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Film review

'Panther' remains in the pink

Playing Jacques Clouseau, a character that helped form the actor's comic style, seems a natural for Steve Martin.

By STEVE PERSALL
Published February 9, 2006

	[Sony Pictures]
	Steve Martin, left, ably assumes the role of Jacques Clouseau, and Jean Reno plays a gendarme who’s the brunt of Clouseau’s surprise attacks, in The Pink Panther.

Steve Martin is an obvious choice to play Inspector Jacques Clouseau, the comfortably dumb character created by Peter Sellers in 1964's The Pink Panther. It's clear that Martin has been doing Sellers' routine for years, oozing misplaced self-confidence and sublime stupidity in various roles.

The new movie with the same title is a prequel rather than a remake, although linking the two plots would require Clouseau's finest detective work. Martin almost makes the scheme pay off, delivering his wildest and craziest performance in years. Or perhaps it simply looks better than the lame remakes, sequels and Shopgirl upon which Martin has most recently wasted his talent.

Using the goofiest French accent since Pepe LePew, Martin makes the material funnier than it has any right to be. Even a flatulence gag comes out smelling like a rose. The key is Martin's casual way of discovering the humor in pratfalls and malapropisms he actually co-wrote with Len Blum. We see the punch lines coming before Clouseau does, perhaps even imagine better ones, but Martin sells each joke as if it's solid gold.

Clouseau is a French gendarme when the movie begins, leaving a trail of accidental mayhem and bruised bystanders. His promotion to inspector is part of a scheme by chief inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) to earn France's highest honor by solving a sensational crime. Someone has murdered France's national soccer team coach and stolen the priceless Pink Panther diamond he wore as a ring.

Suspects include the dead man's shady business partner (Roger Rees) and pop singer girlfriend Xania (Beyonce Knowles, not a stretch). As usual, solving the crime isn't as important as how much damage Clouseau causes doing it. Director Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen) sets a lively pace, disguising the fact that nothing much happens. We get altered callbacks to Sellers' classic bumbling; a spinning globe disrupting a bicycle race, Clouseau keeping a partner (Jean Reno) on his toes with surprise attacks, and the inspector's inadvertent destruction of Dreyfus' mind and body. Henry Mancini's infectious musical theme and the animated opening credits are the only moves left intact.

We also get Knowles sashaying through two needless musical interludes, numerous jokes insulting Asians (not to mention the French) and a wan cameo by Clive Owen as Agent 006, setting up Clouseau as a hero when he needs to boost his image. Each solid scene in The Pink Panther is followed by two that don't quite click. It's still a better rate of success than a lot of comedies reach these days.

Above all, we get Martin inadvertently confessing to where he got many of the ideas that made him a star 30 years ago. Sellers' priceless way of expressing superiority that isn't and his lack of awareness in the face of ridicule are what made Clouseau a comedy icon. Martin flatters Sellers with imitation, but a closer examination of his performance suggests that isn't anything new.

- Steve Persall can be reached at 727 893-8365 or persall@sptimes.com

Grade: B-

Director: Shawn Levy

Cast: Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Beyonce Knowles, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Kristin Chenoweth, Henry Czerny, Roger Rees, Clive Owen

Screenplay: Len Blum, Steve Martin, based on characters created by Blake Edwards and Maurice Richlin

Rating: PG-13; suggestive and crude humor, brief profanity, mild violence

Running time: 93 min.

[Last modified February 8, 2006, 09:04:06]