What The Critics Say

"We responded to Sellers' Clouseau because his foolishness and fakery echoed something deeply human as well as hilarious. We respond to Martin mostly because he's a funny guy in a silly mustache, cutting up and trying to make us laugh." Michael Wilmington CHICAGO TRIBUNE "While the flat site gags never quite disappear, they're offset by an equal number of bits that'll keep you in stitches. It's good (mostly clean) light fun." Ross Anthony HOLLYWOOD REPORT CARD "Steve Martin steps into the Inspector Clouseau role and nails it with his most inventive and funny performance in years." William Arnold SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER "Although it doesn't stand up to the originals, it's not half bad, thanks to a script that has moments of genuine wit." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "it doesn't stink. Au contraire: It's good. Maybe not a masterwork, but good enough to redeem the series and its intrepid, mustachioed twit." Amy Biancolli HOUSTON CHRONICLE "Think Pink? When it comes to The Pink Panther, don't think. You'll have a lot more fun that way." Carol Cling LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL "Despite a witty performance by Steve Martin, much of The Pink Panther feels like trying on old clothes that no longer fit." Stephen Holden NEW YORK TIMES "Steve Martin is no Peter Sellers, but he still makes a winning Inspector Clouseau." Louis B Hobson JAM! MOVIES "There's a fair amount of laughs and a breezy feeling of joie de silliness, even if the finished product isn't good enough to warrant an ongoing series." Mark Keizer BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE

The Inside Story

"Martin does a good job stumbling into Sellers' shoes, and it's all funny enough, depending on your tolerance for slapstick and odd accents." ... Sue Pierman MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

