(Cert PG, 89 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Comedy, also available to buy DVD £19.99)
Rating **
Starring: Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Beyonce Knowles, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, William Abadie, Kristin Chenoweth, Roger Rees, Jason Statham.
Shawn Levy's version of The Pink Panther attempts the impossible: to reinvent bumbling Inspector Clouseau for modern audiences without the spark of comedic genius that Peter Sellers brought to the role. Steve Martin wisely doesn't attempt to impersonate his illustrious predecessor, playing the moustachioed gendarme as a genius amongst buffoons.
Unfortunately, the remake grows tiresome very quickly. The flimsy story begins at a high profile international football match, where French coach Yves Gluant (Statham) is killed with a poison dart and his priceless ring, set with the fabled Pink Panther diamond, is stolen.
Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kline) orchestrates a cunning plan to solve the case: he assigns "village idiot" Clouseau (Martin) the task of unmasking the killer and recovering the gem.
Dreyfus fully expects the clumsy cop to fail. When he does, the chief inspector intends to take charge of the investigation and snatch glory for himself.
Applying unconventional forms of deduction, the inspector and side-kick Ponton (Reno) narrow the list of suspects to Yves's glamorous girl-friend Xania (Knowles), disgruntled soccer player Bizu (Abadie), publicist Cherie (Chenoweth) and millionaire casino owner Larocque (Rees).
Back at HQ, devoted secretary Nicole (Mortimer) watches adoringly as Clouseau closes in on the killer. The Pink Panther has a couple of sparkling sequences including Clouseau's ham-fisted attempts to speak American ("I would like to buy a hamburger!"). Unfortunately, much of the comedy verges on the moronic and illogical.
Martin flings himself full pelt into each impending disaster, while Reno and Kline are both wasted. Beyonce slinks in a variety of flattering frocks and trills two songs on the soundtrack including the sultry A Woman Like Me, reducing the big finale to a music pop video.
DVD Extras: Director commentary, 11 deleted and extended scenes with optional director commentary, alternative opening sequence with optional director commentary, Cracking The Case featurette, Animated Trip featurette, Development Of The Opening Title Animation featurette, Deconstructing The Panther featurette, Sleuth Cams, three vignettes that make you fly on the set, Beyonce Knowles Check On It music video, Beyonce Knowles performance of A Woman Like Me.
