By the time The Pink Panther Strikes Again rolled around, the Pink Panther series, now in its fifth installment, had fully leaned into what audiences were really here for: Peter Sellers playing the endlessly bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The diamond is nowhere to be found (again), and at this point, it’s the detective himself, stumbling, bumbling, and oblivious, that defines the franchise. This time, though, the series shakes things up by turning Charles Dreyfus, Clouseau’s boss, into the main villain. It ditches the detective-and-heist structure entirely, swapping it for a looser, gag-driven James Bond parody. And honestly? It works.
The imbalance between plot and gags definitely held back The Return of the Pink Panther, it was often guilty of focusing too much on the plot at times, or leaning too heavily on consecutive gags at others, without striking a proper balance. Here, Blake Edwards just leans all the way in and lets the jokes take center stage. Sure, this shift means we lose the small thrill of Clouseau’s surprising ability to solve the case despite his cluelessness. Any hidden intelligence in the detective is gone. Clouseau is now a full-on cartoon character, a walking disaster, and the film doesn’t pretend otherwise. But Peter Sellers knows exactly how far to push it. He plays Clouseau just on the right side of absurd, keeping him funny instead of grating, no small feat considering how exaggerated the character has become.
The real surprise, though, is how well Charles Dreyfus works as the centerpiece. Turning him from a side gag into a full-blown Bond villain parody could’ve been a disaster, but Herbert Lom makes it work. He’s unhinged in the best way, elevating every scene he’s in and selling the ridiculousness of Dreyfus’ world domination plan with just enough sincerity to make it funny.
The gags are relentless. Edwards throws every kind of joke at the screen, physical comedy, sharp dialogue, over-the-top parodies, and most of it lands. Not every joke will hit, but with so many packed in, you’re bound to laugh more than a few times. Two highlights for me were the gag involving a knight’s armor and the absurdity of the dentist scene, both perfect examples of Sellers’ ability to turn chaos into comedy gold. And because the film keeps a brisk pace and doesn’t overstay its welcome, the loose structure never becomes a problem, the gags just keep coming, and that’s exactly what it needs.
The signature touches are still here, too. The animated opening is as charming as ever, even if it doesn’t really tie into the plot, and Henry Mancini’s iconic theme is still a highlight whenever it shows up.
At the end of the day, The Pink Panther Strikes Again strikes the right chord for what it’s trying to be. It tosses out any sign of a detective story and focuses entirely on the comedy, but when the laughs keep coming this consistently, there’s not much to complain about. Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom, and Blake Edwards strike again!
- Where to watch
- Rent or buy at Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Amazon Video
- Where to watch
- Rent or buy at Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Play trailer
- Original title
- The Pink Panther Strikes Again
- Director
- Blake Edwards
- Cast
- Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom, Leonard Rossiter, Colin Blakely, Graham Stark, Byron Kane, Dick Crockett, Richard Vernon
- Rated
- PG
- Screenwriter
- Frank Waldman, Blake Edwards
- Composer
- Henry Mancini
- Cinematography
- Harry Waxman
- Editor
- Alan Jones
- Country
- Language
- English
- Budget
- $6 million
- Box office
- $33.833 million