It is with mixed emotions that I learned Steve Martin would reprise Peter Sellers' role of Inspector Clouseau in a new Pink Panther movie. I should probably be more excited than I am, but there's a part of me that would rather the franchise be left alone.
Estop-ah zhat, you sillee schmed-person! Eff zhat mindset-ah prevail-ed, zee James-ah Bond series ov filmz-ah would have ended a-way too soon-ah. Zo, to get een zee speerit-ah, you had bettaire decide to be ah-verrrrrah, verrrrrah excited-ah about eet.
According-ah to a-Fox News-ah and zee Eye-Em-Dee-Bee: Birth of the Pink Panther (2005) - (Is) a prequel to the 1964 Peter Sellers original film, where the detective must solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and find out who stole the infamous Pink Panther diamond.
You weel-ah probablee alzo be verrrah hope-eful zhat zhere weel be a lot ov Frrrrench a-bashing-ah een ziss motion-ah peecture.
OK, I can go with that. Steve Martin is certainly capable and can be as bunglingly outrageous as the character demands. I wonder who else they considered? Chevy Chase could certainly handle bungling and is capable of 1st degree outrageousness but could only be made to look right with extensive plastic surgery. Robin Williams could do it but would be challenged to handle some of the subtlety that Sellars did so well. He'd probably want too much money anyway and for this thing to perpetuate more movies, it's GOT to do well financially.
Blake Edwards is reportedly involved, and as I recall, there are a lot of notable alumni from the Pink Panther films. Though many have expired (before or since the passing of Mr. Sellars) and most are a bit long in the tooth, there is are still some good opportunities to salute them with those reprise-cameos.
Ah might a-bee rrrather partial to zee Jean Cleese-ah play zee rhole ov Poleece Commissionaire Dreyfuss, az long-ah az he refrainez from uzing zhat outrageous fake accent-ah.
Tops on my list would be Herbert Lom, who orginially portrayed Police Commissioner Charles Dreyfus, to have as much of a role as his 86 years would allow. One of his lines perfectly reflects his struggle on the brink of abject, Clouseau-induced psychosis: "Give me ten men like Clouseau and I could destroy the world." Oui, and Ah kno notheeng ov hees health-ah, but Ah weel join you een send-ah-ing some verrah posoteeve vibes-ah een hees genarral direchtion. (Gront-ah)
The movie is slated for a 2005 release.
Zo mean-ahwile-ah, Ah weel a-have to be paishant-ah and be ohn zee lookout for any a-sneak attacks-ah from Kato.
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