Customer Reviews

Revenge of Pink Panther [VHS]

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Why do so many people hate this movie? If you ask any Panther fan what their favorite movie is, they will almost automatically say "The Pink Panther Strikes Again". That film's plot was ludicrous and at the end, Dreyfuss supposedly evaporated, but ended up acting in three more Panther films. "Revenge" has a very believable plot and Sellers is giving his best slapstick. Look for the "Salty Sea Dog" and "Godfather" scenes, they're histerical. If you are reluctant of buying this DVD in the series because someone told you it wasn't a good film, I'd think again.............

This is really the last of the Clouseau films. The others were cobbled together after Sellers' death and are not as enjoyable. This film is actually quite fresh and very enjoyable. Not only are the regulars in attendance, we get to meet the people who provide Clouseau with his fabulously ridiculous disguises. It turns out that there is a store that provides them and is owned by one Professor Auguste Balls (done to a T by the remarkable Graham Stark).

In this film, Robert Webber plays Phillipe Douvier, who is a gangster that his peers think is losing his edge. So, he kills Clouseau as a demonstration that he is still a powerful man. Well, everyone thinks he has killed Clouseau and that leads to most of the delightful humor in the film. While the familiar elements of Dreyfus and Kato are here, everything is twisted pretty hard and kept fresh even though they are familiar. We get to find out more about Kato and what he turns to once he thinks Clouseau is gone. Amazing stuff.

Dyan Cannon, at her most stunning, plays Simone Legree (ho, ho, ho) who is Douvier's mistress / secretary. The mighty Dourvier is afraid of his wife who demands that he end his relationship with Simone which, of course, makes Simone angry and reckless. Douvier intends to have her killed and she is inadvertently saved by the already deceased Clouseau. Fireworks ensue. When you get all this plus an inflatable parrot, how can you go wrong?

As a child, I grew up on the Pink Panther movies and this one is my all time favorite. From the very beginning of the movie to the very end I am in constant stitches. My favorite scene has to be when Clouseau comes home from a failed attempt on his life and is looking for Kato as well as when he tries to take his car silver hornet out. I personally consider this film Peter Seller's best work in the entire Pink Panther series. I can't imagine Hollywood attempt to do a modern version of the Pink Panther. Peter Sellers was and is Inspector Clouseau.

"Revenge of Pink Panther" (1978) is the best of the later Inspector Clouseau comedies, with Peter Sellers and director-writer Blake Edwards providing some new wrinkles to a well-established formula. The welcome addition of Dyan Cannon as Clouseau's romantic interest, along with an expanded role for Burt Kwouk's Cato, adds to the fun. Happily, "Revenge" avoids the sadistic physical humor of the earlier sequels for a kinder, gentler comic approach. And watch for Sellers' dead-on imitation of Oliver Hardy during Clouseau's slapstick interlude with Cato.

"Revenge" is one of the better entries in the collection of "Pink Panther" comedies, featuring Peter Sellers as the hapless Jacques Clouseau (who we learn has survived "16 assassination attempts, including 2 from his own boss"). The plot is typically flimsy as Clouseau is apparently killed by a businessman with mafia connections, before investigating his own death and turning up in Hong Kong for the showdown. However, the plot is not the important thing here.

What is important is the quality performances given by everyone involved. Sellers is at his bumbling best, along with Kwouk as Cato (the Chinese manservant who always seems to be on the receiving end of Clouseau's slapstick). Herbert Lom's Dreyfus - apparently cured upon hearing of Clouseau's death - is not given as much airtime as he deserves, but then again he isn't the emphasis of the film either.

It is always hard to pick highlights of a "Pink Panther" film, everyone will have their own favorite pieces. Here are some of my highlights, both from the action and dialogue departments:

ACTION

Clouseau being attacked by a bondage mistress in his own home - turned into a "Chinese nookie facory" after his death.

Cato's glasses making him knock into everything possible in the hotel in Hong Kong.

Clouseau and Cato chasing each other up and down the stairs while covered in plaster and paint.

Clouseau attempting to answer the phone after this chase and falling down a hole - again.

The appearance of Clouseau - disguised as a priest - at his own funeral, making Dreyfus pitch into the grave.

The finale in Hong Kong and its aftermath.

