This was Peter Seller's final outing as the bumbling French detective Chief Inspector Clouseau before his untimely death in 1980. While I don't think it was the funniest film of the series it certainly has more than enough laughs to make it worth watching.
The film opens with a meeting where Philippe Douvier, the leader of France's criminal community, is told by the American mob that they think he is past his prime and not worth doing business with. In order to prove that he still has what it takes he decides to eliminate France's best known police officer; Chief Inspector Clouseau. The first attempt to blow him up fails but a later attempt to gun him down appears to have succeeded... however the assassins hadn't counted on Clouseau's car being hijacked be a passing transvestite who stole his clothes shortly before their ambush.
Clouseau, now wearing a dress is arrested and dragged off to a lunatic asylum while his erstwhile boss, Chief Inspector Dreyfus is being released to investigate his murder. Clouseau escapes from the asylum and goes home where he discovers that his manservant Cato has turned it into a profitable Chinese brothel. The two of them set off to find out who wanted to kill the chief inspector. On their way they accidentally rescue Douvier's secretary/mistress Simone who he was planning to have killed after his wife ordered him to get rid of her. The three of them set off to intercept him when he meets the Americans in Hong Kong.
While Seller's is very funny as Clouseau it is Herbert Lom who has the most amusing part, his attempts to read the eulogy at Clouseau's funeral without bursting into laughter are hilarious. No Pink Panther film would be complete without seeing Cato's attempts to ambush his master and we get a particularly funny fight here were the two of them do battle while covered in paint. If you enjoy slapstick comedy this film should be a joy to watch and as there is no swearing or crude jokes it is suitable for all ages.
The film opens with a meeting where Philippe Douvier, the leader of France's criminal community, is told by the American mob that they think he is past his prime and not worth doing business with. In order to prove that he still has what it takes he decides to eliminate France's best known police officer; Chief Inspector Clouseau. The first attempt to blow him up fails but a later attempt to gun him down appears to have succeeded... however the assassins hadn't counted on Clouseau's car being hijacked be a passing transvestite who stole his clothes shortly before their ambush.
Clouseau, now wearing a dress is arrested and dragged off to a lunatic asylum while his erstwhile boss, Chief Inspector Dreyfus is being released to investigate his murder. Clouseau escapes from the asylum and goes home where he discovers that his manservant Cato has turned it into a profitable Chinese brothel. The two of them set off to find out who wanted to kill the chief inspector. On their way they accidentally rescue Douvier's secretary/mistress Simone who he was planning to have killed after his wife ordered him to get rid of her. The three of them set off to intercept him when he meets the Americans in Hong Kong.
While Seller's is very funny as Clouseau it is Herbert Lom who has the most amusing part, his attempts to read the eulogy at Clouseau's funeral without bursting into laughter are hilarious. No Pink Panther film would be complete without seeing Cato's attempts to ambush his master and we get a particularly funny fight here were the two of them do battle while covered in paint. If you enjoy slapstick comedy this film should be a joy to watch and as there is no swearing or crude jokes it is suitable for all ages.