Blu ray review: Return of the Pink Panther

In 1963, Blake Edwards directed and co-wrote The Pink Panther, featuring Peter Sellers as bumbling Inspector Clouseau.  It was such of a big hit, there was a sequel, A Shot in the Dark a year later with Edwards and Sellers teaming up again in a film that centered on  Clouseau and introduced a couple of new characters. 

Fast forward a dozen years later.  Both Sellers and Edwards needed a hit film, so they teamed up again for The Return of the Pink Panther, which has been released on 4K UHD and Blu Ray by Kino Lorber.  It was a smart move by the filmmaker and the actor.  This was just the film 1970s audiences wanted, and it was such a box office smash it re-ignited the series, which lasted until Sellers’ death.

The Return of the Pink Panther remains a consistently hilarious comedy with Clouseau once again hired to recover the stolen pink panther diamond.  He is again the bane of frustrated Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), a character introduced in A Shot in the Dark. His skills are tested by sneak attacks from his houseboy Kato (Burt Kwouk), who was also introduced in the previous film. 

The film is filled with creative slapstick gags, Clouseau’s challenges with the English language, and a series of comic situations that are well supported by the cast that also includes Christopher Plummer and Catherine Schell. 

Some of the funniest sequences involve Clouseau’s interactions with Dreyfus; actor Lom brilliantly playing the comic tension of his character against Sellers’ earnest bumbling that somehow leads to success at solving the crime.

Kino’s release is a brand new HD master from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative, and is filled with special features.  There is an audio commentary by Jason Simos of the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society, the featurette A Bit of Passion and Lots of Laughs with Catherine Schell, another featurette with production designer Peter Mullins on the making of the Pink Panther films, theatrical trailers, TV spots, radio spots, and other interesting additions.

Return of the Pink Panther is a terrific comedy and Kino’s release is most highly recommended.  It can be ordered at this link: CLOUSEAU