User reviews

While this is not quite the train wreck that TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER was, it's still a pretty weak entry in the PANTHER series. Ted Wass is bland and ineffectual; when I watch him here I keep thinking of how much better this movie could have been if most of his scenes were acted or directed differently. One of the few times he made me laugh was when he was doing the voice for his "instant companion."

The "new Clouseau" at the end was an interesting touch -- not convincing, exactly, but funny.

In hindsight, if Blake Edwards really wanted to wrap up the series after Sellers' death, I think it would have been better if he combined the "using deleted Sellers scenes" concept from TRAIL with the "searching for Clouseau" concept from CURSE into just one movie, and left it at that.

Curse of the Pink Panther is not the worst of the series for me, Trail and Son are much worse being shameless messes. Curse is mediocre but it does have some good things.

Pros: The film does look decent, the title sequence is fun, the music is wonderful, Ted Wass is good comedic value, Roger Moore's cameo is another bright spot and the part where Wass sits on the giant duck is hilarious. Herbert Lom is entertaining as Dreyfuss and Joanna Lumley doesn't grate like she did in Trail of the Pink Panther.

Cons: The story is very standard, slow moving and predictable, and the film is overlong. The script is fairly weak too and some of the gags and jokes don't work as well as they should have done. Sadly this was David Niven's last film, and he deserved a better swan-song, he is a good actor but he looks uninterested and bored.

Overall, mediocre but has a few good things to make it watchable. 5/10 Bethany Cox

When Peter Sellers died, you'd have thought they'd have let the 'Pink Panther' series die with him. But money talks and in 1981 we got the dire 'Trail Of The Pink Panther'. 'Curse', its successor, was an improvement, thanks to a funny performance from the likable Ted Wass, best known as 'Danny Dallas' from the long-running T.V. show 'Soap'. His character, Clifton Sleigh, had more than a touch of Harold Lloyd about him but alas Sellers proved irreplaceable ( Dudley Moore and Rowan Atkinson knew this too. They both turned it down ), and we never saw Sleigh again. Some good visual gags include Dreyfus falling from his office window and Sleigh's problems with an inflatable doll. The film might have stood a chance had it not been continually looking over its shoulder at what went before. Especially confusing was Joanna Lumley's appearance as Countess Chandra - a totally different character to the one she'd played in 'Trail'. The decision to turn Clouseau bad rankled with audiences as well. David Niven's final film, sadly.

inspector Cleaseau is off somewhere searching for the Pink Panther diamond so in the meantime, Chief Inspector Dreyfuss programs a computer to find his replacement,, but instead of picking the best qualified detective he programs the computer to pick the worst detective,, so from NYC comes a bumbling idiot you would think is closeau's American cousin,, i'm sure Dreyfuss is going ape now that he has met the police officer,,, Roger Moore has a cameo in the end of the movie that's pretty cool,, This was David Niven's last film,, I really liked him throughout his work on some of the Pink Panther movies,, alothough obviously not the strongest panther movie,, certainly not the weakest.

Following the death of Peter Sellers, the Pink Panther series seemed to have little future but director Blake Edwards still managed to grind out two further entries. The Trail Of The Pink Panther was mediocre but it had funny moments; The Curse Of The Pink Panther is a stretch too far. This - number seven in the popular series - is a feeble comedy in which the plot is poorly contrived, the actors look totally indifferent, and the comic moments are tired rehashes of scenes from the earlier films. It's no exaggeration to say this is the worst of the series.

Dreyfuss (Herbert Lom) is assigned to use a super-computer to track down the world's greatest detective. Once found, this awesome detective will be entrusted with the task of finding the missing Inspector Clouseau. However, Dreyfuss has no intention of helping in the hunt for Clouseau (you may remember from earlier films that Clouseau drove Dreyfuss to the brink of insanity). Thus, Dreyfuss deliberately misuses the computer and finds the worst detective in the world - the inept New York officer Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass). Sleigh travels to France and follows a trail of clues hither and thither, accidentally surviving numerous attempts on his life and getting into all manner of wacky situations as he closes in on the truth. Along the way he crosses swords with various characters from earlier Pink Panther films, before it is finally revealed to the audience (though not to Clifton Sleigh) what actually became of the hapless Inspector Clouseau.

