjoy cartoon intros, clumsy french policemen, outrageous accents, mispronunciations of the word "Monkey", breaking things, spilling things, ripping things, blowing up things, suctioning things, tripping over things, falling off of things, falling into things, getting stuck to things, personal stealth karate- boy personal trainers, eye twitching, defective home furnishings, racially inappropriate language......but that's just like, my opinion, man# Of Times Watched: Once

andyetris This film compares favorably to SO much that hits the screen nowadays that it's well worth seeing; also it's a key part of the rest of the Pink Panther 'series' although not included in the box sets so far. We get the classic "minkey" sequence and meet Cato, for the first time, in one of the series' great slapstick routines. However the film has a sort of split personality and the current DVD transfer is too grainy for a large-screen TV IMHO. So, rent it, but I'd wait for something better if you're looking to collect.I wouldn't exactly say this movie sets the tone for the rest of the series. The original starred David Niven, with an all-star supporting cast including Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. Then Clouseau became the star of "A Shot in the Dark," which didn't involve either the Pink Panther gem nor jewel thief Sir Charles Lytton. This film has them all, so tries to 'balance' the action between Clouseau and Sir Charles. It doesn't work, and probably as a result there were no more such attempts: the series becomes all about Clouseau, and that's for the best. I like Christopher Plummer, but the movie is too 'heavy' when he's on screen - probably the writer's fault. As for Catherine Schell, I'd look at her in anything (or nothing at all) and IMHO her acting compares favorably to at least Dyan Cannon's and Elke Sommers'. Herbert Lom, Burt Kwouk, and Andre Maranne are of course a terrific comedic supporting cast, but Peter Arne has to straddle the comedic and serious aspects of the film, which doesn't really work out.The story shifts back and forth between the perspectives of Sir Charles and Clouseau. The Pink Panther gem, nationalized by the government of Lugash after the events of the original film, has been displayed in the national museum until stolen in a great caper sequence. Against the wishes of his frustrated boss ("how can an idiot be a police officer"), Clouseau, who (sort-of) recovered the gem previously, is recalled from beat duty ("There was some question whether it was the man or his minkey who was breaking ze law") and put on the case at the request of Lugash police chief Colonel Sharky. Clouseau naturally suspects Sir Charles, particularly since his trademark, a glove embroidered with the letter "P," was left at the scene. Sir Charles, however, is surprised; he has been living in retirement and knows nothing about the matter until it is brought to his attention by his mischievous wife Claudine. Knowing he will be suspected, Litton sets off for Lugash to find the real criminal while Clouseau sets off for Nice to investigate Sir Charles' home - and wife. Clues lead both Clouseau ("I am NOT Guy Gadbois") and Sir Charles to a Swiss hotel (and the parrot sequence.) All is revealed in the final confrontation where more than one policeman proves to have been playing a double game.Someone here said it hasn't aged well but I'd say almost the opposite - the first time you see it you'll probably think it hilarious - but it may pall the second time around.

tavm With both their careers in somewhat decline, director Blake Edwards and actor Peter Sellers decided to team up again for another Pink Panther movie despite their love/hate relationship off screen. Also returning were Herbert Lom (now Chief Inspector Dreyfus), Andre Maranne (Francois), Burt Kwouk (Cato), and Graham Stark in a different role as snitch Pepi. And Frank Waldman, who previously co-wrote with brother Tom the non-Sellers-Edwards movie Inspector Clouseau, was Edwards' writing partner for this and the next series entry. And once again, Henry Mancini provides the score which returns the "Pink Panther" theme to the animated opening credits. Joining them were Christopher Plummer as Sir Charles Litton (replacing David Niven) and Catherine Schell as Lady Claudine Litton. With an 11-year gap between A Shot in the Dark and this, both Edwards and Sellers seemed to only improve in their collaboration of mining their talents in getting the surefire gags milked for all they're worth. And Lom, especially, is a hoot as the superior of Clouseau who gets more mentally mad every time he fails to kill him. While admittedly, Ms. Schell is a little distracting whenever she noticeably laughs at Sellers' antics, she's also at her most charming during these scenes and besides, her beautiful face makes those scenes worth it. And the way Cato surprises Clouseau are quite hilarious especially when Edwards uses slow motion. If anything slows the film down, it's the Charles Litton sequences which are the more dramatic parts of the picture. Still, even those scenes provide some humor whenever Stark as Pepi has his fingers constantly hurt by either Charles or someone else. And for the first time, The Pink Panther and The Inspector are teamed in the beginning animated credit sequence to humorous effect with Pink imitating some movie stars while The Inspector chases him. That sequence, by the way, is by Richard Williams Studio with help from Chuck Jones' animator Ken Harris. So on that note, I highly recommend The Return of the Pink Panther. P.S. Monty Python supporting player Carol Cleveland has a cameo as a Swimming Pool Diver who dives as Clouseau falls backwards into the pool. Next up, The Pink Panther Strikes Again...