The wonderful Peter Sellers was known as a true comic genius, in addition to also being just a plain old great actor. His best remembered character has always been Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panther films. As is often the case in a long film series, the early ones are classics and the later ones are just gutter trash.
Trail of the Pink Panther is such trash. Before I explain why, allow me to give the series the praise it deserves.
The Good
The Pink Panther-1963 A Shot in the Dark-1964 Return of the Pink Panther-1974 Revenge of the Pink Panther-1978
These four films (especially the last two) are simply hysterically funny comedies. Running gags are strung throughout the four first movies, such as Clouseau's ongoing 'fight to the death' with his manservant, Kato. Especially entertaining is Herbert Lom as Clouseau's boss, Dreyfus. He goes from hating the Inspector, to trying to kill him, before ending up in a lunatic asylum. The high-concept slapstick silliness was always tempered perfectly with Seller's imbecilic yet arrogant portrayal of the clueless detective...and that accent!
The Bad
Curse of the Pink Panther-1983 Son if the Pink Panther-1993
Both made after the death of Peter Sellers, these movies tried to introduce new 'bumbling Inspectors' and perhaps breeze new life into a dead series of movies. Unfortunately, Curse of the Pink Panther featured the awful Ted (Sheena) Wass and if you've ever seen Ted act, you know he's simply not a funny guy. Even more disturbing was the choice for Son of the Pink Panther: Roberto Benigni! This was before he became that well-known Italian goofball from his Oscar-night outbursts. Let's just say he stutters and falls down a lot. Fans of Peter Sellers all over the world would cry out in pain.
The Awful
Trail of the Pink Panther-1982
So why is this one the worst? This movie was released after the untimely death of Peter Sellers. This movie consists entirely of unused clips and outtakes from the earlier Panther films! Doesn't that just seem a little disturbing to anyone? Did Blake Edwards need some quick cash that badly?
Trail of the Pink Panther is a compilation of moronic characters, who sit back and reminisce about their wacky adventures with Clouseau, and then some outtake from another movie is presented as a flashback! So not only are we watching waste material from a movie five years old, but it's the only way they could get Peter Sellers to be in the movie, since he so selfishly went and died.
Never mind that this movie is a plotless and joyless affair for its entire 90 minutes. Ignore the fact that the performances by Richard Mulligan and Robert Wagner are so awful that your jaw will drop. Look past the predictable pratfalls and pathetic sexual innuendoes. You'll still find a movie that's awful on a moral level, as well as an artistic one.
Maybe I take this stuff a bit too seriously, but I think this type of movie is just the lowest. Trying to squeeze a few extra pennies out of a series, even after the brilliant leading man just died. Blake Edwards should be ashamed of himself.
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