Fifth in the "Pink Panther" series (sixth if you count 1968's "Inspector Clouseau", which starred Alan Arkin) opens with a promising set-up--Clouseau, who is marked for assassination by the millionaire businessman who heads up the French mafia, is mistaken for dead--but fails to come up with anything remotely funny following the introductions. Director/producer/co-screenwriter Blake Edwards (who also gets a story credit!) does some uncharacteristically lazy work here. Peter Sellers can't even get laughs dressed in transvestite's clothes or disguised as a mafia godfather. Edwards must have been relieved to close the chapter on Clouseau after this abysmal installment, though he was persuaded to piece together another film (1982's "Trail of the Pink Panther") from series outtakes after Sellers' demise. * from ****