There's something very satisfying—downright delightful, even—about seeing celebrated dramatic actors cutting up and engaging in sheer, just-for-the-heck-of-it silliness. Surely that's part of what makes the Ocean's franchise so appealing. The occasional Coen Brothers movie not withstanding, where else can mainstream movie audiences see the likes of George Clooney and Brad Pitt and Andy Garcia do something with no political undertones, no Oscar gold in sight—but something that's just good, silly fun?

Steve Martin as Insp. Clouseau, Emily Mortimer as Nicole

Steve Martin as Insp. Clouseau, Emily Mortimer as Nicole

That's also what makes The Pink Panther 2 work, at least relatively speaking. A significantly funnier, more enjoyable film than its predecessor, Steve Martin's second turn as Inspector Clouseau, the bumbling French detective made famous by the great Peter Sellers, benefits greatly from its cast of big-name actors, most of them known for their dignified, dramatic work in "serious" productions—actors like Alfred Molina, Jeremy Irons, and hey, there's Andy Garcia again. They're joined by John Cleese, Lily Tomlin, and a couple of holdovers from the last movie, Emily Mortimer and Jean Reno; Kevin Kline and Beyoncé do not reprise their roles from the first film. And then there's Aishwarya Rai, the biggest movie star in all of India, finally making herself known to U.S. audiences. This talented bunch spends just over 90 minutes cutting up and relishing the chance to do something that's just good, unpretentious fun, and their enthusiasm helps make this a better film than the much-maligned '06 edition.

There are other factors too, of course—Martin himself has been spending most of his time writing essays for The New Yorker and promoting his new bluegrass album, so it's nice to see him invest himself in something as frivolous as this; judging by the vim and vigor he brings to the film's physical comedy, this isn't just a paycheck grab for him. And there's also the fact that, in the hands of director Harald Zwart, replacing the first film's Shawn Levy, this movie comes substantially closer to capturing the brilliantly absurd spirit of the classic Blake Edwards pictures.

Clouseau with Sonia (Aishwarya Rai)

Clouseau with Sonia (Aishwarya Rai)

The Edwards-Sellers movies, of course, are held in high esteem in some circles as classics of comedy, which is partially true—at least one or two of them are farcical masterworks—but the haze of nostalgia sometimes obscures the fact that several of them were middling, enjoyably frivolous but mostly unremarkable mainstream comedies, and all of them were basically exercises in sometimes-inspired silliness. And that's exactly what The Pink Panther 2 is—sure, the "surprise" ending is easy to spot, and many of the gags are overly familiar and stale, but there's also some convincing slapstick and a few good quips, and the whole movie has a playful, cheerfully stupid tone that makes it easy to go along with.

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The plot, of course, is basically the same as in any of the other films. The Pink Panther diamond—the pride and joy of France—has been stolen, and it's up to Closeau to get it back. Of course, he's still a bumbling idiot who has a maddening effect on his boss, Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Cleese); and of course, he has a Michael Scott-like flair for verbal blunders, much to the chagrin of his etiquette coach (Tomlin); and of course, he proves to be just as awkward at romance (with office assistant Nicole, played by Mortimer) as he is at detectiving; and of course, he's the one who eventually finds the diamond and solves the whole case. The only minor difference is that, this time, he must work with an "international dream team" of detectives, which is where all the other big-name actors come in.

Vicenzo (Andy Garcia) with Clouseau and Ponton (Jean Reno)

Vicenzo (Andy Garcia) with Clouseau and Ponton (Jean Reno)

So yeah, it's pretty dumb, and it's predictable, and, a year from now, not many people will remember it. But it's good-natured fun, a movie that aspires for nothing but pure silliness and whimsy, and that counts for something.

One could almost call it a guiltless pleasure, but that wouldn't be entirely accurate. The first film, though trashed by critics, proved to be a modest box office hit, largely on the strength of family audiences who appreciated its PG-rated, good-natured fun. And while this sequel is actually more fun, it must be said that its imitation of the spirit of the original films includes aping the cheerfully randy humor of the Edwards-Sellers movies. Though there's nothing explicit, there is a fair amount of suggestive humor, including, in the movie's most risqué moment, a scene in which Tomlin, trying to teach Clouseau about appropriate, professional relationships with women, describes an instance of sexual harassment in some degree of anatomical detail. There are a few other moments of subtler, wink-wink sexual innuendos, most of them meant to play up Clouseau's own obliviousness to such things, and while it's not outside the bounds of PG-rated fare, it's something parents ought to note.

No telling what kind of trouble Clousea will get into

No telling what kind of trouble Clousea will get into

What makes this sort of humor disappointing, really, is the fact that, its suggestive sense of humor aside, the movie actually has a very chaste view of romance. There are a couple of romantic relationships in the movie, and the film goes out of its way to make it clear that neither couple sleeps together—and in fact, one of them ends in marriage. It's a surprisingly positive slant on relationships that Christian audiences should applaud; too bad one or two iffy scenes somewhat dilute the movie's overall good nature.

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Talk About It

Discussion starters
  1. There is some talk in the movie about teamwork, but do any of the characters actually exhibit good teamwork? If so, which ones?
  2. How would you describe the relationship between Clouseau and Nicole? Does the film give a positive portrayal of love and romance? In what ways?
  3. Do you think Closeau is an admirable, heroic character? Why or why not?

The Family Corner

For parents to consider

The Pink Panther 2 is rated PG for suggestive humor, brief mild language, and action. It's a bit edgier PG than the 2006 version. The suggestive humor includes one scene of surprisingly risqué dialogue, and a handful of innuendos sprinkled throughout the movie, most of which will go over kids' heads, but might trouble parents. The language consists of just one or two very mild profanities, and the action is all good-nature slapstick comedy. Also of note is the fact that one scene is set in the Vatican and involves the Pope, and though it's a tad irreverent, it's certainly not disrespectful or mean-spirited.

What other Christian critics are saying:
  1. Plugged In
  2. Crosswalk
  3. Catholic News Service
  4. Past the Popcorn

The Pink Panther 2
Our Rating
2 Stars - Fair
Average Rating
 
(2 user ratings)ADD YOURSHelp
Mpaa Rating
PG (for suggestive humor, brief mild language, and action)
Genre
Directed By
Harald Zwart
Run Time
1 hour 32 minutes
Cast
Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer
Theatre Release
February 06, 2009 by MGM
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