Pink Panther 2 Review

There is a thief on the loose and it's up to the bumbling, yet genius detective Jacques Clouseau [Steve Martin] and a team of experts like him, to find and put away the criminal. As the movie opens, it's the Pope who is in distress he has been relieved of his ruby ring by the same felon who stole the Magna Carta, the Japanese imperial sword and the Shroud of Turin. Hence the team of detectives called in to retrieve the stolen goods comprise a Britisher (Alfred Molina), a Japanese (Yuki Matsuzaki), an Italian (Andy Garcia), of course Jacques. This rather queer group, with help from the ravishing Sonia (Aishwarya Bachchan) an expert in criminal behavior, jet start the humour with stunts that ideally only cartoon characters can escape from, alive!! We all know right away that they are going find the culprit, in spite of their soon-evident clumsiness, just as we know the journey promises to be a rich blend of action and comedy.

The opening sequence sets the pace for the rest of the movie. Here's how it goes: Jacques and his team are questioning the Pope, when Jacques begins rummaging through the Pope's wardrobe. On a whim, he wears one and steps onto the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square. As he leans over, trying to imitate the Pope as he blesses the people below, he trips and falls down. But thankfully, he manages to hang on to a flag pole. And there he hangs with his robes flapping and his assets on display, till help arrives. Likewise, the movie is filled with similar adventurous exploits that come in quick succession - sometimes you get the feeling the director had a number of fun ideas and tried to cram every single one into the movie.

From burning down the same restaurant twice to parading in funny costumes, treading on his partner's feet and falling through a chimney, Jacques does it all, but just as we begin to see the humour in one scene, he's already moved on to the next and the next comic moment is taking shape. Steve Martin and his team have done a commendable job and manage to tickle our funny bone quite often. The only drawback is that none of the comic pieces develop into bellyaching hilarity. If Herald Zwart intends making the next installment of the series, he better give that aspect more thought and more reel time.