Pink Panther caught, but doesn’t catch audience

Children of the 1960s and children of today are familiar with that all-too-addicting Pink Panther theme song. The remake of the 1964 classic Pink Panther hardly compares to the original cartoon. Despite casting several well-known

Children of the 1960s and children of today are familiar with that all-too-addicting Pink Panther theme song. The remake of the 1964 classic Pink Panther hardly compares to the original cartoon. Despite casting several well-known actors, the film is a weak, humorless remake.

Clumsy yet confident policeman, Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin), makes his mark on Paris when he is placed on one of the most important cases of his career. After a championship soccer game between France and China, the head coach of the French team, Yves Gluant (Jason Statham), is mysteriously shot and killed with a dart gun.

As the death is mourned on the field where the game was played, the famous “Pink Panther Diamond” which Glaunt owned and had in his possession at the game goes mysteriously missing.

Chief inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) assigns Clouseau to crack the case and promotes him to inspector. As we soon learn, Dreyfus is not interested in Clouseau because of his investigative skills, but rather promotes Clouseau in order to jumpstart his own way into the case. Clouseau is given a partner to help him, Gendarme Gilbert Ponton (Jean Reno), but we find that Ponton is more of a watchdog for Dreyfus to keep track of Clouseau’s every move.

Through a series of interviews with multiple suspects, it becomes apparent that everyone had unkind feelings toward the French soccer coach. Soccer player Jacquard (Scott Adkins), soccer trainer and Russian ex-military patron Yuri (Henry Czerny) and his girlfriend, pop superstar Xania (Beyonce Knowles) are interviewed and all voice their negative feelings against the deceased coach.

Meanwhile, Dreyfus plans to set up Clouseau in order to strip him from this case. After getting off a plane in New York, Clouseau’s bag is replaced with one that is filled with weapons. He is then searched and found with the weapons, humiliated and taken off the case.

There is a happy ending though, as Clouseau and his assistant crack the case and all is well.

It’s disappointing that the movie’s star studded cast didn’t live up to expectations. The lack of laughs and weak acting skills made it feel like the film cast a bunch of first timers. Not one chuckle, clap or any kind of reaction filled the theater at any point. Pink Panther proved that a classic should never be remade, especially from cartoon to real character form.

Giavanna Ippolito can be reached at giavanna.ippolito@temple.edu

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