Parents' Guide to

Inspector Clouseau

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Average slapstick in overlooked Pink Panther sequel.

Movie G 1968 96 minutes
Inspector Clouseau Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

Jackandeoin
Jackandeoin Parent of 9-year-old
February 22, 2019
age 10+

Not as good as the others!

Where was Peter Sellers when they were making this movie?! I just didn't like that much! Ok... just didn't entertain me. 3/5

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

After creating a hit character out of a bungling yet heroic French police supersleuth in the comedies The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark, actor Peter Sellers (oft-ill in health, temperament, and scheduling) was left out of INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU, a third escapade focused on the classic slapstick crimefighter. American actor Alan Arkin takes the role instead, as Clouseau is summoned from Paris to London in the aftermath of the (real-life) "Great Train Robbery." UK law enforcement believes an even more audacious heist is being planned, and indeed from the start a shadowy mob tries to set up Clouseau for an epic-scale bank robbery. But Clouseau prevails largely by accident; at key moments he keeps unwittingly activating a spectrum of high-tech cloak-and-dagger gadgets provided to him by the British.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

There are some slow spots, but also some worthwhile ones in this movie. Gags see-saw between the character/dialogue-based jokes (like those boudoir-farce moments in the original movie) and the broader, falling-down slapstick of the later Sellers films. If Arkin doesn't make the Clouseau role his own, he doesn't fumble it either, and he even pulls off a scene in which the discouraged detective ruefully faces the fact that he's a walking disaster area. Still, one wonders if Sellers might have provided that extra ingredient to make up for deficiencies in Inspector Clouseau's script, which has a huge logic gap even kids might spot: Why are the bad guys initially trying to assassinate Clouseau when their whole scheme revolves around making him take the fall for their crime?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the character of Inspector Clouseau and his appeal.

  • Why didn't 1960s audiences accept Alan Arkin in the role, while 21st-century audiences made a hit out of a Steve Martin version?

  • What is your favorite Clouseau/Pink Panther movie? Why is that?

Movie Details

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