Returning for a second in the refreshed film franchise, The Pink Panther reboot series was always due a sequel after the box office success, though critical disapproval, of the 2006 release.
Starring Steve Martin as bumbling French inspector Jacques Clousaeu, when precious items go missing across the world, stolen by cat burglar The Tornado, Clouseau must team up with a crack team of detectives to track down the burglar and retrieve the lost treasures.
In a role made famous by Peter Sellers in the original 1960s series, Steve Martin fails to capture the magic he showed glimpses of in 2006. His performance is too stupid for his own good, offering nothing but an ineffective mock-French accent and predictable, and endless, slapstick routines.
As the film develops down the ever predictable path, the plot grows tiresome leaving the audience wishing for an instant conclusion to this flippant spoof spy comedy.
If there is one saving grace, enter Jean Reno. As Clousaeu’s assistant, Reno is as captivating as ever, giving an understated but always entertaining performance, though he is on screen for a mere flitter compared to the frustrating Martin.
It might just be time to lay the Pink Panther to rest, and not for another revival and a new iteration, it’s time Hollywood came up with some new production ideas.
★★★★★