2008 Woodie Awards
Martin gives 'Panther' a wild and crazy kick
Kirk Juhasz, Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/15/06 Section: Entertainment
"The Pink Panther" is a slapstick comedy that is also somewhat intelligent. So rare are these two elements combined in the same movie.
It reminds us of the earlier Peter Sellers film but this one starts off in a new direction. It has something of a new millennium kick not only with the gags but with the plot itself. A large part of this is due to Steve Martin.
Martin is at his whimsical best getting laughs from his accent and his slapstick style. "The Pink Panther" delivers wall-to-wall laughs.
Whether you like the Sellers version or not you should like the new "Panther." The only thing you need to do is not compare Sellers with Martin, just view this one as something different and new.
"The Pink Panther" starts out with a little homage to the old cartoon which is as funny as the rest of the movie. It is almost too bad that it ends with the opening credits.
The story begins with the murder of Yves Glaunt, head coach of the French football (soccer) team, and the theft of the pink panther diamond. The bit is narrated by Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kline).
The oddity of this murder is that it has happened during a playoff soccer game. Not to worry! Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Martin) is on the case. Inspector Dreyfus personally hands this assignment to Clouseau.
Of course there is more to it than that. Inspector Dreyfus has ulterior motives, some of which deal with the French Medal of Honor. But this movie has more than just a slapstick style to it - it is more intelligent than most other slapstick movies.
It is the job of the audience to decipher what the ulterior motives are and how they fit into the puzzle. It is also up to the audience to figure out exactly what Clouseau is saying because that is part of the joke. Martin constantly plays on words and it is completely entertaining.
It is not just that Clouseau lets potential suspects leave the country or numerous countries, it is the way he says it and the words he chooses to let them leave the country.
It reminds us of the earlier Peter Sellers film but this one starts off in a new direction. It has something of a new millennium kick not only with the gags but with the plot itself. A large part of this is due to Steve Martin.
Martin is at his whimsical best getting laughs from his accent and his slapstick style. "The Pink Panther" delivers wall-to-wall laughs.
Whether you like the Sellers version or not you should like the new "Panther." The only thing you need to do is not compare Sellers with Martin, just view this one as something different and new.
"The Pink Panther" starts out with a little homage to the old cartoon which is as funny as the rest of the movie. It is almost too bad that it ends with the opening credits.
The story begins with the murder of Yves Glaunt, head coach of the French football (soccer) team, and the theft of the pink panther diamond. The bit is narrated by Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kline).
The oddity of this murder is that it has happened during a playoff soccer game. Not to worry! Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Martin) is on the case. Inspector Dreyfus personally hands this assignment to Clouseau.
Of course there is more to it than that. Inspector Dreyfus has ulterior motives, some of which deal with the French Medal of Honor. But this movie has more than just a slapstick style to it - it is more intelligent than most other slapstick movies.
It is the job of the audience to decipher what the ulterior motives are and how they fit into the puzzle. It is also up to the audience to figure out exactly what Clouseau is saying because that is part of the joke. Martin constantly plays on words and it is completely entertaining.
It is not just that Clouseau lets potential suspects leave the country or numerous countries, it is the way he says it and the words he chooses to let them leave the country.