Trail of the Pink Panther

Some see this as a tribute to Sellers, some see it as an insult to his memory. Whatever way you look at it The Trail of The Pink Panther remains a very shoddy and tacky film. It's the type of film that nowadays could be made on YouTube as it primarily is a bunch of clips from previous films strung together by the weakest of plots. Although it boasts new footage of Sellers from beyond the grave these "new clips" are really just deleted scenes and bloopers from the other films, many of which don't even fit the story or are just extended versions of what we have been seen before. All the familiar faces (Herbert Lom, Graham Stark) are present but they are really just there to be part of a filmed eulogy for Sellers. Blake Edwards may have felt that the series could go on without Sellers but this film, The Curse of The Pink Panther (Shamefully filmed at the same time as this tribute) and the dreadful Son of The Pink Panther proved him wrong. Edwards knew he had a cash cow and he was determined to milk it dry. RIP Peter Sellers - A Comedy Genius who will live on forever.

I genuinely wanted to like this film. I love the Pink Panther movies, and the animated TV series, but this was really quite shameless. Not to imagine quite strange, not only in its idea which is a rather bad one admittedly but in its execution. It is supposedly a tribute to the late Peter Sellers. I admit it his presence in this film as Inspector Clousseau actually saves this movie from being any worse than it was, but he deserved much better than this. Herbert Lom is sort of fun too, and Henry Mancini's original music is marvellous. However that is the only praise I can give. Blake Edwards is talented but I found it difficult to believe he directed this, it didn't feel like his style of directing. The film looks rather dated too, while the plot is a shambles and the sight gags and script are really quite poor even for a Pink Panther film. In regard to the latter reason, the outtakes are unremarkable at best and the new footage is dismally unfunny. Also, the pace is pedestrian, despite people saying that the 1963 Pink Panther movie is the dullest entry, and I have heard people say that, I think this entry is the dullest. Other than Sellers and Lom, the other acting is rather poor. Joanna Lumley grates, Robert Loggia is wasted and David Niven's voice is dubbed terribly. I understand Niven was ill, but really they either should've used his real voice or not used him at all. All in all, a shameless mess. 3/10 Bethany Cox

This film is made up of bits and pieces of film that they found on the cutting room floor, that didn't belong in their first movie, and don't belong in this one. Add to that the lack of any plot to hang the clips on, and this makes for more film that belongs on the cutting room floor.

source: Trail of the Pink Panther

Trailer—Trail of the Pink Panther

Trail of the Pink Panther

It wasn't about the right way (Deja Vu) but how Peter Sellers or rather his character would likely pronounce it. But he's not really here to prove it. At the time the movie was shot, Peter Sellers was gone. But it gives the movie the opportunity to go back to certain things and reminisce. It even goes as far back as to give us characters from the first Pink Panther! A movie that did not seem to register in the cinematic universe the Panther made for himself. Well actually it is the Chief Inspector who made that name. We'll be following and hearing from a couple of new people too. It's a neat idea overall, but does it hold up? I would say no, even if I'm giving the producers and makers the benefit of the doubt, that they didn't just do it, to make a quick buck ... but tried to expand on the universe. Still this is not close to what a Panther movie had to offer quality wise ... weird this was in my Panther box but the more official Return of the Pink Panther wasn't ...

Some movie executives deserve to burn in movie Hell for their actions. This is DEFINITELY the case with those who chose to make this film and the followup, THE CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER. In THE CURSE, it's really just a movie clip film--with outtakes and clips from Peter Sellers' other Panther films. In the case of this film, it's bringing in a plucky female cop and having her interview all the living characters they could muster from the previous films and stitch that into a new movie! To make matters worse, David Niven (who starred in the very first Panther movie) is back despite the fact that he's almost dead! In fact, he was so weak and sickly that his voice needed to be dubbed! This is a sad and pathetic way to continue a series--just let it die, fellas!

This film would have made a triumphant documentary or T.V. Movie tribute to one of the screens geniuses, Peter Sellers. As a 100 minute comedy movie it doesn't quite work. The best scenes are the ones that feature Inspector Clouseau, other than this, and there isn't even alot of them, the film as lukewarm, being neither funny nor entertaining. However if you put to the back of your mind that this was a patchwork film made from material filmed before Sellers, and indeed Inspector Clouseau, sorry Chief Inspector Clouseau died, you may enjoy it. Edwards tries his best but the whole thing seems forced. Granted some scenes are funny and Henry Mancini's score does work, but for more fun watch another Panther movie.

I've been watching Pink Panther films since I was very young. Peter Sellers is probably one of the early names I got to fix with a face on the screen, he and Roger Moore. I really like Sellers and this series is one of my favorites. However this isn't really a new film. It's Blake Edwards' tribute to Peter Sellers. It could have worked out great if it was a television program because it's a mere collection from old Panther films shown as the characters who knew Clouseau from the old films narrate about their relationships with him. It was fun to watch though. But makes you sad as it makes you nostalgic to Sellers and the old films and the "baameb".