Relating to notorious incompetent detectives, French Inspector Jacques Clouseau undoubtedly ranks excessive on the listing, along with his questionable French accent and penchant for slapstick. However regardless of his strategies and ability set, or lack thereof, he all the time managed to unravel the case, typically unintentionally. The result’s the Pink Panther franchise, among the best and most beloved comedy sequence to today, with a complete of 11 movies, together with reboots, 5 of which starred beloved comedic actor Peter Sellers as Clouseau. One other reboot is within the works, this time starring Eddie Murphy.

The Pink Panther movies stay beloved comedies to today, many years after the originals have been made and practically 20 years after they have been rebooted. Nonetheless, there is a stark distinction in high quality between its greatest and worst choices. Though some movies featured a special director and star, the franchise was at its greatest, with director Blake Edwards on the helm and Peter Sellers starring as Clouseau. This listing will rank all eleven live-action Pink Panther motion pictures primarily based on how humorous they’re, their place within the saga’s legacy, and their total high quality.

11

‘Son of Pink the Panther’ (1993)

Directed by Blake Edwards

In Son of the Pink Panther, after Princess Yasmin (Debrah Farentino) of the dominion of Lugash is kidnapped by Hans Zarba (Robert Davi), Commissioner Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is distributed to Good, France, to oversee her rescue mission. It’s there he meets Jacques Gambrelli (Roberto Benigni), who’s remarkably much like his outdated nemesis, Clouseau, and seems to be his son. It’s the ninth and closing movie of the unique Pink Panther sequence.

Though a number of of the Pink Panther movies don’t star Sellers, Son of the Pink Panther is maybe the one the place his absence is felt probably the most. Persevering with the franchise with Clouseau’s son is an fascinating premise, however it simply doesn’t work regardless of Benigni’s dedicated efficiency. The movie’s predominant enchantment was nostalgia, however the franchise was higher left alone at that time. And it was… for 13 years, anyway.

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10

‘Inspector Clouseau’ (1968)

Directed by Bud Yorkin

In Inspector Clouseau, Clouseau, now performed by Alan Arkin, is on the case after the British Prime Minister faucets him to research a string of financial institution robberies throughout Europe. The stolen cash is then used to fund organized crime, and the entire operation appears to be linked to a unclean cop inside Scotland Yard. Inspector Clouseau is the third Pink Panther movie.

Arkin has fantastic comedic timing, however the greatest downside with Inspector Clouseau is its script. It simply doesn’t evaluate to any of the Pink Panther motion pictures starring Sellers, who opted to not return after A Shot within the Darkish resulting from stress behind the scenes with Edwards. Sellers did in the end step again into the function, nevertheless, in Return of the Pink Panther, lowering Inspector Clouseau to a weird and infrequently disregarded afterthought within the grand scope of the sequence.

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9

‘The Pink Panther 2’ (2009)

Directed by Harald Zwart

Clouseau, now performed by the hilarious Steve Martin, groups up with a group of worldwide detectives in The Pink Panther 2—the issue is that they’re simply as inept as he’s. After being assembled by the French authorities, the group is tasked with monitoring down a high-profile thief referred to as “The Twister,” whose specialty is stealing historic artifacts. Among the many gadgets he steals, in fact, is the notorious Pink Panther diamond.

The 2006 reboot of The Pink Panther was financially profitable sufficient to earn this sequel regardless of lukewarm critiques. Though it has some humorous moments and the group of detectives is enjoyable to look at, The Pink Panther 2 largely appears like a rehash of the earlier movie—an issue the franchise additionally confronted when Sellers was nonetheless concerned. It ignores what little strengths it does have, primarily the ever-enchanting star at its heart.

8

‘Path of the Pink Panther’ (1982)

Directed by Blake Edwards

In Path of the Pink Panther, Clouseau is lacking, and journalist Marie Jouvet (Joanna Lumley) tries to uncover what occurred to him by interviewing the individuals who knew him greatest—corresponding to his senile father (Richard Mulligan). The movie consists of clips and outtakes of Sellers’ earlier performances as Clouseau. It’s additionally the seventh Pink Panther movie and the primary after Sellers’ demise from a coronary heart assault.

Path of the Pink Panther options beforehand unseen footage of Sellers as Clouseau and is taken into account a tribute to him. Though it comes up brief as a Pink Panther film—it largely appears like a clip-show compilation cashing in on Sellers’ demise versus serving as a tribute—it does function some nice moments from Herbert Lom as Dreyfus. His unbridled glee at studying of Clouseau’s obvious demise is a hilarious, albeit barely morbid, spotlight of the sequence.

7

‘The Pink Panther’ (2006)

Directed by Shawn Levy

The Pink Panther was rebooted in 2006, 13 years after the ultimate film. Steve Martin takes over the function of Clouseau because the inspector investigates the homicide of a well-known soccer coach, performed by an against-type Jason Statham. In fact, Ckouseau as soon as once more makes an attempt to trace down the notorious Pink Panther diamond, which was a part of the coach’s ring and is lacking but once more. The movie is the tenth within the franchise.

Martin is an efficient option to tackle the function of Clouseau—his facial expressions and absurd accent are nice—however Sellers stays unmatched. Nonetheless, although, The Pink Panther is an entertaining and fairly serviceable reboot, with some really humorous bits, in addition to some enjoyable references to the earlier movies followers will select simply. The movie can be an important introduction to the franchise for youthful followers, even when a number of the humor borders on the silly.