If you're one of those who think "The Pink Panther" is a re-make, forget it. According to actor and co-screenwriter Steve Martin it's not. Martin says that is because "it's a completely different script. You know, movies have been remade since the '20's. I sought of feel justified as saying 'Well it's like a play'. Nobody says 'Oh, I can't do Hamlet because Richard Burton did it'. To me, Inspector is the Hamlet of comedians." If "The Pink Panther" is not a re-make then what else could it be. In many ways it's a homage to one of comedies greats, the troubled genius Peter Sellers C.B.E. Martin met the BAFTA Award winner Sellers way back in 1980 in Hawaii. "I was sought of coming off the slaughter years of my stand-up comedy," Martin recalls. "And I was in Hawaii at a Luau, and he came up to me, he was God to me, and he said to me 'I know you're under criticism right now, but I know what you're doing'. And that was kind of breathtaking. I felt a little mantle, a torch had passed. He was right. Sellers who was working on the script for "The Romance Of The Pink Panther" would die on July 24th in London after suffering a heart attack. Sellers ashes were buried under a rosebush [plot #39802] at the far end of the Golders Green Crematorium complex Hoop Lane London, England, next to the Chapel of Memory columbarium. Those who were big fans of the late great actor who not only made Jacques Clouseau a household name, but showed his true genius with two films, "I'm Alright Jack" and "Dr. Strangelove - Or - How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb" may have a problem with Martin's latest comedy role. Fans can rest assured that Martin comes no where near capturing the innocence Sellers injected into the inept Clouseau character, but then Martin didn't set out to do that. "It would be harder to imitate Peter Sellers", Martin says. Why? "Peter Sellers knew the character inside and out." One thing Martin may achieve is a franchise of 'Pink Panther' films after all it's got the worst trailer imaginable, yet so far it has taken $US70 million in the U.S.A. That may be due to two factors, Martin's popularity and that "The Pink Panther" comes hot on the heels of "Cheaper By The Dozen 2". According to "The Pink Panther" director Shawn Levy "The Clouseau character is an homage to silent film comics like Chaplin and Keaton. As imagined by Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers, the character referenced silent film comedy where the humor was physical rather than verbal. In the same way that those classic film comics have endured for nearly a century now, Clouseau’s intuitive, physical humor is equally timeless." He also thinks Martin is the ideal choice to step into the role. " What makes Steve Martin the perfect Closeau is his incredible, unique talent as a physical comic. Whether it’s his 'wild and crazy guy', the man with the arrow through his head or The Great Flydini, Steve has always been edgy and inherently physical in his humor." Producer Bob Simonds who worked with Martin on "Cheaper By The dozen", agrees adding, "Steve is a really interesting combination of vulnerability and self-assurance. He’s got a gift for physical comedy but he is also incredibly erudite. He possesses an incredibly sophisticated sense of humor with an underbelly of big laughs. Just as importantly, his comedy is ironic and smart but never mean spirited." Martin was offered the role by MGM while working on "Cheaper By The dozen" but was reluctant to take it. "When I first got offered the part, I said no. I didn’t think it was right for me,” Martin says. “But I thought about it and thought about it and I tried writing a few scenes, to see if I could get my head around it and they seemed funny. Still, you need an audience to test comedy and Shawn turned out to be my first audience." During the filming of 'CBTD' that Martin tried out one of his ideas for the character on Levy. "I thought it was so funny that it led to a month-long back and forth of other ideas and concepts and gags," says Levy. "What began to emerge was a story that was true to the franchise but fresh and original and specific to Steve’s kind of comedy. After a few weeks of this we came to a mutual agreement that I would direct the film." Martin and Levy also came to an agreement over what would be used in the script. "If it still made us laugh a month after that, we shot it," Shaun Levy maintains, "and if it still seemed funny in post-production, it stayed in the movie." Martin compliments Levy on his on-the-set ability to create an encouraging atmosphere for comedy ideas to develop. "Shawn and I have a very similar view of comedy and that kind of kinship is really hard to find. I also think we’ve arrived at a kind of shorthand of what’s funny and what’s not, of what should be tried and what shouldn’t. There was never any debate. We were always in agreement. As I’ve learned from my other films, the funniest thing in the movie is often something that has been thought up quickly; the day before, that day, that hour, that minute, and for that to happen, you can’t be working in a restrictive environment." Martin and Levy were also in agreement that they wanted Academy Award ® winner Kevin Kline in the role of Clouseau’s pompous, scheming boss Dreyfus. "He is profoundly different from Steve in terms of his process, but they have been close friends for 20 years," Levy revealled. "He liked our take on the new film and wanted to be a part of it." For Kline it was another opportunity to work with his good friend. The two had previously appeared together in "Grand Canyon". "The Pink Panther" would provide the first opportunity for them to appear together in a comedy. "We'd never had the opportunity to do a comedy together, so I jumped at the chance," Kline said. "Needless