Review of The Pink Panther (1963) by Rose G — 30 Jan 2012

The movie that started it all. This is the movie that created the great Inspector Clouseau, and was the birthplace of some divine music by Henry Mancini. While it may not be the best movie of the series it is a fun ride. It almost has the feel of a stage play at certain points. And this is the kind of stage play I would wait in line for, because it elicits a lot of laughs. Then you throw in an all-star cast and you have something special.

The best scene, in my opinion, is when Mrs. Clouseau has 3 men in her bedroom. This scene contains so many moments that make me laugh out loud, as she juggles the 3 guys trying to get 2 of them out of the room. Of course the mistaken identities in the gorilla costumes is also entertaining, as is the car chase. In fact most of the physical humor is perfect, and the actors are all brilliant at selling these moments.

The problem with the film is that it moves too slow. I'm all for taking your time with a movie and letting it breathe, but some of the scenes just drag out unnecessarily. Of course this is a sign of the era when it was made. I guess my youth is showing a little, because I find myself getting slightly bored during a couple of those scenes. Still the humor and action more than make up for it. The Pink Panther is the start of an iconic movie franchise, and it definitely starts things off on the right foot.