6

‘Curse of the Pink Panther’ (1983)

Directed Blake Edwards

After Clouseau (Roger Moore) goes lacking in Curse of the Pink Panther, Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass), a New York police officer, is tasked with discovering him. Nevertheless, he’s solely chosen as a result of he’s simply as inept and unlikely to truly discover the infamously incompetent inspector. Whereas making an attempt to trace Clouseau, Sleigh encounters a variety of individuals from Clouseau’s previous, together with jewel thief Charles Litton (David Niven).

Curse of the Pink Panther was an try to reboot the sequence with Sleigh taking up as a special incompetent detective, however nobody may evaluate to Sellers. Nonetheless, Curse of the Pink Panther does function some good moments—together with Moore as Clouseau in a cameo. Furthermore, throwbacks to the earlier motion pictures, like Niven’s return as Charles, are simply not sufficient to reside as much as the standard of the sooner movies.

5

‘Revenge of the Pink Panther’ (1978)

Directed by Blake Edwards

After studying he’s dropping the respect of New York’s mob bosses, French drug kingpin Philippe Douvier (Robert Webber) decides to kill Clouseau to show himself and maintain on to his popularity. When another person is mistaken for Clouseau and killed, the inspector takes full benefit of the state of affairs—whereas his former boss, Dreyfus, is thrilled by the information.

Revenge of the Pink Panther marked the top of an period, because it was Sellers’ closing Pink Panther movie. The enduring actor died simply two years later, making it bittersweet to look at. It wasn’t one of many sequence’ greatest, nevertheless, because the plot and humor weren’t nearly as good because the earlier movies—each had begun to really feel repetitive and uninspired. Nonetheless, Clouseau’s quite a few disguises have been as enjoyable to look at as ever, and even when nostalgia goes an extended option to place this film so excessive on the listing, it nonetheless holds a spot of honor within the Pink Panther sequence.

4

‘Return of the Pink Panther’ (1975)

Directed by Blake Edwards

In Return of the Pink Panther, Dreyfus suspends Clouseau after the famed inspector lets a practice theft occur. Clouseau is quickly reinstated when the Pink Panther diamond is stolen from the Nationwide Museum in Lugash, because the inspector had efficiently discovered the valuable jewel earlier than. This time, the one clue left behind is the Phantom’s trademark glove. It’s the fourth Pink Panther movie.

Whereas the plot principally revisits the fabric of the earlier movies, Return of the Pink Panther remains to be a delight to look at. It injected some much-needed life again into the franchise—Edwards and Sellers had not labored collectively for ten years, and the earlier movie, Inspector Clouseau, didn’t star Sellers and was thought of a disappointment. Thus, Return of the Pink Panther was one thing of a comeback for the sequence, feeling like a comeback to the glory days of comedy.

3

‘The Pink Panther’ (1964)

Directed by Blake Edwards

In The Pink Panther, the primary movie within the sequence, Clouseau travels to Rome in quest of a infamous jewel thief often known as “The Phantom.” The thief is trying to pull off his greatest heist but—the theft of a diamond referred to as “The Pink Panther,” named for a flaw within the stone. Nevertheless, his nephew, George (Robert Wagner), can be planning to steal the diamond.

Though it launched the franchise, The Pink Panther is a little bit of a special movie in comparison with those that adopted. Most notably, Sellers’ Clouseau is just not the primary character, however his sharp comedic timing stole the present. It did not take lengthy earlier than the sequence shifted palms to Clouseau, being the extra fashionable character and the main target of the franchise transferring ahead. Better of all, a few of the movie’s funniest scenes nonetheless maintain up in the present day.

2

‘The Pink Panther Strikes Once more’ (1976)

Directed by Blake Edwards

Clouseau’s incompetence drives Dreyfus to spend time in a psychological hospital. Nevertheless, the Chief Inspector escapes and turns into decided to get rid of Clouseau in The Pink Panther Strikes Once more. Dreyfus captures a scientist and orders him to create a weapon that may destroy the planet and threatens to make use of it if Clouseau isn’t killed. The movie is the fifth within the Pink Panther sequence, set three years after The Return of the Pink Panther.

The Pink Panther Strikes Once more is among the greatest Blake Edwards motion pictures, and it is not onerous to see why. Because of its plot, it’s some of the over-the-top motion pictures within the franchise—however that additionally makes it one of many funniest. It options the kind of humor the sequence has grow to be recognized for, in addition to some really memorable gags that assist make it among the best. Even predictable gags handle to repay, with Sellers and a deliciously unhinged Peter Lom in positive type.

1

‘A Shot within the Darkish’ (1964)

Directed by Blake Edwards

In A Shot within the Darkish, Maria, a chambermaid on the Ballon residence within the French countryside, is accused of murdering her millionaire lover. As extra individuals are murdered, the clues proceed to level to her. After Inspector Clouseau is placed on the case—in opposition to the needs of Chief Inspector Dreyfus—he falls in love with Maria and turns into decided to show her innocence.

A Shot within the Darkish is extensively thought of amongst one of the best of the Pink Panther motion pictures, because of its good story and use of humor. Though it’s a sequel to The Pink Panther, it additionally serves as a standalone movie. It’s additionally notable for being the primary movie within the sequence through which Sellers used his splendidly absurd tackle the French accent, which might grow to be an indicator of the character.

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