The Pink Panther Strikes Again

"The Pink Panther Strikes Again" is an apt title for this hilarious 1976 film starring Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom. In this story, Dreyfus, driven mad by Clouseau, escapes from the mental asylum. Determined to destroy Clouseau once and for all, he kidnaps the inventor of a Doomsday device along with his daughter. This machine makes buildings disappear without a trace, and can do the same to people and whole countries. The world has 7 days to kill Clouseau or Dreyfus, who has already used it to destroy the United Nations in a dazzling display of power, will turn it on the world. When the inventor says something about using it on Clouseau, Drefus replies that to Clouseau, this doomsday machine would be as effective as a water pistol. Yes, it's true, the man is a menace with an uncanny way of killing and trashing anything around him and walking out unscathed.

There are too many funny bits to go into, but Clouseau trying on his hunchback disguise and overinflating it so that he floats outside is great; Clouseau attempting to get into the castle is wonderful; there's the drag club scene, the scenes with Olga (Lesley-Anne Down) - well, the movie will keep you laughing. And, if you're like me, it's just what the doctor ordered.

The Pink Panther Strikes Again **** / *****

Dir: Blake Edwards; Starring: Peter Sellers

Funny gazillionth sequel (not literally!) sees Chief Inspector Clouseau (Sellers in his iconic role) being chased down by an escaped madman with nervous ticks. Fun from start to finish, and I actually prefer it to the original "Pink Panther" film. It's zanier, fresher, and seems more like a wild spoof in the vein of "Austin Powers" rather than an outdated, unfunny bore like (I find) the first film.

Highlight: Clouseau trying out the "Hunchback" costume and inflating himself into the air. This was used again in one of the worst films of 2002, "The Master of Disguise," but this is inarguably much better.

**** / *****

Oh my lord...I never laughed as hard as I did when I first saw this one....What a scream. A terrifically funny flick indeed. Where do you begin? The plunger arrow on Lom's forehead-'Kill! Kill! Kill!', the fast and furious fight with Kato, complete with floating Hunchback of Notre Dame sequence and air-hose escape scene...oh my God....Love the laughing gas scene with Clouseau and Lom...oh that one is priceless.

Lesley Anne Down as a fur coat and little else garbed Russian Spy is worth a watch too. I liked her then, I do now.

Essentially you can't go wrong with this one; it's the best in the series and makes me laugh very, very hard.

And yeah, 'Ford and Kissinger' are great too..

***1/2 outta **** oh this one is a scream

This Pink Panther film ranks as one of the best there ever was... The plot was simple, Chief Inspector Dreyfuss (who is becoming a psycho since A Shot in The Dark), escapes from the mental institute and plan to kill Inspector Clouseau (which is by far one of the best comedy characters of all time). He then kidnaps a professor of high rank and builds a Doomsday device to kill off the world so that Clouseau is gone. Peter Sellers is at his best still as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, getting into and out of trouble with hilarious concepts and quotes. Dreyfuss is very funny and shows his psychotic personality when he becomes an even more psychotic person. Best scene is when Clouseau and his manservant Kato, wreck Clouseau's apartment as they usually do. THIS is comedy at it's finest along with A Shot in The Dark.

After making life intolerable for clumsy Inspector Closeau (Peter Sellers) , former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfuss (overacting Herbert Lom) goes nutty and is interned in asylum . One time escaped from the mental asylum , the mentally ill Dreyfuss tries to destroy the world by means of a ray-laser . Besides , he hires a group of hit men to kill Jacques Closeau who's gone to England to investigate the abduction an eminent scientific forced to build a fantastic machine and being helped by British policemen (Colin Blakely , Leonard Rossiter).

This release is the fourth part of Closeau series and an enjoyable comedy starred by the great Peter Sellers as the inept and bungler Inspector of the French Surete . The movie gets entertaining and hilarious moments here and there . This slapstick contains funny scenes and never slowdown . Herbert Lom parodying his ¨Phantom of opera¨ personage is excellent . There appear as secondaries the usual series , such as Burt Kwouk as Cato , Grahame Stark and a gorgeous Lesley Anne Down who replaced Maud Adams . Omar Sharif , who had just played with director Blake Edwards on " The Tamarind Seed " has a brief cameo as an eastern murderer . Lively and atmospheric music by habitual Henry Mancini and magnificent opening and ending cartoon titles by Richard Williams . Colorful cinematography Harry Waxman , being mostly shot in Europe : Paris , France , Bavaria , Germany , Ireland and Shepperton Studios , Surrey , England . The film was well penned and directed , as always , by Blake Edwards . Several chuckles and gags , the result of which is one of the funniest from series along with ¨A shot in dark¨ , ¨Return of pink panther¨, and ¨Revenge of pink panther¨. The flick will appeal to pink panther series and Peter Sellers fans . This is arguably one of the best pink panther . Two thumbs up.