This film is very funny, though certainly not as funny or magical as the previous film, A SHOT IN THE DARK. A decade has past since the last film and the chemistry isn't quite as good. Plus, instead of David Niven, the same character is now played by Christopher Plummer. While I like Mr. Plummer as an actor, I can't understand why they just didn't write an all new character instead of doing this.

Oh well. Clouseau is out to capture Sir Charles Litton once and for all--ending a 12 year chase to apprehend him for jewel thefts. To do so, he spends most of the movie dressed in weird costumes trying to infiltrate Litton's home and "get the goods on him". There are a lot of crazy stunts and situations--perhaps too many, as the film occasionally gets too weird and loses its focus.

The best part of this and the next two films is the performance by Herbert Lom as Chief Inspector Dreyfus. His MANY attempts to kill Clouseau are like a cartoon come to life. And, considering how annoying and stupid Clouseau is, you really can't blame him!

I enjoy a vast majority of the Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellars, with A Shot in the Dark being my personal favourite. The Return of the Pink Panther is for me the second best of the series, and one of the funnier entries. The production values are wonderful with striking cinematography and elegant locations and costumes. And who can forget Henry Mancini's iconic music and the opening sequence? The story is interesting, it isn't as slow as The Pink Panther or as ridiculous as Revenge of the Pink Panther which I did appreciate.

The cast and comedy were what elevated this film though. The dialogue is very inspired especially Clousseau's wooing of Catherine Schell's Claudine with his chat up lines that are oddly reminiscent of the style of Humphrey Bogart. The slapstick is bumbling and always delivered, with the best scenes being Lytton's escape from the thugs, Clousseau's distraction during the bank robbery, Clousseau posing as a telephone repair man and especially the scene with the runaway vacuum cleaner. The characters are wonderfully crazy, and the acting is very good, as good as Catherine Schell, Herbert Lom(with his mental breakdown another highlight) and Christopher Plummer are, it is Peter Sellars who steals the show, his Clousseau as always is a riot.

Overall, a great comedy and film. If there was anything that wasn't as good with the film, it was perhaps the length, the film could've done with being 5-10 minutes shorter. But it is a genuinely funny and well performed film and for me one of the better entries of the series. 9/10 Bethany Cox

THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER sees the franchise updated with a '70s vibe after a long delay. Overall, it's a mixed bag of a film, let down by long and pointless scenes which take the energy away from it: that opening heist sequence, for example, is absolutely interminable. Thankfully, Sellers is on form whenever he's around, and I got a lot of laughs out of his dodgy French accent (which seems to have directly influenced a certain character in 'ALLO 'ALLO here). Established regulars like Herbert Lom and Burt Kwouk are also excellent value, and Christopher Plummer's suave thief a delight. As for the film itself, it definitely goes on too long, and the non-comedy scenes are laboured. The slapstick moments are generally funny, though, so it's hard to be too critical.