The Pink Panther 2

• Released Internationally on 06/02/09
• Released in Malta by KRS on 11/02/09

The sequel to the reboot

Inspector Jacques Clouseau is back, whether the world likes it or not. The bumbling French detective, made famous by Peter Sellers in the 60s and 70s, is once again out to reclaim France’s national treasure, the priceless pink diamond dubbed ‘The Pink Panther’. With a chequered history, and featuring numerous actors throughout the years, the franchise now contains eleven films, spanning over forty-five years, and of greatly varying quality. Steve Martin enjoyed moderate success when he revived the role in 2006, and most of the cast of that film are back for this sequel, as is the titular diamond with a habit of getting stolen.

The dream team

The world is in a state of panic as a mysterious criminal who goes by the name of ‘The Tornado’ swiftly makes off with priceless artefacts from England, Japan and Italy. An international team of the greatest detective minds is assembled, and based on previous achievements Clouseau is asked to lead the team. This doesn’t go down too well with his boss, Chief Inspector Dreyfuss (John Cleese, replacing Kevin Kline from the 2006 film), who firmly believes Clouseau is a nitwit. This impression is soon shared by the rest of the dream team, and after numerous public embarrassments he is thrown off the team, and the mystery solved without him. Or so they think.

All-star cast, in all-star locations

The main box-office draw is presumably the cast, which include Jean Reno (Léon, The Da Vinci Code) and Emily Mortimer (Young Adam, Match Point) reprising their roles from the 2006 outing as members of the French police staff. The dream team includes Andy Garcia (The Godfather Part III, Ocean’s Eleven) representing Italy, Alfred Molina (Frida, Spider-man 2) representing the Brits, and the stunning Aishwarya Rai as a crime expert from India. Jeremy Irons makes a brief and laconic appearance as a rich art expert thought at one point to be the ‘tornado’ in question. Very nearly upstaging all these big names are the wonderful European locations used extensively throughout the film. Set primarily in Paris, the film is a virtual tour of the city, both indoor and outdoor, and the French action is interspersed with scenes in The Vatican and other historic locales, adding some much needed class to an otherwise sometimes ridiculous film.

Silly isn’t always funny

This is the most jarring flaw of a generally fun film. A number of sequences deteriorate into poorly-executed slapstick, and despite his many talents Martin doesn’t always have the panache to pull them off. Some scenes are painful to watch, especially with stars like Garcia and Molina having to spout cringe-inducing dialogue. Thankfully, the film is peppered with a few sequences that do in fact work, and occasionally work wonderfully, but overall the film is evidently trying too hard to be funny.

In the end

Steve Martin has showed us he can be one of the funniest actors around, but despite successfully managing to revive the Clouseau character, it’s far from his best work, and the surrounding film is often flat and simple. Still fun at times, with a few genuine laugh-out-loud moments, but it works best simply as a tourist guide to Paris.

 

 

 

Trailer:

Appaloosa

• Released Internationally on 19/09/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 29/10/08

Preview (01/10/08)

In a nutshell

Set in the late 19^th century, this is a western about two friends who help defend a small town from a threatening rancher, but whose friendship is itself threatened when an attractive widow arrives in town.

Who’s in it?

Ed Harris, who also directed and co-wrote the screenplay, plays Virgin Cole, the older of the two lawmen, while Viggo Mortensen plays his sidekick. Jeremy Irons is the bad guy, and Renée Zellweger is the lass who stirs things up.

Why we’re hyped

Although there’s no doubting his credentials as an actor, this is only Harris’ second outing as a director. He passed the test with flying colours on his first film – the acclaimed artist biopic Pollock, in which he also starred as the troubled painter. Viggo Mortensen is quickly becoming one of the most reliable leading men around, and he was easily one of last year’s most interesting characters when he transformed himself into a Russian mobster for Eastern Promises. The quality of westerns has varied greatly over the past twenty years, but last year saw a mini-revival with two beautiful old-fashioned westerns – 3:10 to Yuma and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Let’s hope this one follows that trend.

Review (28/10/08)

Wild Wild West

Ed Harris has crafted a memorable western which delivers all the ingredients westerns are famous for. Within minutes of the opening credits, it's clearly evident who the bad guy is - Jeremy Irons need only use his grim stare and his rumbling rich voice to leave us no doubt as to which side he's on. Him and his henchman are immediately up to no good, and before long the good guys come riding into town to save the day. Over the next two hours we have lawmen, saloons, horses, fist-fights, shootouts, and loads of wonderful scenery, and it's all a joy to watch.

Just a Western?

I'm not fond of those who define films simply by their genre. Westerns very often get pigeon-holed as if they're all variations on the same theme, when really the setting is just providing a back-drop for a story, just like a science-fiction film or a romantic comedy. And like any genre, a western with a limp story often ends up as a drag, whilst westerns with a great plot at their core often work wonderfully as a film. This one falls into the latter category. What starts off as a simple good vs. bad challenge soon rides off at a tangent as a feisty love interest strolls into town. Things get complicated, and before long we're being led on a chase across the Mexican desert.

Very Viggo

Despite great turnouts from Harris, Irons and Zellweger, Viggo Mortensen is the one who steals the show. Once again, he inhabits an oddball character with a distinct appearance - this time he has complex facial hair to go with his outfit - and says volumes with just a few words. In last year's Eastern Promises, he was the quiet man in the corner who turned out to be the most reliable man around, and here again he is happy to live in the shadow of his mentor, Cole, but it turns out he could be the only one we can truly depend on. His acting is superb, and his collection of wonderful characters here gets another worthy addition.

Cowboys have feelings too

At points the plot does slow down, as our two peace-keepers discuss the intricacies of the human heart and how to handle the new love interest, but this gives them an added dimension, rather than weaken their tough-guy appearance. They may be confused about women, but they're still the best shots for miles around. The scenes between Mortensen and Harris range from average to wonderful, and the chemistry between them as a partnership provides the only enduring relationship of the film.

In the end

Despite a slightly protracted ending, the film builds to its satisfying conclusion and leaves no frayed ends. Irrespective of the genre, this is a good story which is worth watching, and the characters add substance to an wonderfully-directed film. Even if westerns don't usually float your boat, you should give this one a try.

Trailer: