The Pink Panther 2 (2009)

Insp. Jacques Clouseau teams up with a squad of International detectives who are just as bumbling as he is. Their mission: Stop a globe-trotting thief who specializes in stealing historical artifacts.

Director:

Harald Zwart

Writers:

Scott Neustadter (screenplay), Michael H. Weber (screenplay)

Stars:

Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Martin	...	Clouseau
Jean Reno	...	Ponton
Emily Mortimer	...	Nicole
Andy Garcia	...	Vicenzo
Alfred Molina	...	Pepperidge
Yuki Matsuzaki	...	Kenji
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan	...	Sonia
John Cleese	...	Dreyfus
Lily Tomlin	...	Mrs. Berenger
Jeremy Irons	...	Avellaneda
Johnny Hallyday	...	Milliken
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Joubert
Philip Goodwin	...	Renard
Armel Bellec	...	Louis
Jack Metzger	...	Antoine

Storyline

After having been rewarded for solving the mystery of the Pink Panther Diamond, inspector Jacques Clouseau has been assigned to minor tasks by his boss inspector Dreyfus so as not to have him in his way anymore. Unfortunately, the famous diamond has once again been stolen as have many other artifacts in a series of burglaries around the world. His past success will enable inspector Clouseau to be part of the dream team comprised of the greatest detectives of the affected countries, where he will be able to display his numerous talents across the world.

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Plot Keywords:

laser | nun | inspector | detective | pink panther | 

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Taglines:

Steve Martin revient dans le rôle de l'Inspecteur Clouseau (Steve Martin is back as Inspector Clouseau)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Family | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some suggestive humor, brief mild language and action

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Australia] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Spanish Italian

Release Date:

6 February 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Pink Panther Sequel

Filming Locations:

Bedford, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,588,150, 8 February 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$35,922,978, 22 March 2009

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$75,871,032, 3 May 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Columbia Pictures, Robert Simonds Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steve Martin immediately accepted to reprise his role for this sequel because of his love of the character and the opportunity to do very physical, burlesque comedy.

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Goofs

After Avellaneda shows his shoulder to the Dream Team, he buttons the topmost button of his shirt. When Clouseau tears off his shirt, all of the buttons are open.

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Quotes

[first lines]
British Librarian: [inside the British Library] I now bring to your attention one of the most stunning treasures inside the British Library's entire collection: the Magna Carta.
[the tourists murmur at the stolen Magna Carta display, with The Tornado's calling card left at the scene]
Turin Guide: [inside the Turin Chapel] And now, over here, perhaps the most cherished ancient artifact in the Western world: the Shroud of Turin.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The opening titles of the film double as an animated short featuring the famous animated counterparts of Inspector Clouseau and the Pink Panther. Similarly the film ends with the animated Pink Panther walking across the screen before the end titles start. Both of these appearances are consistent with the previous films in the franchise.

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Connections

References The Mark of Zorro (1940)

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Soundtracks

Finale in C Major
from "The Minerva Quartets"
Written by Dick-Jan Zwart
Performed by The Christiania Quartet
Courtesy of Zwart Arbeid

User Reviews

An Honest Attempt

As I said in my review of the first installment of this line: Steve Martin has walked in the Valley of the Kings. He has faced some pretty amazing obstacles, and he has stood in some pretty big shadows. Let's face it. Although his rendition of, "The Out-of-Towners," was amusing, he's no Jack Lemmon. While I LOVE his Sgt. Bilko portrayal, he's not Phil Silvers. Cheaper by the Dozen wasn't horrible, but he's not Clifton Webb, either. He's Steve Martin.

You may not appreciate his style of comedy, but the Peter Sellers-venerated character of Inspector Jacques Clouseau made for the best use of Martin's prolific use of pratfalls, ironic wit, and in your face sarcasm than any other character he has tackled previously.

But the character portrayed by Martin herein has something I never saw in Sellers' portrayal after the second installment...genuine heart. This is sweetly honest in its attempt. I feel that this will actually turn into a legitimate franchise reboot, if the average movie-goer will stop attempting to compare Martin's Clouseau to Sellers' Clouseau. They are two different actors, and Martin has stated to the point of nausea that he is NOT attempting to "do" Sellers' interpretation of the character!

As far as the MOVIE goes, it is sweet, funny, and enduring with a strong story, a stronger relationship element, and a great cast. I did not miss Kevin Kline nearly as much as I supposed I would. John Cleese was a perfect Dreyfus, showing us the beginnings of Herbert Lom's trademark twitch, when dealing with Clouseau. Very nice!

I think, when looking back, Steve Martin's Jacques Clouseau will be remembered fondly by the new generations, just as prior generations stubbornly cling to Sellers' character in spite of Martin's superior portrayal.

All in all? I love it. It is a(n almost) violence-free, blood-free, honest attempt at a family film. This is great! and I cannot wait to get it into my collection.

It rates an 8.4/10 from...

the Fiend :.