DIALOGUE

Dyan Cannon and Sellers upon entering her apartment in the rain: "My God!", "Mine too".

Sellers to the "beautiful woman" he has just picked up: "Do you mean to say that you do carry a gurn?"

Sellers' excuse for blowing a huge trumpet at midnight: "I'm trying to save my life, madam"

"Gesundheit", "I know that, I know that"

Clouseau's ridiculous impression of a mafia don.

"Do you mean to say that he killed a roving transvestite to impress his godfather?"

"Now we are getting somewhere, who is this Phillippe" (it turns out to be the first name of the man they were talking about).

"I knew that you knew that I knew that".

"It is a little overdue for a service..."

In short, a worthy inclusion in the "Pink Panther" canon. Missing the fifth star because the humor is not quite so relentless as in the best ones - a few scenes manage to bog it down.

I am an enormous Peter Sellers fan, and love the whole "Pink Panther" series, but while still funny, this is not one of my favorite outings. Sellers is back as Jacques Clouseau, and this time is taking on "The French Connection" crime organization in the midst of a huge heroin transaction that takes them from France to Hong Kong. Robert Webber plays Philippe Douvier, chief of the organization, and while he is smooth, the interactions are more forced and formulaic than in the other "Panther" films. This time the beautiful vixen is played by Dyan Cannon (as Simone Legree), and series stalwart Burt Kwouk returns as the always helpful Cato (who starts his own business for a new twist...)

Also returning (somehow) is the wonderful Herbert Lom as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus, although some suspension of belief is needed for the continuity to work inasmuch as he was last seen in "Strikes Again" being atomized by the doomsday machine. Notwithstanding that continuity gaffe, Lom gives the best performance of the film, and in fact single-handedly rescues this installment from a three star rating by virtue of the sublime funeral scene in which he has to give the giggling eulogy for "Clouseau" in what must be one of the funniest scenes ever caught on film.

Here the plot seems very contrived and the screenplay devolves frequently to only modestly amusing puns. Clouseau's disguise designer, for instance, is named "Auguste Balls", and you can see the hilarity that can result. Pretty grade school level, I'm afraid. Also devolving into tedium is the seemingly eternal chase scene at the close of the film, which looks like something the Three Stooges would have done, and set to extremely repetitive, annoying, whistle-laden vaudeville slapstick music. I remember seeing this a long time ago and thinking this scene lasted too long, but this time I actually started thumbing through a magazine to pass the time until it was over.

This movie is funny, and I do recommend it, with a couple of caveats. First, it is recommended only to people who are already fans of the series, and second, it is recommended only to those with patience to muddle through a bit more tedium than is typical of the rest of the "Pink Panther" films.

Forget about the fact that this is one of the funniest, laugh out loud movies ever made for a moment. Take a close look at Peter Sellers in this film as the perfected character of Inspector Clouseau shines through. Far from the self-parodying, stale performances that many actors give when reviving roles for sequels, Seller's performance in this and the previous The Pink Panther Strikes Again (his last two Clouseau performances) are perfect and rank in the pantheon of all-time greatest comedic performances.

The Clouseau character is so perfected that practically every movement, every word spoken, elicits laughter. Prepare to crack up as Sellers (a Brit) portrays the bungling French chief inspector. With his goofy French accent, the self-proclaimed "master of disguises" gives us hilarious impersonations of (among others) a "Salty Sweedish Sea-dog," Toulouse Lautrec ("sorry, I'm a little short)" a peasant Chinaman, and an Italian mobster ("Mama mia, spaghettini Al Pacino"). The film is worth seeing for just those few moments, alone. But the hilarious plot yields us so much more.

More classic "battles" with sidekick Kato (with the obligatory damage to the downstairs apartment underneath Clouseau's), the conversion of Clouseau's apartment into a bordello, breaking and entering into the disco, the summary disposal of the vaunted assassin Chong (and the sound effects of his extended fall), and many other scenes leave you laughing for long after.

Although the classic dialog lines probably remain more relegated to cult classic status than, say, the classic lines from Seinfeld that have seeped into pop consciousness, one may still hear some oft repeated phrases from the loyal fan base of this classic: "It's green," "I've got a bit of a cold in the chest, you know," "The Pohhhp?", "Mr. and Mrs. Low Key," and of course "A very good month for the vintage, you know."

