I don’t think I would be lying if I described this redundant remake as a “laugh-a-minute comedy”. It contained about one laugh but I cannot actually remember in which minute it occurred.
Otherwise Steve Martin’s energetic but unfunny efforts to bring bungling accident-prone Inspector Clouseau, originally created by Peter Sellers 45 years ago, is about as amusing as a tax demand.
Give Martin his due, he attacks the crass screenplay with enthusiasm as he is assigned to join a team of detectives from all around the world to help catch the super thief who has stolen the Magna Carta. Martin’s mangling of a French accent rapidly loses its appeal while John Cleese is embarrassing as Clouseau’s constantly harassed superior Inspector Dreyfus.
The most enjoyable sequence is the animated opening credits, after which it is downhill all the way.
The Pink Panther 2
