Did Your Minkey Direct This: Pink Panther dissapoints while belittling the intelect of audiences

When I was growing up, I watched as my father and his friends laughed and laughed over the Pink Panther movies. Even at a young age, I could recognize Peter Sellers' comic genius. So when I heard they were making a new one, I was quite excited, especially since it was starring Steve Martin and Kevin Kline (who was until this time, a respectable actor.)

Even after I saw the horrendous trailer, and wondered what on Earth Beyonce was doing in it, I still hoped that it would be good... at least funny. I was sadly, sadly wrong.

After "hits" like Just Married and Cheaper by the Dozen, director Shawn Levy reaches an all time low in desecrating a comic institution. The jokes, dirty jokes, fart jokes and mutilated rip offs of Pink Panther original jokes, were forced and spoiled by the trailers. The originals were always witty by subtly inserting jokes and odd situation, British humour, and things in the background you may not notice the first time you watch. The new one clearly does not trust modern audiences to find that subtle humour funny, so tries to shove it down our throats.

For example, in Return of the Pink Panther, there is the classic scene where Sellers is in the bathtub. There is no music, just Sellers carefully drowning himself in his situation. In the 2006 version, Martin finds himself in a simliar situation. First of all, they soil the scene by putting music to it. Second of all, the joke's been done, so we know what to expect. Third of all, the only thing drowning here was Martin in his attempts to make us laugh.

Another example, the original Panthers always poked fun at Sellers' horrible French accent. In, Revenge of the Pink Panther, Clouseau says he was attacked by a "bimb." "Do you mean Bomb, Inspector Clouseau?" "That is what I said a bimb!" In the new one, we witnessed about 15 minutes as Martin dribbles out the word "hamburger," (right before he, by the way, shamelessly falls in love with NYC... was that patriotic plug REALLY neccessary?)

So, the first film of 2006 I saw was disgustingly disapointing. There was one funny moment, which I won't ruin, that involved tough guy Jean Reno. If you are at all a fan of the originals, DO NOT go see this movie, for you will get sick to your stomach. If you have never seen the originals, treat yourself to renting all the old ones instead of wasting your money on this atrocity.

Overall Grade: F