Steve Martin - Pink Panther 2
Stars: Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Andy Garcia, Aishwarya Rai, John Cleese,
Directed By: Harald Zwart
Released: 2009
Runtime: 92 Min.
Rated: PG
Yeah, that’s right, I watched Pink Panther 2. I know, it isn’t even close to my normal genre, but it seems that I have a soft spot for Steve Martin. I was really torn on even giving Pink Panther 2 a chance though, seeing as how the first one was such a disaster.
First off the opening credits were amazing. It was so fun to sit back and see a more “classic” opening credits than the quick glance that we have seen in films lately. The credits also played out a short featuring the Pink Panther cartoon characters. I am a sucker for old school cartoons so this absolutely made my night.
Steve Martin’s performance I feel was much better than his appearance in the first Pink Panther film. I am not sure exactly what it was, it just seemed that he slipped into the role much better this time around. The supporting cast was also much better this time around, and it didn’t seem like they had just thrown a bunch of C list actors in the mix to fill the extra spots.
As far as the story goes, it is fairly predictable, but c’mon, it is a children’s flick. Not every film can have a story that will blow your mind. Even though the story was fairly predictable it was still very entertaining. There was plenty of slapstick and Mr. Bean style humor, which I think we all expected. But what I didn’t expect was all of the adult humor in the film. I was very shocked at some of the jokes and innuendos that were made, especially seeing as how the film was only rated PG. Some of the content I felt really pushed the line for a PG flick. Personally, I could care less about the ratings, and found myself surprisingly entertained throughout most of the film.
I have read several reviews here and there and am starting to think that I may be one of the only people who actually enjoyed the film. I found it rather sad when I saw review after review giving the film one star or less. But, I have found a few things they all have in common. On big factor seems to be the fact that it was a remake. In general, remakes never live up to the original, and that is the case here, but that does not mean that it is a bad film. It is still an entertaining film, but you must look past the idea, that it is a remake. The other major argument I have seen against the film is that it has jokes that are unnecessary, and lead nowhere. There is a simple reason for this, it is a childrens film! It is not meant to “make sense.” The quicker you understand these two things, the easier it will be to enjoy the film.
I am a firm believer in the fact that your attitude can make or break your opinion on any film that you watch. It is very easy to hype a film up in your head and to be let down, or to have such a firm believing that something will suck that it will never be able to be a good film by your eyes. If you go into the film with an open mind, and are ready for some silly humor, I believe that you will enjoy this film.