There are a few compensations amid the general air of indifference. A certain famous film star, billed as Turk Thrust II, makes a guest appearance as Clouseau near the end, and has a funny cameo role mimicking the mannerisms that Sellers had brought to the character. Henry Mancini's music is as catchy as ever, and there are infrequent sight gags which are fairly amusing (e.g. the scene where Wass sits on a giant rubber duck, only for the beak to poke out suggestively from between his legs). On the whole, alas, The Curse Of The Pink Panther is a very poor film. With a running time close to 2 hours, the film needs more than a couple of amusing gags and a good cameo appearance. Long before the end (heck, long before the middle!) it becomes a tedious affair, and as the plot unfolds one increasingly wishes that the final credits would hurry up and put an end to the misery. After this, Edwards gave up on the series until, in 1993, he belatedly added one final flick entitled The Son Of The Pink Panther.

The good news that "The Curse of the Pink Panther" does have a few funny scenes. The bad news is that there aren't too many of them. This movie would have been better if it was a lot shorter. Pushing two hours is way too long for a movie like this. There are quite a few scenes that went on too long. The karate fight in the alley is the first scene that jumps into my mind. A major plus in "The Curse of the Pink Panther" is the appearance of Roger Moore. There aren't many stars who, at the height of their fame, would have the guts to have fun on screen like Moore does in this movie. He had a lot of guts for trying and he's actually very funny.

Ignore the negative press when viewing this. O.K., the movie cant hit the heights of either A shot in the dark or The Pink Panther Strikes Again, but it is a nice little film in it's own right. Firstly Ted Wass is good in the role of Clifton Sleigh, perhaps it is the fact that the character is too bumbling in the wrong direction that it doesn't work out. The stars of the show are again Herbert Lom and Joanna Lumley, and the sexy Leslie Ash in a Bond girl like role. The man who steals the show is surprisingly Roger Moore as the newly Plastic surgery clad Clouseau who is made up to look like, rather appropriately, Roger Moore. An hilarious twist which is something Clouseau would have gone in for. It is a pity Moore wasn't given the role of Clouseau out right because he is effective in the part and quite funny. An enjoyable little film.

O.K. I know that most people see "Curse of the Pink Panther" as being a pretty weak film. Granted, it is weak compared to the great Panther films (Return, Strikes Again, A Shot in the Dark) and the good Panther films (Revenge, Trail and even Son)but somehow, I liked this better than the initial Panther film. For one thing, it doesn't drag on like the original film (again it could just be me)and give Blake Edwards credit for at least attempting to continue the series.

Looking back at Edwards' previous five films ("10", "S.O.B.", "Victor/Victoria", "Trail of the Pink Panther" and "The Man Who Loved Women"[which I persist in admiring even in the face of universally dismal reviews], I suppose it was a tough act to follow those great films with "Curse" perhaps it was a way to get out of his UA contract so he could make more important films at Columbia (including the great "Micki and Maude", "That's Life", "Blind Date" and "A Fine Mess")

But by all means, Edwards hasn't made a bad picture. "Curse" is very much worth a look, to see how the series might have turned had it not been a DUD at the box office. As for the casting, one might condemn Ted Wass for even attempting to fill the enormous shoes left behind by Sellers, but he gives it a good try and makes his own niche as an entirely different kind of stupid detective. And as usual, Herbert Lom is hilarious as Chief Inspector Dreyfus. He really holds the film together and how he never received an Oscar nomination is beyond my understanding.

If you haven't seen the other Panther films, one might look at "Curse of the Pink Panther" as a very good, even great comedy. However, if you have seen the other films, "Curse" will look tissue thin by comparison. But that didn't stop me from finding much to enjoy in this film. You owe it to yourself to give this a look.

*** out of 4 stars

This following to popular series is a new attempt to maintain the slapstick franchise in spite of Peter Sellers death by substituting in American actor Ted Wass . He's investigating bungling Clouseau disappearance and is on the trail of the jewel known as the Pink Panther and during his first scenes Ted appears in drag . Clouseau's previous chief (Herbert Lom) threatens to destroy the new detective . At the same time Ted Wass like Clouseau is making life intolerable for Inspector Dreyfuss . He then goes to Clouseau museum where he meets Kato (Burt Kwouk) , to the French Riveira and Valencia (Spain) where encounters mobsters (Robert Loggia) who wish to kill him . Later on , aboard a yacht (along with the habitual David Niven , Capucine , Robert Wagner) he goes to Mallorca . There he attempts to track down the Clouseau trail but he meets a suspect Countess Chandra (Joanna Lumley).

