Disappointed

I just have to get this off my back, though it may reflect much of what others have written before. I just finished watching The Pink Panther for the first time in my 54-year life, on Blu-ray on a large screen and technically very satisfying. I like most of the Blake Edwards films I've seen before (though not all). I think Peter Sellers is one of the greatest comedic actors who ever lived. I can laugh my behind off when re-watching The Party yet another time. Breakfast at Tiffany's and Victor/Victoria are among my all-time favorites. So I was really looking forward to finally seeing the famous Pink Panther, of which I had so far only caught a fraction on TV a long time ago, and dubbed in German to boot.

It was a giant letdown. It simply wasn't funny most of the time. I had a few mild chuckles during the almost two hours. But there wasn't any riot. Sellers was great as usual, but his slapstick scenes were misplaced and superfluous (the character simply isn't that stupid. Why let him stumble over everything in sight?). The plot is forgettable anyway. I'm certainly not the ADHD type movie watcher who wants quick cuts (I hate them) and non-stop action, and I confess to enjoying slow films normally (I've yet to find a movie where I preferred the shorter version). But this one was just borderline boring for much of its duration. It's not screwball, it's not really farce. And yet again: I'm old enough to know what to expect from 1960s comedies.

It's not without redeeming qualities. As I said, Sellers is...well, Sellers, and that's a plus. Claudia Cardinale is ravishing, I loved the scene with her, David Niven, and the "tiger" before the fireplace, probably the best thing about the entire film. But it really is beyond me why this turned into a major franchise, and especially a kind of cult film. It's probably one of my discs I'll never watch again.