Customer Reviews

The Pink Panther Ultimate Collection

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

As noted in the specs, this film contains all but one of the films (more on that in a minute), and nine discs of cartoons, including the second volume of Inspector cartoons and the Roland and Ratfink cartoons. The ninth cartoon disc will presumably be a port of the fifth disc of the Classic Cartoon Collection. It looks to be a definite must-have set.

But Return of the Pink Panther is not included, and never will be, for a very good reason. MGM does not own the home video rights to it; Universal does. So before you go writing a negative review of this set because it doesn't include Return of the Pink Panther, try and get a better grasp of copyright in movies; specifically, who owns and releases what. Universal owns the home video rights because United Artists outsourced the film to an independent company. UA owns the theatrical rights, but not the home video rights.

Besides, would it really hurt that much to spend 10 extra dollars to have the DVD of Return with this collection? It may not be a complete set, but copyrights are sometimes strange like that.

So don't go around bashing MGM for not making this a complete set. It's as complete as they can make it, considering they don't own one of the films in the series.

Hello. This is my first review on Amazon, so I hope to refine future reviews. I will base my review on three things: Packaging (How it all looks, size, & etc.), Performance (In this case, how the discs look with menus & ect.), & Content (What is being watched or the main reason you might buy this product).

Packaging (4 1/2 Stars):

The fuzzy pink cover with the Pink Panther on the front looks & feels nice. It is oversized to fit the book, most likely. The book is coffee table style. It is included with the packaging & very nice. The disc booklet is the problem however. It fits all of the 18 discs you will get, but in order to fit with the coffee table book it is in a booklet type with sleeves to fit the discs. Sleeves make fingerprints & scratches far easier. I had spare d-skins which cover the discs to prevent disc damages, but not included with this packaging. The sleeve-style disc booklet is my only issue with this packaging. (Could be worse & be The Simpson's Season 11 box set.) It is a big package, so will need a special place to store it.

Performance (5 Stars):

If you happened to buy the other box set featuring Peter Sellers, these are the same. Actually all are the same as previous released discs, but "The Pink Panther" 1964 original. It has a pop-up trivia track, & a Blake Edwards commentary. Both are nice extras. All look good, but the sound quality lessens for the less known films. Discs 3, 7 & 8 are stereo, but not 5.1 surround like the other films. All of the cartoon discs are not 5.1 either. Bonus extras are almost nonexistant. Trailers are included & some trivia notes. This set basically includes what was released before in one package. Nothing much new, but for "The Pink Panther" 1964 original extras, Vol. 2 of "The Inspector" cartoons, & "Roland & Rattfink" cartoons. The Jerry Beck book was nice too.

Content (6 stars):

I am a very biased huge Pink Panther fan. All films with Peter Sellers are great to me. The cartoons are great too. I will admit that the non-Sellers' films are weak, but still watchable. No one is Peter Sellers, but Peter Sellers. Peter Sellers is Inspector Clouseau. The others do bravely try. I am a completist. I mostly bought this set for "The Inspector" Vol. 2 cartoons & "Roland & Rattfink" cartoons. Besides the fact that Amazon had a great price that day. The Jerry Beck book is nice to have too. "The Pink Panther" 1964 (Disc 1) is a classic, "A Shot In The Dark" (Disc 2) might be the best film in the set, "Inspector Clouseau" (Disc 3) has Alan Arkin trying to be Peter Sellers & isn't too bad, ((Missing is "The Return Of The Pink Panther", but can be bought separately for not too much)) "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" (Disc 4) is more Sellers' goodness, "Revenge Of The Pink Panther" (Disc 5) is the last real full film in the series as Peter Sellers pasted away after it's making, "Trail Of The Pink Panther" (Disc 6) is mainly a tribute to Peter Sellers, "Curse Of The Pink Panther" (Disc 7) has Ted Wass trying to be Peter Sellers, "Son Of The Pink Panther" (Disc 8) has Roberto Benigni trying to be Peter Sellers, and "The Pink Panther" 2006 (Disc 9) has Steve Martin trying to be Peter Sellers. I must mention that not as much trying to be Peter Sellers as all try to be Sellers as Clouseau. The Pink Panther Cartoons (Discs 10-14) are all good to me, but alot of cartoons shorts to choose from. Some are more favorites than others. "The Ant & The Aardvark" (Disc 15) are some good cartoon shorts. "The Inspector" (Discs 16 + 17) are very good. "Roland & Rattfink" (Disc 18) are good too.

