The Pink Panther 2 (2009)

Director:

Harald Zwart

Writers (WGA):

Scott Neustadter (screenplay) &
Michael H. Weber (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

6 February 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Mystery

Tagline:

Inspect the unexpected.

Plot:

Insp. Jacques Clouseau teams up with a squad of International detectives who are just as bumbling as he is. Their mission: Stop a globe-trotting thief who specializes in stealing historical artifacts.

Plot Keywords:

Inspector | Clouseau | Team | Detective | Italy

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Steve Martin	...	Clouseau
Jean Reno	...	Ponton
Emily Mortimer	...	Nicole
Andy Garcia	...	Vicenzo
Alfred Molina	...	Pepperidge
Yuki Matsuzaki	...	Kenji
Aishwarya Rai	...	Sonia (as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan)
John Cleese	...	Dreyfus
Lily Tomlin	...	Mrs. Berenger
Jeremy Irons	...	Avellaneda
Johnny Hallyday	...	Milliken
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Joubert
Philip Goodwin	...	Renard
Armel Bellec	...	Louis
Jack Metzger	...	Antoine

Also Known As:

The Next Pink Panther (USA) (working title)
The Pink Panther Deux (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some suggestive humor, brief mild language and action.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #44259) | Australia:PG | UK:PG | Finland:K-7 | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | Norway:7 | Netherlands:6 | New Zealand:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/6 | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:10 | Peru:PT | France:U | Mexico:A | South Korea:All

Filming Locations:

Bedford, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Jean Reno chose to reprise his role due to the good experience he had working on the previous film, his friendship with Steve Martin, his joy at working with Alfred Molina again after The Da Vinci Code (2006) and his pleasure at working between Paris and Boston.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the shot where Clouseau jumps from the globe to the chandelier, the face of Steve Martin's stunt double is clearly visible.

Quotes:

Insp. Jacques Clouseau: Would you - even though it may lead to injury - marry me?

Movie Connections:

References Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)

Soundtrack:

Sonia's Love

An Honest Attempt

As I said in my review of the first installment of this line: Steve Martin has walked in the Valley of the Kings. He has faced some pretty amazing obstacles, and he has stood in some pretty big shadows. Let's face it. Although his rendition of, "The Out-of-Towners," was amusing, he's no Jack Lemmon. While I LOVE his Sgt. Bilko portrayal, he's not Phil Silvers. Cheaper by the Dozen wasn't horrible, but he's not Clifton Webb, either. He's Steve Martin.

You may not appreciate his style of comedy, but the Peter Sellers-venerated character of Inspector Jacques Clouseau made for the best use of Martin's prolific use of pratfalls, ironic wit, and in your face sarcasm than any other character he has tackled previously.

But the character portrayed by Martin herein has something I never saw in Sellers' portrayal after the second installment...genuine heart. This is sweetly honest in its attempt. I feel that this will actually turn into a legitimate franchise reboot, if the average movie-goer will stop attempting to compare Martin's Clouseau to Sellers' Clouseau. They are two different actors, and Martin has stated to the point of nausea that he is NOT attempting to "do" Sellers' interpretation of the character!

As far as the MOVIE goes, it is sweet, funny, and enduring with a strong story, a stronger relationship element, and a great cast. I did not miss Kevin Kline nearly as much as I supposed I would. John Cleese was a perfect Dreyfus, showing us the beginnings of Herbert Lom's trademark twitch, when dealing with Clouseau. Very nice!

I think, when looking back, Steve Martin's Jacques Clouseau will be remembered fondly by the new generations, just as prior generations stubbornly cling to Sellers' character in spite of Martin's superior portrayal.

All in all? I love it. It is a(n almost) violence-free, blood-free, honest attempt at a family film. This is great! and I cannot wait to get it into my collection.

It rates an 8.4/10 from...

the Fiend :.