This is arguably one of the most average of the series about the botcher Inspector and being the eight ¨Pink Panther¨ movie in the known film franchise . In this slapdash as well as disconcerting comedy , Wass attempts to investigate whether or no Clouseau is living somewhere . This fun release has some hilarious moments here and there . The film continues where Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) leaves off . Though uncredited, late Peter Sellers can still be heard in various scenes through archival sound . Starring Ted Wass as Sleigh is sympathetic imitating to Sellers , outdoing his botcher and diverting character . Actors considered for the role of Clifton Sleigh included John Ritter, John Cleese, Dudley Moore and Rowan Atkinson ; in the end , the part went to Ted Wass . The actors seem to enjoy immensely themselves but they are supposedly spending some amusing holidays in Riveira , Mallorca, Valencia . Players appearing in this movie who had appeared in the original Pink Panther (1963), the first film in the series , were Capucine, David Niven, and Robert Wagner . In the film appears the usual series as Herbert Lom (chief Inspector Dreyfuss), Andre Maranne (Sergeant Francois Duval), Grahame Stark (as a bored waiter) and the ordinary professor (Harvey Korman) . The movie was simultaneously filmed along with ¨Trail to the Pink Panther¨ where equally the protagonist (Joanna Lumley) is looking for Inspector Clouseau . Writer, producer , director Blake Edwards gets some inspired bits penned by himself ; however he attempts to alive his classic personage with no much success . Rating : Mediocre but entertaining .

As I watched this movie, I asked myself if Blake Edwards could watch it and laugh out loud during the whole thing, or if he got as bored and tired with it as I did.

The classic Sellers Panther movies contain many laugh-out-loud sequences. For me, there is only one in this movie, a nice little scene that happens outside the Chicago airport. But by the way, if Sleigh is a NY cop, and he's going to France, why the heck does he have to go through Chicago???

Moore's cameo is nice. Almost makes you wonder if the idea was ever there to carry on the series with him.

If you have to see it to flesh out the whole series, go ahead, but don't expect much...

This series should have been killed after this unfunny return with the always annoying Wass, attempting...and boy is he attempting...to fill the shoes of late great Peter Sellers. You don't even have to see the film to know it can't be done. Niven looks tired in his final role and the rest of the cast looks bored, with a feeling that they've been down this road way too many times.

Alan Arkin took over the role of France's 'greatest' detective in Inspector Clouseau (1968) with disastrous results. In 1982, director Blake Edwards tried to resurrect deceased star Peter Sellers by using old footage and out-takes for Trail of the Pink Panther, with even worse results. Curse of the Pink Panther employs a much more successful (and fun) method for keeping Clouseau alive, but, for the most part, the film focuses its attention on another, no-less-inept character: American cop Sergeant Clifton Sleigh, played by Ted Wass. When Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is instructed to use a supercomputer to select the world's greatest detective in order to find the still-missing Clouseau, he rigs the machine so that the opposite happens: Sleigh proves every bit as clumsy and clueless as the man he is sent to find.

Needless to say, Sleigh's antics aren't a match for the sublime buffoonery of Sellers' detective, but there are still laughs to be had, with several familiar faces from the previous Pink Panther movies joining in on the fun: Joanna Lumley as Countess Chandra, David Niven as Sir Charles Litton, Robert Wagner as George Litton, Capucine as Lady Litton, Harvey Korman as Auguste Balls, and Burt Kwouk as Cato. The cast also features a young Leslie Ash as high-kicking babe Juleta Shane, who helps Sleigh escape from underworld assassins employed by crime boss Bruno Langois (Robert Loggia), whose organisation has thrived in Clouseau's absence. Also look out for Denise Crosby and Bill Nighy in small roles.

Although some of the comedy is undeniably weak (the whole 'inflatable woman' segment is painfully unfunny and drawn out), the good stuff outweighs the bad: for me, the comedy highlight is Sleigh's meeting with the Littons, which involves the detective sitting on a pool inflatable with hilarious results, but I also had a lot of fun with Juleta and Sleigh's fight with Langois' henchmen, the crazy car chase in which Sleigh's taxi spends much of the time on its roof, and the very silly finalé, in which Roger Moore steals the show as the post plastic surgery Clouseau, the Bond star doing a brilliant impression of Sellers that puts Arkin's efforts to shame.

