Movie Review

The Pink Panther 2 (2009)

EW's GRADE
B-

Details Release Date: Feb 06, 2009; Genres: Comedy, Mystery; With: Steve Martin and Jean Reno

 The Nutty Inspector: Steve Martin reprises his role as Clouseau in The Pink Panther 2 The Pink Panther 2
Image credit: Peter Iovino
The Nutty Inspector: Steve Martin reprises his role as Clouseau in The Pink Panther 2

Taking Inspector Clouseau into his fifth decade of bumbling, Steve Martin does respectable riffs on Peter Sellers' demented obliviousness. He artfully gibberizes words like hamburger, sniggers at his own deductive élan, and does slapstick battle with everything from wine bottles to the Pope's miter. Martin, though, is so respectful of the role that he doesn't really make it his own; he does warmed-over Sellers instead of blissed-out Martin. When a series of world artifacts disappears, Clouseau is placed in charge of a dream team of detectives (Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, etc.), which gives him too many straight men. The Pink Panther 2 provides genial chuckles, but it's never excitingly rude. B-

Originally posted Feb 04, 2009 Published in issue #1034 Feb 13, 2009 Order article reprints

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