Bottom line is, whether you're a die-hard fan or not, this is one of the two Pink Panther movies that everyone must see. You don't need to see any prior films from the series to understand it. If you don't find it funny, there's a stick somewhere you need to find and move somewhere else.

The sixth in the "Pink Panther" series, "Revenge of the Pink Panther" is my favorite of Blake Edwards' classic comedies.

Revenge is sweet... and hilarious... especially when Chief Inspector Jaques Clouseau (played by comedy genius Peter Sellers) is looking for it. Inspector Dreyfus (the delightfully insane Herbert Lom), Clouseau's arch-rival, is convinced that the famous Pink Panther detective has died in an explosion, but Clouseau is really alive and tackling another case.

Using various disguises and costumes, provided by master of disguise Professor Auguste Balls (played by Graham Stark), the bumbling French detective sets out to catch a scheming drug lord (Robert Webber). Along with the beautiful Simone LeGree (played by Dyan Cannon) and Clouseau's manservant, Cato (the gut-busting Burt Kwouk), the Inspector heads to Hong Kong to track down the vicious gangsters and avoid the evil Dreyfus along the way!

It gets more and more hilarious every time I watch it. Out of all ten "Pink Panther" films, this one truly makes me laugh out loud, especially the scenes when Clouseau dresses up as an "old salty Swedish sea dog" and the car chase throughout the streets of Hong Kong.

I think that this movie is one of the best pink panther movies. Sure the best in my oservations was the pink panther stricks again. This movie as some very funny costums, such as when Inspecter Cluosso is a pirate. and many others so if you get this movie be sure to get the pink panther, a shot in the dark, return of the pink panther, the pink panter sticks again, and trails of the pink panther. i would not buy the other two though.

Peter Sellers returns as Chief Inspector Clouseau in this fifth and final installment of the "Pink Panther" series, in "Revenge Of The Pink Panther," directed by Blake Edwards. This time around, Clouseau becomes the target of a drug lord, Douvier (Robert Webber), who finds it necessary to prove to colleagues that he is still "strong." When the assassination attempt is summarily pronounced successful, it affords Clouseau the edge of pursuing the criminals through the use of disguise and the deft application of stealth as only Clouseau could effect. Meanwhile, former Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is pronounced fit, and returned to his position at the department. And, as would be expected, it all adds up to a bad time for the criminals, as well as the hapless Dreyfus. Edwards does a good job with this film, though it's not on a par with the previous outing, "The Pink Panther Strikes Again," which was arguably the best (and funniest) of the series. There are scenes involving behind-closed-door meetings of the criminal element that seem to bog things down a bit, but with Sellers on hand they seem almost insignificant, for as soon as Clouseau arrives on the scene they're up and running once again. And Sellers has some classic moments in this one: Trying on new disguises at the establishment of Dr. Auguste Balls (Graham Stark), a veritable haberdashery for undercover surveillance; posing as a rotund "Godfather" and insinuating himself into the mob; and a foray as a peg-legged pirate with an inflatable parrot on his shoulder. The story line in this one may be considered thin-- Edwards gives it just enough to serve as a setting in which to showcase the talents of his star-- but there's nothing wrong with that; it's funny stuff, and watching Sellers work is worth the price of a ticket alone. One of the most memorable moments in the film, however, is courtesy of Herbert Lom, as Dreyfus gives the eulogy for the "late" Chief Inspector Clouseau and can barely contain his mirth, with his tears of joy construed, of course, as grief. And for the first time in the series, Clouseau's faithful manservant, Cato (Burt Kwouk) accompanies the Inspector during his investigation, which adds to the merriment, but is not necessarily a boon to getting the case, as Clouseau would say, "solv-ed." The supporting cast includes Dyan Cannon (Simone Legree), Robert Loggia (Marchione), Tony Beckley (Algo), Andre Maranne (Francois), Charles Augins (Vic) and Douglas Wilmer (Police Commissioner). With "Revenge Of The Pink Panther," Edwards delivers an above average comedy that is good for a lot of laughs, and he finishes it off with an extended, slapstick finale that really gives some sock to the overall movie. What will stay with you forever, however, is the image of Clouseau, and recalling his antics will provide you with some chuckles for a long time afterwards. In the end, this film stands as a tribute to the great Peter Sellers, as proof positive that NOBODY does it better.