Customer Reviews

Curse of the Pink Panther [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I can't imagine having to even TRY to fill Peter Seller's shoes by being the bumbling detective type in a movie with the NAME and namesake of Pink Panther. Ted Wass does a fabulous job of making this role his own.

PEOPLE, he is not TRYING to be Peter Sellers!! Get a clue (or a cleau-a as the case may be)! Wass is brilliant in this movie as the guy who truly can't figure out how he wound up in this situation (and recall please that he wound up in this situation because a computer was created to find a detective EXACTLY like Clouseau who could then find Clouseau...there is a hilarious bit in which everyone inputs their impressions of Clouseau using adjectives like: brilliant, master of disguise, genius and so forth - however Dreyfus DOES NOT WANT another Clouseau on his hands so he sets the computer on OPPOSITE...the hilarious result of course is that he ends up with someone who really is LIKE Clouseau...the opposite of brilliant and genius!!) This bit alone would put Blake Edwards' final tribute to the Pink series up there with the likes of A Shot In the Dark.

No, it isn't "Return" and it doesn't have Peter Sellers who truly was a genius, but it does have the same kind of comic relief that we've come to expect from the Pink Panther movies. The jobs done by Ted Wass, David Niven, and Robert Wagner are more than commendable!

Now, all that said, I won't give away the final "surprise" cameo either, but let me say this: that particular actor was AWFUL in this movie and should have been better schooled in the Clouseau accent and voice (as far as I'm concerned, this is the only Blake Edwards fall-down on the job for this film). That done, the ending would have been brilliant, not the least bit confusing as some have said, and conclusive!

Meanwhile, potential viewers, don't let the naysayers tell you this isn't worth watching! I've been patiently waiting for the DVD for my collection and am elated that it is finally on the way. If you love this series for more than just Peter Sellers, then you'll love this piece of the pie as well. If you just like the Peter Sellers role, you won't want to see this, but then you aren't really a fan of the Pink Panther movies at all, but a Sellers fan. While that's fine, hello-o-o-o-o? He isn't in this and this movie shouldn't be judged by that, but by how well it fits in the Pink Panther series - and it does so WONDERFULLY!!

After watching The Trail Of The Pink Panther, it's hard to imagine that writer-director Blake Edwards could make a worse film. However, he sinks to a new career low with this feeble effort to wring a few more bucks out of the franchise.

Sellers does make brief appearances here via some lines of dialogue from earlier films looped over a stand-in who at first appears in shadow in the pre-credits sequence and then wrapped in bandages later on in scenes with a bewigged Joanna Lumley. Clouseau does make a more substantial appearance in the final 30 minutes but is played by....well, let's just say he's played by an actor who is quite well known for having played another iconic character in another famous movie franchise. He gives an embarrassingly unfunny performance and I can only imagine that he owed the director a favour.

The new lead character in this film is Ted Wass as NYC policeman Clifton Sleigh. He's just as inept as Clouseau but Wass handles the pratfalls without the grace and skill that Sellers had. Whatever Wass' shortcomings are as a comic actor he doesn't get a chance to step out of Sellers shadow because this film, like the one preceeding it, concentrates on the search for Clouseau. We see Sleigh visit cast members and sets from previous films just as Joanna Lumley did in the last movie. And yes, David Niven appears again with his voice still dubbed by Rich Little.

Rather than waste any more time and effort writing about this film, I recommend that you avoid this and The Trail Of The Pink Panther and check out much better films like A Shot In The Dark and The Pink Panther Strikes Again. By all means take a look at the final sequel starring Roberto Benigni (The Son Of The Pink Panther) but only for Benigni's performance and to imagine what a new PP series could have been like with Benigni in the lead role and a new production and writing team at the helm.

As much as I wanted to like this film I think we should have admitted to ourselves that Peter Sellers and Inspector Jacques Clouseau were both no more. TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER was ingeniously edited from Sellers' outtakes and new footage and would have been a befitting end and homage to the actor and the character. I have to admit that I take this film out once in a while and watch it. There is certain sentimentality by seeing some of the actors from the original PINK PANTHER and A SHOT IN THE DARK reprise their roles here. Herbert Lom as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus and Burt Kwouk as Kato are ever present and a comfort to see. However it was a real treat to see David Niven as Sir Charles Lytton, Robert Wagner as George Lytton his nephew and Capucine as Simone the ex-Misses Clouseau. As for the plot of this film it is rather buoyant and sketchy. Ted Wass as Clifton Sleigh a bumbling police officer from America does the best with what material he is given but he really lacks the charm and any clear definition of his character if in fact director Blake Edwards had any intentions of reviving the series with him. There are a few genuinely funny moments but they are too few. There is a surprise ending that you can interpret two different ways but there is no point revealing it here. Besides the cast I also did like the score composed by Henry Mancini. Mancini was a true professional. He never compromised the quality of his music no matter what the merits of the film appeared to be. He actually composed a very good theme for the Clifton Sleigh character. Unfortunately there was no soundtrack to this film issued and so Clifton Sleighs theme remains jut a fond memory.

