The Pink Panther (2006) |
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The Pink Panther (2006) |
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| BUY IT |
| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Comedy |
Main Menu Audio & Animation Audio Commentary-by Director Shawn Levy Deleted Scenes-with optional audio commentary by Shawn Levy Additional Footage-Alternate Opening Title Sequence Music Video-Beyonce "Check on It" Music Video-Beyonce "A Woman Like Me" Trailer-Assorted promotional trailers |
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| Rating |
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| Year Of Production | 2006 | ||
| Running Time | 88:55 | ||
| RSDL / Flipper | Dual Layered | Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Ads Then Menu | ||
| Region Coding | 2,4,5 | Directed By | Shawn Levy |
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Studio
Distributor |
SONY Pictures Sony Pictures Home Entertain |
Starring |
Steve Martin Kevin Kline Beyoncé Knowles Jean Reno Emily Mortimer Henry Czerny Kristin Chenoweth Roger Rees William Abadie Scott Adkins Dexter Bell Monty C. Floyd Chad Gabriel |
| Case | ? | ||
| RPI | $34.00 | Music | Christophe Beck |
| Video | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) |
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| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement |
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| Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles |
English English Alternate Subtitles English for the Hearing Impaired Dutch Hindi |
Smoking | No |
| Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
| Action In or After Credits | No | ||
Unfortunately, The Pink Panther is yet another Hollywood remake that falls somewhat short of what it could have been. This film marks the 10th Pink Panther film and an attempt by Columbia Pictures to reboot the franchise for a new generation.
The film follows the typical Pink Panther formula. In this case the prized Pink Panther diamond is stolen in broad daylight in front of tens of thousands of cheering fans at a soccer match. The chief of police calls in the inexperienced and woefully inept Clouseau with the idea that he'll fall flat on his face while the chief of police solves the crime himself. Clouseau bumbles along, inadvertently drawing closer to the key suspects with no real clue of what is going on until the crime gets solved.
On paper, the cast is certainly impressive; Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Kevin Kline, Emily Mortimer and Beyonce (definitely the weakest link). Unfortunately, none of them have much of a script to work with.
The inept Inspector Clouseau is played by Steve Martin. It's hard to believe this is the once comedic genius of Saturday Night Live and The Jerk. Put simply, he disappoints. He does a killer French accent that is amusing and you see glimpses of his brilliance in a few scenes but nothing like what Peter Sellers could deliver. No new ground is covered in his formulaic portrayal of what is arguably a screen legend. Martin also co-wrote the screenplay.
Jean Reno plays the straight, serious cop to contrast Martin's bumbling fool and does an admirable job. Kline is brilliant... given the material. Definitely an under-rated comedic actor. Mortimer is amusing in a limited role, but a major complaint is Beyonce. Who are these Hollywood executives that think music divas can act? I didn't mind her in Austin Powers, but found that every time she was on screen she looked uncomfortable and out of place.
The result is an uneven film where the funniest moments can all conveniently fit into a 2 minute theatrical trailer. If you have seen the trailer, then you have seen the only really amusing moments in the film. Ultimately the film is just another one of those middle of the road Hollywood films which seem to churn out every week. The premise started out with a lot of potential but the execution is just plain sloppy. Hopefully the sequel will turn out better. On a budget of $80US million the worldwide box office came in at around $160 million. Not a smash hit, but definitely enough to warrant Columbia greenlighting a sequel.
Kids will get a lot of laughs, but anyone over 12 years old or so will find it a bit disappointing.. Perhaps my expectations were set too high - don't go into it expecting Peter Sellers or Blake Edwards' combined genius and you will probably find a few laughs that make it worthwhile.
This PAL disc has the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is 16x9 enhanced.
Overall the transfer looks quite good. It was an extremely clear transfer that was enjoyable to watch.
Colours were bright and most of the outdoor shots were extremely vibrant. The stadium scenes almost made me feel like I was there. Skin tones were realistic and natural.
Black levels and shadow detail were good.
There were no signs of grain.
Thankfully there was no edge enhancement or film artefacts.
I was quite impressed with the video transfer.
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The main track was a very competent English Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s).
Dialogue was clear and easy to listen to.
There were no sync or drop out issues.
The film has a pretty good soundtrack by Christopher Beck which of course uses Henry Mancini's classic theme. Beck's pieces are often heavily inspired by previous films but nevertheless add a 21st century twist. Some pieces are over the top, but add a lot to spice up the film. The music comes through sounding good and adding a lot to the viewing experience.
Like most comedies it is a very front heavy soundtrack, but surrounds are used from time to time.
There was no sub-woofer usage.
There is also an English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) track.
Subtitles include English, English Alternate Subtitles, English for the Hearing Impaired, Dutch and Hindi.
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A commentary by Director Shawn Levy. Amusing, but it can get a little difficult after awhile. It's quite self-congratulatory and all he does is praise everyone "Steve is so ____________ (insert flattering adjective), Beyonce is so ___________" Too much back slapping and stating the obvious, no analysis. You get the picture.
Eleven deleted scenes in all with optional director's commentary. Most were deleted for obvious reasons or are simply extensions of scenes left in the film.
Runs for 3:30 with optional commentary by the director. Interesting but nowhere near as good as the one they used in the theatrical release.
Beyonce with two songs; Check on It and A Woman Like Me.
Trailers for Cutting Edge: Going for Gold, Open Season, Yours, Mine and Ours, Zathura and Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The R1 and R4 releases are virtually identical except that the R1 has a Sweet n' Low commercial featuring the Pink Panther and different trailers to our release.
Choose on price.
Overall this film has fun moments but had so much more potential than was actually realised.
The video is great.
The audio is good too.
Special features are solid.
A great DVD for a middle of the road movie.
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Extras | |
| Plot | |
| Overall | |
| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Marantz DV4300, using Component output |
| Display | Sony VPL HS10 projector on 100 inch 16x9 screen + Palsonic 76WSHD. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
| Audio Decoder | Sony STR-DE685. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. |
| Amplification | Pioneer |
| Speakers | DB Dynamics VEGA series floor standers + centre, DB bipole rears, 10" 100W DB Dynamics sub |