Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

handsomewarrior Steve Martin's take on the infamous Inspector Clouseau is shamelessly stupid, but also inherently brilliant. With a French accent that is nowhere near normal; common sense that is, likewise, below average; and observant eyes that are quite selective, Steve Martin takes his role as un-serious as he can...and it completely works.The Inspector is chosen for what is framed as an important job, but in actuality he is the distraction: Kevin Kline's Chief Inspector Dreyfus (who is also the narrator) intentionally picks the biggest idiot he can find to solve the murder of a famed French futbol coach. Naturally, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is the perfect choice, too ignorant to realize he's being set up. He believes the job is an honor, and sets out to use his stupidity to cleverly solve the case. Assigned to help him is Ponton, a detective who faithfully follows Clouseau's lead regardless of the situation.As he interviews absurd suspects and comes to even more absurd conclusions, he believes he's coming closer to finding the criminal, while Chief Inspector Dreyfus, with the public's eyes averted, also believes he's nearing the finish line. The climax is eagerly awaited, knowing that somehow, despite his bumbling foolishness, Inspector Clouseau will come out on top, and the moment his concealed Holmesian nature is revealed is truly comical.However immersive the melodramatically hilarious "Pink Panther" is, its dedication to inciting laughs seems to distract the writers from the plot. Many scenes stray from the main story simply to create laugh-out-loud moments, which are priceless, but nonetheless unnecessary. More scenes could have been cut and replaced to focus more on the mystery, while at the same time inviting laughs. At some points, the film seems to be so intent on not taking itself seriously that it ignores elements essential to any movie, be it a slapstick or a drama. Despite some of its shortcomings, "The Pink Panther" is a roaring good time, with brilliantly crafted scenes that will make you wish you had a spare oxygen tank.Verdict: "The Pink Panther" is near the top of the over-the-top-funny movies, but its lackadaisical approach to the story and its lack of interest to leave a lasting impact impede it from being the classic it wants to be.Official Score: 81.6/100 (3/4)

Python Hyena The Pink Panther (2006): Dir: Shawn Levy / Cast: Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Beyonce Knowles: Comic remake about being a fish out of water. Although the Peter Sellers version is classic, this version remains underrated and is a lot funnier than given credit for. Standard plot involves a murdered football coach and the missing Pink Panther diamond. Inspector Drefus wishes to solve the case and hires Inspector Clouseau as a decoy. Often funny but the ending is actually rather clever. Director Shawn Levy handles the slapstick elements well. He previously directed Martin in Cheaper by the Dozen. Martin is no Peter Sellers but he is hilarious playing off Clouseau's well meaning nature. He brings similarities from the Sellers performances while also adding his own brand of physical genius. Kevin Kline as Drefus is a decent foil, wanting to solve the plot but ultimately falling victim to Clouseau's actions. Jean Reno does well as Clouseau's partner, hired by Drefus to report progress yet he grows fond of Clouseau's bizarre methods. Emily Mortimer steals scenes as Clouseau's secretary who counters the standard elements of the role when she becomes an aid to Clouseau during climatic moments. Beyonce Knowles appears so that the studio can have a marketing pitch. Give or take, this version holds up well and given a more uplifting sendoff. Score: 7 ½ / 10

bigdmia Why I think this film is awful. The main problem was casting --- Steve Martin is a talented comedian, and his comedic brilliance is best portrayed in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, My Blue Heaven, LA Story, Father of the Bride, House Sitter, Sgt. Bilko and Bowfinger" - just to mention a few. Steve Martin is brilliant when portraying American characters, but was unforgivably cringe-worthy watching him attempt to speak English with a French accent and the mediocrity that was supposed to pass as slapstick, was all too painful to watch. The role of Inspector Clouseau's character performance-bar was previously raised by the late British actor Peter Sellers in "A Shot in the Dark" and "The Pink Panther" films. In my opinion Peter Sellers had set the benchmark on the character Clouseau with the accent, clumsy demeanour, body language and facial expressions.In my opinion, this film was a farce.

Steve Bailey Moviegoers whose notion of physical comedy ends with Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler will probably roar with laughter over Steve Martin's new version of "The Pink Panther." Viewers with slightly longer memories will ponder just when Martin got so unfunny.I can't think of any comedy series that is in less need of resurrection than the "Pink Panther" movies. The very first one (1964) is utterly hilarious, with Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau, so obsessed with finding a jewel thief –- and so frustrated by the lack of affection from his wife, who turns out to be two-timing him with the thief –- that he falls all over himself in frustration.Unfortunately, "Panther's" original sequel, "A Shot in the Dark" (1965), established the template for the rest of the Clouseau comedies: a clueless, accent-hindered incompetent who never wants to admit that he destroys everything in his path. Writer-director Blake Edwards beat the formula to death for a half-dozen more movies (some released long after Sellers' death). And now Martin does his best to revive a corpse one more time.This is supposedly a prequel to the Edwards/Sellers movies, but it follows the same tired pattern. A famous pink diamond resembling a panther is stolen. French Chief Inspector Dreyfus (et tu, Kevin Kline?) hires Clouseau as a red herring to cover up his own detective work, but Clouseau unwittingly scores major points against his scheming boss.So much for plot. The rest of the movie is the kind of tired physical comedy that endlessly unravels like so much cheap fabric. Once, there was the like of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, whose physical humor expressed their personalities and who took their own falls. By contrast, look at every single Clouseau pratfall in this movie. There's a shot of Martin starting to do harm to himself, a shot of a stuntman dressed up like Steve Martin and taking a tremendous fall, followed by a shot of Martin nonchalantly regaining his balance.Has Martin forgotten his own movie-comedy history? Like the silent greats, his physical comedy used to be the expression of an otherworldly, ethereal comedian, culminating in what I thought was his finest movie, "L.A. Story" (1991). But over the years, he's been too busy making what one cynic has called "mansion comedies." You know -– Steve Martin needs another mansion, so he makes another dumb slapstick movie.As for the rest of the new "Panther," poor Jean Reno plays Martin's unwilling sidekick as though he is wondering what happened to his own movie career. Only Beyonce Knowles –- in a surprising nod to modernity –- makes much of an impression as, natch, a sultry singer.