In honesty if not for the great Amazon price at the time & "The Inspector" Vol. 2 not out separately, I most likely would not have bought this. It is great for Pink Panther fans, but I can understand how not for all. Besides now the films & the cartoons are out separately in box sets of their own. The old Peter Sellers' Pink Panther Collection might be better for most too. All in all this set reviewed is great, but watch removing your discs. Thank you for reading.

I ordered this during Sundays Gold Deal and received it the following day! Way to go Amazon!!! When I picked up the shipping box I was surprised at how heavy it was. When I opened it I found a beautiful and well constructed collection case with everything inside as promised. Some folks on here have a problem with the definition of the word Ultimate. This means it is the best available...which this is. It is one of the finest sets I have ever purchased. Just having the complete cartoon set is worth the $34. I paid for the set. I went to sleep happily last night watching PP cartoons =). I also purchased 'The Return of the Pink Panther' for an extra $11 which will almost complete my set (that leaves Steve Martin in PPII... no rush there).

The case is well constructed and the collectors book is high quality. The DVDs are all of solid construction. Everything is just right!

Again, this set is fabulous and I would recommend it at double the price I paid.

The Pink Panther Show - MGM Press Release: Ultimate Collection Combines 9 Cartoon DVDs with 9 Films!

Massive 18-disc set coming out on November 25th

EVERYONE'S FAVORITE DETECTIVE IS BACK
AND BETTER THAN EVER!

PINK PANTHER
ULTIMATE COLLECTION

An 18 Disc Combination of Film and Cartoon Classics Arrives
November 25th From MGM Home Entertainment



LOS ANGELES, CA - Put on your detective hat as MGM Home Entertainment uncovers the best of the Pink Panther when the Pink Panther Ultimate Collection purrs onto DVD November 25. One of MGM's largest and broadest appealing film franchises is now in one complete furry box set, including nine film favorites, nine cartoon classics and the quintessential Pink Panther encyclopedia, "Pink Panther, The Ultimate Guide to the Coolest Cat in Town!" written by Jerry Beck. Included in the set is the new collector's edition of the Oscar® nominated film The Pink Panther (1964) staring Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, who tries to catch a jewel thief who's right under his nose. This special collector's edition can only be found in the box set and contains over 60 minutes of never-before-seen footage. The 2006 version of The Pink Panther starring Golden Globe® nominee** Steve Martin (Father of the Bride) and directed by Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) is also included in the set.

With over 190 cartoons, everyone's favorite feline claws his way out of trouble again and again. The nine cartoon collections include the brilliant, Oscar®-winning* The Pink Phink as well as the only two cartoons (Sink Pink, Pink Ice) in which the mischievous cool cat speaks. Pink Panther Ultimate Collection will be available for the suggested retail price of $199.98 U.S. / $349.98 Canada.


* 1965, Best Short Subject, Cartoons
** Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical: Father of the Bride Part II (1995), Parenthood (1989), Roxanne (1987), All of Me (1984, Pennies From Heaven (1981)


Pink Panther Ultimate Collection Disc Specifics

* 9 Film Favorites:
o The Pink Panther Collector's Edition (115 min.)
o A Shot in the Dark (102 min.)
o Inspector Clouseau (119 min.)
o The Pink Panther Strikes Again (103 min.)
o Revenge of the Pink Panther (99 min.)
o Trail of the Pink Panther (96 min.)
o Curse of the Pink Panther (109 min.)
o Son of the Pink Panther (93 min.)
o The Pink Panther (2006) (93 min.)
* 9 Cartoon Classics:
o Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 1 (158 min.)
o Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 2 (155 min.)
o Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 3 (158 min.)
o Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 4 (171 min.)
o Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 5: The Ant and the Aardvark (111 min.)
o Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 6: The Inspector Vol. 1 (107 min.)
o Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 7: The Inspector Vol. 2 (119 min.)
o Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 8: Roland and Ratfink (119 min.)
o Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 9 (119 min.)

