Common Sense Media Review
By Charles Cassady Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Weak link in brilliant series has gratuitious nude scene.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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?
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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how they think this movie compares to the others.
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 8, 1982
- On DVD or streaming : July 8, 1997
- Cast : Herbert Lom , Joanna Lumley , Peter Sellers
- Director : Blake Edwards
- Studio : MGM/UA
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and adult situations
- Last updated : March 14, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate