Fridae

Those of us who admit to being above 50 may recall the good ole
days when the comedian Peter Sellers was still alive, and how his
Pink Panther movie series tickled everyone very pink. Since
his death in 1980, some say that there has been no comedian who
can match his razor-sharp comic timing and slapstick gifts.

Along comes Steve Martin, a comic master in his own right, to try
and take the place of Peter in the new remake of The Pink Panther.
The result? A humorous performance in a humorous film, though it
never reaches the level of sheer comic genius that Peter so effortlessly
set.

The brand-new Pink Panther sticks to the old formula of
banana-peel gags and pratfalls. Steve plays the bumbling Inspector
Clouseau who is tasked to solve the murder of the French soccer
coach (Jason Statham) and the simultaneous disappearance of his
priceless Pink Panther diamond ring. The list of suspects includes
his girlfriend (Beyonce Knowles), a mysterious spy (Clive Owen)
and every Chinese person living in France. Seriously.

Steve plays the hapless and clumsy Inspector Clouseau very well,
but there was something sad and pathetic in Peter Seller's eyes
that makes us feel sorry for him even as we laugh at him. Viewers
who don't know who Peter Sellers is will enjoy this new version
very much; those of us who have seen the original version will only
get nostalgic for Peter's genius.