I just got this yesterday from the Gold Box Deal. It's a HUGE pink velvet book-style case (Compare the size of the DVD's to the book-style case in the picture). When you open the cover, it looks like it has two books inside. One is a huge Pink Panther hard cover coffee table book, the other book is a case that holds all of the DVD's. I bought this for thirty-five as the Gold Box deal of the day, and at the same time, ordered a "Very Good" used copy of Return of the Pink Panther for about 5 bucks, which I'll slip into this set.

Realize that most all of the 1-star reviews here are because "Return" didn't come in this set (How can it, if the studio doesn't own it?), or because of shipping issues, which are vendor/shipper related, and not product related.

This review is about the packaging for the "Ultimate Collection," rather than the Peter Seller movies which we all know are wonderfully great already.

This attractive box-set comes shrink-wrapped and then placed in its own cardboard box with stickers reminding the seller not to remove the boxset from the box because it is an 'Ultimate Collection.' Next this box is place in a shipping box - so it's double-boxed to insure coming to you in excellent shape. Its shipping weight is over 10 pounds and it feels like it. The outer cover of the boxset itself, feels like a soft veleour-like material. To me, it feels like micro-fiber - like the covering of my down blanket. The case of the boxset is built very sturdy and makes a good coffee table book.

My problem is the cardboard slots which is where the DVD's rest. I'm not a fan of cardboard slots for DVDs or BluRay Disc and this set proves it. Approximately half of the discs had become dislodged from their slots during shipping. Consequently there were quite a few scratches on the Discs. One Disc was lodged in its slot so tight that it somehow made contact with the glue used to cement the cardboard together. There was actually glue on the Disc which I had to remove with alcohol. But the Discs were all playable so I decided to rip all the Discs to a backup harddrive anyways which I usually do with sets like this. So I'm not sending it back to Amazon for a replacement. Anyways I bought the set mostly for the cartoon collection and the included encyclopedic-like book as I already have the movies in my home collection. The book, by the way, covers the forty year period of the movie productions.

One thing to remember about this set or any other Pink Panther Collection is that it does not include "Return of the Pink Panther," arguably one of the best if not thee best of the series. Something about Copyright issues or a different company made the movie or something like that. But you can buy it reasonably cheap. The only reason I bring this up is because, if and when you do buy the 'Return of ......' make sure you get the Universal edition and not the Artisan edition. I have both of them and the Artisan edition is awful bad. It looks like a burned copy of a bad VHS copy to DVD. The Universal edition is an excellent transfer. It's beautiful, actually, especially when compared to the Artisan edition.

Anyways, enjoy the set if you get it but I wouldn't buy it unless or until it is sold again as a "Gold Box deal," which it probably will be someday.

This was one of the best buys I've made in a long time. Amazon's Gold Box deals are GREAT, I paid only forty-three dollars and forty-nine cents for this Gold Box deal. This is an incredible collection of Pink Panther cartoons and movies. We love watching this over and over again.

Nicely done, well prepared set. Movies and cartoons are great. Book is a nice addition. Good value when priced right.

+ve very well packaged for shipping - very strong shipping box
+ve beautiful pink panther box
-ve very very heavy and tall pink panther box - hard to find somewhere I can store it.
+ve beautiful book fits in the box and a ribbon to lever the book out... also the 'dvd' storage book fits well too.
-ve the dvds are stored in a book - in cardboard - several dvds to the page.
very -ve -- a very large number of the discs were scratched. some very very scratched.

Now, I bought these on gold box, and given the nature of the storage book, I doubt sending them back will get me a set in better condition. Had I not bought them as a gold box (heavily discounted), and they'd arrived in such an appropriate and sturdy shipping box, I'd be very unhappy....
but as I bought them mainly for the book and the cartoons I'm not going to complain - merely to warn others what to expect. It is a beautiful, very heavy, tall packaged collection... but if you get upset at scratched discs do not buy this set unless you can inspect the discs in person before leaving the store. Seriously, I thought I'd been sent a 2nd hand package... but the shippers are clearly not responsible - if they were the heavy pink box would have been damaged.

product arrived quickly and was in wonderful shape...the recipient of the gift loved it! I am very pleased with this transaction on Amazon.com. thanks!