to say, I enjoyed the process as much as I imagined I would." When it comes to the support cast, producer Robert Simonds says it is "comprised of performers who weren’t just funny, but strong actors as well. Beyoncé’s incredibly gifted and we have such respected actors as Jean Reno, Kristin Chenoweth and Emily Mortimer, to name just a few." Beyoncé Knowles admitted it was hard working with Steve Martin recalling "it was really difficult to stay in character because he was so funny and I never knew what he was going to do. We shot this scene at the Waldorf in New York, which Clouseau basically destroys with something called a 'Flaming Mojito'. My character is trying to be very romantic and sexy with Clouseau but he’s drinking this 'Flaming Mojito'. Steve’s expressions and attitude were so hysterical I had to keep thinking, 'Be sexy. Please try to be sexy' when all I wanted to do was laugh." A surprise addition to the cast is that of acclaimed French actor Jean Reno who plays Gilbert Ponton, Clouseau sidekick. "We liked the idea of Clouseau having a true sidekick, someone who is set up to be a bad guy in that he works for Dreyfus, but develops a loyalty to Clouseau", says Levy. "Ponton is an incredibly likeable and sympathetic character who helps anchor Clouseau’s zaniness. The role was actually hard to cast, because we needed someone who could be a wall for Steve to bounce off of. But after meeting with Reno in Paris, I knew there was no second choice. He had that simplicity, that rock solid, steadfast quality that is Ponton." While many may see Reno as a dramatic actor he is no stranger to comedy roles. In fact alternating genres appeals to him. "Comedy is a nice alternative for me personally because everyone is smiling and trying to make other people laugh on set. That makes it very enjoyable," Reno says. "As for Ponton, my job was not to imitate or compete with Clouseau, but to add something in a different way that is, hopefully, funny." One cast member I'd like to give a big wrap to is Emily Mortimer who first came to many cinemagoers attention in a film called "Lovely & Amazing". Her appearance as Elizabeth Marks was rewarded with the 2003 Independent Spirit Award. By the way, "Lovely & Amazing" proved to be an ideal vehicle for three other now well known cast members; Catherine Keener ["Capote"], Dermot Mulroney ["The Family Stone"] and of course, Jake Gyllenhaal ["Brokeback Mountain"]. This latest role is a far better one for the thirty five year old than the one she recently took in Woody Allen's "Match Point". Mortimer says she delighted to be given the opportunity "to explore working in comedy, especially physical comedy. I didn't imagine they'd be particularly enchanted with me," she confessed. "So, I just decided to make Nicole as real as I could within the confines of the genre and rely on the physical parts of the scene for the big laughs. By the end, I came to enjoy those aspects so much that I lost my serious actor intent completely. I became a total comedy tart." While Martin, Kline and Reno do a most serviceable job in the lead roles, they never quite reach the heights of their predecessors. Mortimor on the other hand appears to be reborn in the roleof Nicole. Let's hope that if there's to be a sequel, Mortimer's role is expanded. Cast & Crew Bytes "THE PINK PANTHER" stars .......
L A Film Critics Association & New York Film Critics Circle Best Actor Awards winner Steve Martin ["The Jerk", "Planes, Trains & Automobiles", "Father of the Bride Part 1& 2", "Shop Girl" and "Cheaper by the Dozen 1 & 2 "]; 1988 Academy Award winner Kevin Kline ["In & Out", "Wild Wild West", "Life As A House", "The Emperor's Club" and "De-Lovely"]; Beyoncé Knowles ["Austin Powers in Goldmember" and "The Fighting Temptations"]; 2000 European Film Academy Achievement in World Cinema Award winner Jean Reno ["Ronin", "The Crimson Rivers", "Jet Lag" and "Tais-toi!"]; Emily Mortimer ["Lovely & Amazing", "Young Adam", "Bright Young Things", "Dear Frankie" and "Match Point"]; Henry Czerny ["Mission: Impossible", "The Ice Storm", "External Affairs " and "The Exorcism of Emily Rose"]; William Abadie ["Unfaithful"] and Golden Globe & BAFTA winner Clive Owen ["The Bourne Identity", "Closer", "Sin City" and "Derailed"] as Agent 006.
"THE PINK PANTHER" was .......
directed by Shawn Levy ["Made In America", "Big Fat Liar", "Big Fat Liar" and "Cheaper By The Dozen 1 & 2"]; screenplay by Len Blum ["Stripes", "Meatballs", "Beethoven's 2nd", "Private Parts" and "Over The Fence"] and Steve Martin ["Three Amigos", "L A Story", "Bowfinger" and "Shopgirl"]; original characters created by Maurice Richlin ["Pillow Talk", "Inspector Clouseau", "For Pete's Sake" and "Son Of The Pink Panther"] and Blake Edwards ["Curse of the Pink Panther", "That's Life!", "Switch" and "Son of the Pink Panther"]; costume design by Joseph G Aulisi ["Shaft", "Die Hard: With a Vengeance", "Bicentennial Man", "Charlie's Angels" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle"]; production design by Lilly Kilvert ["I Love You To Death", "Ghosts of Mississippi", "Hart's War" and "The Last Samurai"]; edited by George Folsey Jr ["National Lampoon's Animal House", "The Blues Brothers", "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Hostel"] and Brad E Wilhite ["Space Jam", "Commandments", "Basic" and "Hostel"]; cinematography by Jonathan Brown ["Big Fat Liar", "Just Married", "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "The Family Stone"]; original music by Christophe Beck ["Under The Tuscan Sun", "Garfield: The Movie", "The Perfect Man" and "Yours, Mine and Ours"] produced by Robert Simonds ["Billy Madison", "Leave It to Beaver", "The Wedding Singer", "Cheaper by the Dozen", "Herbie: Fully Loaded" and "Yours, Mine and Ours"]. What It's All About

