Trail of the Pink Panther (PG, 1982)

common sense media says

A weak link in the brilliant series.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie has a salacious scene of nude young women (why nude? Your guess is as good as ours) stomping grapes at a vineyard. Also scattered profanity (in French and English), previously unknown in this series. A scene of attempted suicide (by a young Clouseau) is played for laughs.

Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence: Slapstick between Clouseau and Cato, and between Cato and Marie (he thinks she's a burglar, but it's still a little disturbing to see Cato attack an innocent woman rather than Inspector Clouseau!). Another character, a sour old lady, tries to axe an annoying dog. A flashback to Clouseau's WWII years shows him exploding a bridge. In the present, his meddling also somehow blows up a car.
Sex: Clouseau's vineyard-owner father tries to grope two naked, giggly young women stomping grapes.
Language: The S-word a few times, plus its French equivalent. A friend of Clouseau's is named `Balls.'
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Social drinking, and the possibility that Clouseau's father is a habitual lush.

More on Trail of the Pink Panther

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about how they think this movie compares to the others.

What's the story?

What's the story?
After Peter Sellers died in 1980, director Blake Edwards announced he had enough outtakes and unused Sellers material to concoct new Pink Panther comedy starring the comic genius. Once again the sacred Pink Panther diamond is stolen. The mythical Mideast country of Lugash sends a demand to Paris for Clouseau to recover it. A handful of scenes -- some very funny, some overbearing -- show Sellers' Inspector Clouseau visiting his favorite disguise shop, starting fires in his office, checking into (and wrecking) a hotel, and getting stuck in an airline toilet while bandaged head to foot. Then, news comes that Clouseau's plane has disappeared. A chic French TV reporter, Marie (Joanna Lumley), starts interviewing everyone who knew Clouseau, including characters from earlier movies, like the aristocratic burglar Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven).

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER is a strange, mutant tribute/exploitation of the movie. Kids who are undiscriminating may laugh a few times. Edwards meant well, but it just doesn't work.

The cast reunion mainly provides an excuse to show plentiful excerpts from the previous films in the series. This is a sort of thing that long-running TV series do occasionally when they get lazy, the dreaded "clip show." The question of who has stolen the Pink Panther diamond is simply dropped, and the clips more than anything remind us that Peter Sellers wasn't really around for this production at all.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: MGM/UA
Director: Blake Edwards
Cast: Herbert Lom, Joanna Lumley, Peter Sellers
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 92 minutes
Theatrical release: July 8, 1982
DVD release: July 8, 1997
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: language and adult situations

This review was written by Charles Cassady Jr.
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

dkfjdkjgkfdsjgkfj
kid, 12 years old
 
its only boobs.
Its only boobs in that vineyard scene. its not bad at all.

JulieS
parent of and 2 , 4 , 5 year old
 
Nudity
Fine movie, but was appaled by the topless women in the vineyard. Not just a quick peek, but some time spent on them romping about topless.

august11
kid, 13 years old
 
nothing bad
just 1 boob scene rest is g rated

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