When Curse came out in 1983, it was not a surprise to anyone. The previous film, Trail of the Pink Panther, had an open ending, and an announcement in the end credits that they would all return in 'Curse of the Pink Panther'. But, whereas 'Trail' had been a choked attempt at making a movie using clips of the brilliant Peter Sellers, 'Curse' were to re-launch the franchise with a new actor as a, not the, bumbling inspector. Ted Wass did play bumbling and inept, but he was American, unknown and he wasn't Peter Sellers (His acting career wasn't much of anything after this either).

The point, as it is, of this movie is to find Clouseau, a computer chooses the best detective in the World to do so, but it's sabotaged and chooses the worst instead.

The inspector is found, played by Roger More. Plastic surgery, it's a wonderful thing, isn't it?

The value of this movie is in some of the better-known recurring characters, Herbert Lom as Inspector Dreyfus, Burt Kwouk as Cato as well as Robert Wagner and David Niven in his very last film (Niven was so frail, his voice was dubbed by Rich Little).

This was the second time everyone realised only Sellers could play Clouseau (the first time was in 1968 when Alan Arkin played the part in 'Inspector Clouseau'). Everyone realised it again in 1993 with 'Son of the Pink Panther (An immensely irritating Roberto Benigni), and finally, at least the critics realised it in 2006 (Steve Martin's turn in 'The Pink Panther' did well at the box-office however and a Pink Panther 2 has a 2008 release planned).

Although mostly a shambles, it does have a few good laughs, Blake Edwards is the man behind the reigns and for those who want to complete their collection, this is far from a complete waste.

This movie, while not a bomb or a turkey, has a couple of serious flaws. One is the casting. Ted Wass has lots of credits to his name, according to IMDb, but what a wimpy, character-less, uninteresting washout he is! Was Blake going for a Harold Lloyd lookalike? He got one, but there's nothing else to recommend him. He looks like a Clark Kent without the Superman suit underneath.

The other flaw is the length. Even the opening credits (using a deFreiling/Patie ripoff style) go on forever. But the slapstick, which is masterful as always (Blake having been raised on or at least heavily influenced by silent comedies, especially those of Laurel & Hardy)...my God, does he stretch things out here!

The cameos are the saving grace, especially Roger Moore's. His vocal impersonation of Clousseau is perfect. Why didn't he dub the voice for Clousseau in the concurrently filmed TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER? Whoever did that voiceover sounded like Sellers on helium!

It's sad to see our icons age, especially Burt Kwouk, who looks and sounds awfully tired. David Niven looks as close to death as he actually was. Rich Little's uncredited overdubbing was beautifully done: subtle and convincing.

Herbert Lom's Dreyfuss got bigger and more ridiculous in each successive film. And Harvey Korman's Prof. Balls is delightful. The entire scene in his shop is a stitch.

No, there will never be another Sellers (and I have no intention of seeing the new film with Steve Martin). But Blake could have done better with his stopgaps!

Of course Peter Sellers was the best pink panther but I found this movie quite enjoyable. I laughed through out the movie and would watch it again. When Peter Sellers died suddenly this movie gave closure to what happened to Clouseau. It was idiotic at times but isn't that what we come to expect from the Clouseau character?

No one was clamoring for another "Pink Panther" comedy after the death of Peter Sellers, but writer-director Blake Edwards didn't listen. The result was this morbidly unfunny farce, with a mind-boggling cameo by Roger Moore as Inspector Clouseau. A 1983 summer flop, "Curse of the Pink Panther" remains deservedly forgotten. Sadly, David Niven's final film (a pity he was unable to reprise Sir Charles Litton for "The Return of the Pink Panther").

Curse of the Pink Panther is weakest entry in Panther genre.

One, Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Closeau seem to take the spirit of the Panther films to the grave with him

Two, This was the last Film of David Niven. The rumor of Rich Little dubbing his voice rings true, if you watch Niven's lips and what is coming out of them.Niven who was very ill with MS just did a lot of sitting and limited movement.

Three, Ted Wass tries to bumble and stumble like Sellers's trademark character-however He is NO CLOSEAU. The more he pratfalls, the most we miss and wish Sellers were still alive

Four, the supporting cast (Robert Loggia, Herbert Lom, Leslie Ash, Robert Wagner, Joanna Lumley, Capucine, David Niven, Harvey Korman) are given almost nothing to do in this film, other than to be a foil to Wass's pratfalls or straight men to Wass's so called craziness. Burt Kwouk as Cato is given more to do in his small scene with Wass and you wonder why he isnt in more of the film. And Roger Moore's cameo as a remade Closeau is poor preformance, playing on Seller's trademark accent and his James Bond Character

Five, Blake Edwards's script seem a weak closure to the Genre. And to make matters worse, he even did another Pink Panther (Son of the Pink Panther)after this, which was WORSE than this film

AND THOSE ARE THE GOOD POINTS

I give it two stars for the stellar supporting cast alone, that makes this film worth it

Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD

surprisingly good movie - ted wass has general goofiness with his role. while I was really wanting NO MORE PANTHER MOVIES from BLAKE(THERAKEINTHEMONEYCASHCOW)EDWARDS. I certainly think this movie stands on its own with subtle charm. plot: ted's character in search of clouseau-. its nice to see some inventive clips used in this film but in the end a thinly disguised movie is often a terrible movie. - if you are a PP FAN you will want to get this to add to your collection - be aware that its basically a BAREBONES edition, nothing is really there for you and MGM(Money,Grubbing,Moguls)-should be ashamed not to have tried a little harder. HOWEVER: the price is nice and most if not all of the recent reissues are less than 10bucks-found anywhere. performances: ted wass has genuine comedic flair. sadness: is that DAVID NIVEN who was terminally ill and died shortly after this movie--his voice was done by RICH LITTLE and at the end of the movie---ROGER MOORE's imitation of PETER SELLER character has charm with a snicker. one of the things that makes the PP MOVIES so entertaining-yes, PETER SELLERS but for me HERBERT LOM is a scream and the more pain inflicted on him the more my stomach hurts from laughing too hard. fans or casual interested, should check out other movies SON OF PINK PANTHER and INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU--certainly not the best movies SPP with ROBERTO BENIGNI and IC with a performance by ALAR ARKIN-are suprisingly entertaining in their own right.--also, all of the other PINK PANTHER films--let's hope STEVE MARTIN's movie THE PINK PANTHER adds to the spirit of the man who originated it---PETER SELLERS thanks for the memories!!!!!

For those who consider the Pink Panther films only watchable for Peter Sellers' performance as Inspector Clouseau, the series could be considered over with "Revenge of the Pink Panther." For those who love the Pink Panther brand of humor and want to see the full extension of the story line, "Curse of the Pink Panther" is worth a look.

True, without Peter Sellers this movie doesn't feel quite authentic, but it makes an interesting epilogue to the series, picking up where the wafer-thin plot of "Trail of the Pink Panther" left off.

Glad that Clouseau is gone but wanting to appear like he's doing his best to find the missing Inspector, Chief Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) searches for the worst possible detective to put on his old foe's tracks. He settles for Sgt. Clifton Sleigh (a young Ted Wass), a bumbling NYPD officer who can't understand why everyone thinks he's somehow related to Jacques Clouseau.

While plenty of the worn-out routines from previous movies are repeated here, there are certainly some new bits, and Wass' likable character breathes some freshness, if only a little bit, into the film. Still, while Peter Sellers is missed, his character is missed even more. The studio could have counted its losses and found a new Clouseau and a new director to bring new blood to the franchise. Instead, the events of the previous films, including the little inconsistencies between movies, are brought to a head as Clouseau's disappearance and the Pink Panther diamonds theft come together in one mangled conspiracy theory. This, sadly, taints the simplicity of the individual films.

Certain elements of the classics are here, including an exotic babe (Leslie Ash) and David Niven in his final film role. Appropriate, since this was originally supposed to be his franchise.

Not as funny as any of the Peter Sellers film by a long shot, but a novelty among the series and a worthwhile comedy for fans of this comedy-mystery series.