5.5/10, rounded down to 5 for the overlong running time: they should have cut the inflatable woman scene to keep it under 90 minutes.

This is definitely the worst Pink Panther film of all, but it's worth seeing (read-wait until the end of the film) because of a fantastic cameo of (great in this role) Roger Moore who shows that he fits very well in the part of Clouseau. I think Peter Sellers would be satisfied with Moore's outing. P.S. Note that it's the last David Niven film.

Considering that "Curse of the Pink Panther" is a relatively recent film, it looks surprisingly dated. No wonder, since it's filled with stale jokes and visual gags that have already been executed in previous "Pink Panther" entries. Harmless and good-natured but completely unimaginative and mostly unfunny, this comedy may help you kill two hours, but it may also irritate you because of its exploiting the images of many of the series' stars just to gain some "dignity" as a film. Moore's cameo appearance at the end is indeed funny, but personally I've always known than Moore has a great comic flair.

Joanna Lumley coming out of a Mud Bath. Roger Moore or Turk Thrust II. Joanna Lumley coming out of a Mud Bath. Leslie Ash - Kung Fu Queen. Joanna Lumley coming out of a Mud Bath.

If you thought "Trail of the Pink Panther" was a poor excuse for a movie, you haven't seen anything yet.

With Ted Wass standing in as US detective Clifton Sleigh (as in "one-horse open"), he goes through all the pratfalls in the book as the only other detective clumsy enough find where the missing Jacques Clouseau is. If you can figure the logic to this choice of detectives other than pratfalls, you're smarter than anyone else in this film.

And Wass takes a lot of pratfalls. A lot of them. I hope he got combat pay.

He even gets to interplay with Herbert Lom and Burt Kwouk, veterans of the series. Not to mention Robert Wagner, Capucine and David Niven. Not that this matters much. It's simply a chance for everyone to waste time while Blake Edwards continues to beat this dead horse for all it's worth.

Poor horse.

Two stars. If you like pratfalls, you may want to catch "Curse". Otherwise, stick with the original.

After Peter Sellers passed away, the producers of the "Pink Panther" franchise tried to carry on without their star. As evidenced in "Inspector Clouseau," having another actor play the bumbling French detective was not the answer. They tried to fill the void left by Sellers with old footage, in "Trail of the Pink Panther." Then they tried to introduce a new character, a counterpart to Clouseau. Thus was created "Curse of the Pink Panther." Ted Wass plays the newcomer, an amazingly inept New York cop named Clifton Sleigh, who is chosen to investigate Clouseau's disappearance. His act is loaded with slapstick, in attempt to copy Clouseau's style. However, it's not the same. Also appearing in "Curse" is a load of actors from all the previous "Pink Panther" movies, including Herbert Lom as Chief Inspector Dreyfus, Burt Kwouk as Kato, and David Niven as Sir Charles Lytton. Watch it if you must, but you'll be reminded of how Peter Sellers will be missed.

I believe that this effort was very good considering that the star of the series did not appear in it(due to his passing) Ted Wass almost grows into a Clousseau like character as the movie goes on, yes we miss the horribly funny accent and antics of Sellers, but we watch movies like this for the visual comedy and there is plenty of that, And of course what you tune into any "panther" movie to see it how does Dreyfuss get shot, blown up or nearly killed, and Sleigh does his best at accidentally taking Dreyfuss to the edge of Insanity just like Clousseau always did. The overall Plot is actually kind of clever, and keeps you wondering how it can possibly unfold knowing that Sellers character is not available...those who do not like this film, I believe are of the "you can't replace Sellers' "clousseau" ilk. that may be true, but give the master of adult comedy "Edwards " a chance , open your mind and be entertained

This is an unfortunate film that was, unfortunately, made. When the great Peter Sellers died, the PP series should have died, too. The Pink Panthers were absolutely tied to Clouseau. However, the greedy Blake Edwards tried to go to the well again and the result is this travesty. There are no words to describe how bad this film is. This is an unfortunate end to the PP series of films but at least Edwards didn't try another one. I wish he hadn't tried this one.