The Pink Panther returns
Your enjoyment of "The Pink Panther 2" is likely to be dependent on what you thought of the first "The Pink Panther" movie. If you thou
ght the first flick starring Steve Martin as the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau of the French Police was an enjoyable, silly gooffest, you'll probably enjoy the Harald Zwart directed sequel. However, if you thought the first movie was an abomination, a cinematic abortion, and a vile piece of garbage that sullies the legacy of Peter Sellers, then you're probably not going to enjoy the Harald Zwart directed sequel. I actually liked the first flick (you can check out my review of it here) and I can say that, while it doesn't break any new ground in the realm of broad, silly slapstick family comedy, "The Pink Panther 2" is still plenty fun and a good time at the movies. The Plot
The flick's story, credited to Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, and Steve Martin, features Clouseau as the head of an international "Dream Team" of ace detectives looking into the theft of some of the world's most precious artifacts by a master thief known only as "the Tornado." The Magna Carta, the Imperial Sword of Japan, and the Shroud of Turin are just some of the national treasures stolen. Since this is a "Pink Panther" movie, the Pink Panther diamond, France's "greatest national treasure," is also stolen by the Tornado, but only after Clouseau is on the case and "steps out of France" (one of the movie's better jokes). Joining Inspector Clouseau and his trusty sidekick Ponton (Jean Reno) is Italian ace detective Vicenzo (Andy Garcia), the self professed English master of deduction Pepperidge (Alfred Molina), Japanese tech detective sensation Kenji (Yuki Matsuzaki), and the uber hot Sonia (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), who is an expert in the field of criminology and at wearing very tight white dresses. As you'd expect, the "Dream Team" doesn't get along all that well. Most of the friction is due to Clouseau's seeming stupidity (both Pepperidge and Vicenzo openly question why Clouseau is in charge when it appears that he doesn't know what he's doing and that he's, well, an idiot). The man just doesn't instill much confidence in anyone besides Ponton and Nicole (Emily Mortimer), Clouseau's personal secretary, who is in love with Clouseau but can't come right out and say it. Despite their differences, the team travels to the various crime scenes and looks for clues. They eventually decide to question a man by the name of Avellaneda (Jeremy Irons), a shady rich guy who could hold the key to the whole Tornado mystery. Is he the infamous thief, who also steals the Pope's ring, or is the Tornado really someone else?
The Performances
Jean Reno puts in another fine performance as sidekick Ponton. Ponton gets a funny sidestory where he gets kicked out of his house by his wife after taking relationship advice from Clouseau, which turns out to be a total disaster. Ponton and his two sons (they decided to side with their father) move in with Clouseau and engage in impromptu kung fu training fight sessions. Ponton eventually sees the error of his ways and moves back in with his wife, swearing off Clouseau's advice, but his steadfast loyalty to his boss is what makes the character work. No matter what, even when he knows better, he still respects Clouseau and follows his lead. Emily Mortimer does a great job as Nicole, Clouseau's love interest. She has a kind of mousy charisma that works well with Martin's confident silliness. You easily believe that they belong together. Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, and Yuki Matsuzaki are outstanding as members of the international detective dream team. They each bring something different to the group (Garcia is the charismatic heartthrob, Molina is the stiff British detective, and Matsuzaki is Mr. Technology), but they also bring a nice collective astonishment/pseudo group naivete in that their boss, Clouseau, can't possibly be the best detective in the world because he's such an idiot. You just know that they're going to have their group bubble burst at some point. When, though, is anyone's guess (and you just know that Molina's Pepperidge is going to regret the promise he makes to everyone in the group about Clouseau solving the case). And Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is supremely hot as Sonia, which is really her job throughout the movie. To be hot. And, again, she does a damn fine job.The Verdict
"The Pink Panther 2" is a fine addition to the Steve Martin led goofy detective franchise, although, again, despite its silly slapstick and reather broad comedy underpinnings, it isn't for everyone. If you liked the first Martin led "The Pink Panther" and have a high tolerance for silliness, then you'll like the sequel just fine. If you didn't like the first movie and can't stand silly people, then I'd tell you to avoid it like the plague. You won't like it.
Rating - 4/5 Just Enjoy....Great Movie