"Emily Mortimer makes much out of almost nothing as Clouseau's secretary, whom he keeps physically engaging." .... Stan James THE ADVERTISER REVIEW

World famous soccer coach, Yves Gluant has just led Team France to victory over Team China in a World Cup qualifier. Celebrating pitch-side with the elated team and his beautiful girlfriend Xania, Glaunt falls to the ground with apoison dart embedded in his neck. Not only has Team France and the nation lost their beloved coach, but his diamond ring, "The Pink Panther" is missing. Anxious to finally receive his Medal of Honour on his seventh attempt, Chief Inspector Dreyfus needs a diversion, someone on the case who will make him look good. That man is none other than Jacques Clouseau. While Clouseau stumbles around looking for the killer and "The Pink Panther", Chief Inspector Dreyfus will solve the case and receive the award he has long for. While Dreyfus homes in on his suspect, newly appointed Inspector Jacques Clouseau and his sidekick Gendarme Ponton follow a trail of clues that leads them from Paris, France to New York, U.S.A and back. The Verdict "If you were a huge fan of the late great Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau you may find yourself in a little trouble with Steve Martin's interpretation of the iconic character who had audiences in stitches during the 60's and 70's. While Martin does a serviceable job trying to recreate Clouseau, his performance never comes close to that of Sellers. In fact when it comes to the main characters of Clouseau, Chief Insp Charles Dreyfus and Clouseau's sidekick Ponton there's no pulling power at all. Never the less, a lot of cinemagoers will get a enough laughs out of "The Pink Panther" to feel they've had their monies worth. Biggest audiences winners will undoubtably be Steve Martin fans, and those younger movie fans who have no connections to the brilliance that once was Peter Sellers. Don't write it off because "The Pink Panther" is still worth taking a look at." Who's Who?

Steve Martin Kevin Kline Beyoncé Knowles Jean Reno Emily Mortimer Henry Czerny Clive Owen William Abadie Scott Adkins Dexter Bell Kristin Chenoweth Monty C Floyd Chad Gabriel Mareva Galanter Phillip Goodwin Chelah Horsdal Thomas Ho Janet Huege Chuck Jeffreys Arnaud Klein Paul Korda Boris McGiver Eric Moreau Roger Rees Stephen Rowe Daniel Sauli Vivek Sharma Radu Spinghel Jason Statham Nick Toren

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Inspector Jacques Clouseau Chief Inspector Dreyfus Xania Gendarme Ponton Nicole Yuri Agent 006 Bizu Jacquard Terry Ahkee-Sauce Cherie Waldorf Door Man Deskman French Journalist Inspector Renard Security Guard Chinese Footballer Girl in Airplane Bathroom Thug in Alley Policeman Pierre Fuquette Vainqueur Republican guard Larocque Sykorian Roland Saint-Germain Simon - échange dangereux Hwang Yves Gluant Agent Savard

The Crew Directed by Shawn Levy Written by Len Blum and Steve Martin Story Len Blum and Michael Saltzman Characters Maurice Richlin & Blake Edwards Produced by Robert Simonds Executive Producered by Ira Shuman & Tracey Trench Original Music by Christophe Beck Original Pink Panther theme by Henry Mancini Cinematography by Jonathan Brown Film Editing by George Folsey Jr & Brad E Wilhite Casting by Ilene Starger Production Design by Lilly Kilvert Art Direction by David Baxa & Peter Rogness Set Decoration by Penny A Chalmers & George DeTitta Jr Costume Design by Joseph G Aulisi Run Time 93 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2006 - 20th Century Fox Films - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected ©1999-2009 Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved