Missing my favourite film - The Return of the Pink Panther
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I bought this DVD collection probably during the first week it was released, as I have always loved the Pink Panther films. To have them all to own so I could watch them whenever I wanted - fantastic!
The collection comprises six disc collection, with five films and one disc of special features. The films are The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Revenge of the Pink Panther, and Trail of the Pink Panther. The sixth disc of features contains the following:
New Inside Pink Panther documentary 1978 special That's Panthertainment Behind the Feline: Cartoon Phenomenon 6 Pink Panther cartoons, including the Academy Award winning The Pink Phink The Unknown Peter Sellers documentary The Commercial Peter Sellers - "making of" documentary Highly collectible 8-page booklet Shots in the Dark photo gallery Audio Commentary
The packaging has been produced so that the six discs take up as little space as possible - it's in a fold out format, with each disc being inserted on each page. This is quite handy, as if each disc were to have it's own case inside one large collection box, it would take up much more room than it does. The case is decorated aptly with cartoon caricatures of Clouseau, and it's like this inside the fold out collection too.
Including five films in one set is a great idea, but I am disappointed that the studio couldn't include The Return of the Pink Panther, which is probably my favourite panther film. It's got some great inane humour from Sellers, and Herbert Lom gives a great performance as Clouseau's deranged boss. For some time I tried to track down this title on video or DVD to complete my collection, and now find that this has recently been released, so you can add it to the collection should you want to. Previously this title was selling on video for exorbitant amounts.
The retail price of this collection is £49.99 which is expensive, but no more so than DVD collections of TV Series and other films. If you base the value for money ratio on the number of films and the fact that you could easily pay £15 per film, it doesn't represent too bad a value, although I still think this box set could be cheaper.
For those linguists of you out there, there are different languages on all of the discs. Given how ridiculous Clouseau's accent is, it's worth putting one of the films on in a different language, just to hear him speak in a normal accent for the language you've chosen! (Twisted sense of humour, I must admit to it amusing me).
Excepting the first film which is quite different, all the films focus on the incompetence of one man with an exagerrated French accent (think 'Allo 'Allo, BBC sitcom of some years ago). His boss loathes him, and he has an Eastern bodyguard living with him who attacks him whenever he walks into the Clouseau apartment. The Balls Brothers provide amusement with their creative disguises for Clouseau, which really allows the talent of the actor to shine through.
Here's the low down on each of the films included:
The Pink Panther: this is the first Panther film, and, while I'd rate it as a good film, it's certainly not on a par with the others. When the film was made, Sellers wasn't the famed man that he became, and his role was meant to be smaller: Blake Edwards soon realised though that Sellers had encapsulated Clouseau and he'd really hit on something. This film sees Clouseau on the trail of the beautiful Pink Panther diamond which has been stolen. He's got a lead to follow up, and he ends up in a hotel with his wife, and her lover in the room next door. While this has got elements of the comedy of the other films, it's in the following films that the Clouseau character is really developed.
A Shot in the Dark: a murder has been committed, and Clouseau is sent to investigate. Clouseau's boss has the maid pinned as the guilty party, but Clouseau is determined she is innocent. In setting out to prove her innocence, all sorts of capers abound, including ending up in a nudist camp!
The Pink Panther Strikes Again: Dreyfus is released from the lunatic asylum,and Clouseau has been promoted to his rank. Amongst the lunacy and chaos, Dreyfus becomes involved with a group wanting to get rid of Clouseau - France's greatest policeman - and spends the film trying to assasinate him.
Revenge of the Pink Panther: Clouseau is again in the way, and the CEO of a large corporation wants him dead. He's hired a team of assasins, all of whom have failed, and chaos and comedy ensue as an assasination attempt is successful. Problem is, they've killed the wrong man, and Clouseau dons disguises to find out who's behind the assasination attempt. This film also sees some great comedy between Cato and Clouseau, particularly when Clouseau returns home to find his apartment has been converted into a brothel.
Trail of the Pink Panther: This isn't so much a film but a collage of all the previous films. Tragically, Sellers died during the filming of this movie and it was completed using shots from the other films. It's a good piece of work of 'best bits', but once you've seen the other films this doesn't come close.
Special features disc: I haven't had time or inclination to watch this as yet, but other reviews I have read of this disc suggest that it's actually pretty good. My preference when purchasing a DVD is to purchase it for the film and not for the special features, and, while I know it's only a film, watching the special features tends to detract from my enjoyment of the film: it makes it less real for me.
It's been said that Sellers based the Clouseau character on a French waiter he once came across, who, despite all his errors, still retained all of his dignity. I think he did this brilliantly in these films, combining dignity with complete incompetence. They're great enjoyment, the comedy is completely slapstick, and there's no way you could tire of them. Overall, if you do love the films it's a great buy - but the collection does lose points for not including Return of the Pink Panther.
More details
Soundtrack
Outstanding
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Not applicable
Value for Money
Good
What format are you reviewing?
DVD
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