Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A different way of telling a story

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This is the first time I've watched the original "Pink Panther" and I'm sad to say that I feel letdown. The film is simply not that funny. I'd say it's mildly amusing a best. I have nothing against the performances because they are alright. The real issue is that the whole thing ends up being dull and uninteresting. We spend so much time with weird seduction scenes, song numbers and people talking about convoluted plots. We get no real wit or fun slapstick. It could in the very least have been interesting or engaging when it comes to the criminal's plan. But, it's not. It's so dull I could barely follow it. The film picks up and begins to get better as it nears the third act. That's when Inspector Clouseau finally starts investigating. It's OK, because you want him to succeed figuring out the case. He's completely clueless and that's the joke. But his character is also very like-able because he has good intentions. The third act is sadly not enough to make up for the drawn out unfunny sequences you have to get through in the first two acts.I enjoy the musical score and the set pieces. But, why do we have to spend so much time in the bedroom sets? None of it was funny or clever. I'll be honest. I didn't laugh once during the entire movie. And the only thing I wanted was a humorous crime caper, but instead I got David Niven socializing on vacation. It's only worth checking out if you are curious about how this series began and evolved over time. They definitely struggled when deciding what type of movie they wanted to make. From what I hear, the series really found itself in the second film. I am looking forward to seeing that one. I can just never see myself watching the original ever again. And if I had to, I'd only watch Peter Sellers' scenes. It's OK at best, but not funny. I wanted to like it.

I hadn't seen any of the other Pink Panther movies before this one. My understanding was that they were goofy slapstick comedies staring Peter Sellers, who I knew from Dr Strangelove, which is one of my all time favorite movies. However, this movie was more of a romantic comedy with some slapstick and situational gags thrown in. Most of the jokes didn't really land well for me. I felt like I had seen these jokes done much better many times before in movies that have come out since The Pink Panther. Probably the only two gags I got a kick out of were the men hiding in the room and the gorilla mirror. However, like I said before, I've seen these jokes done more effectively in other movies. Apart from the comedic aspects of the movie, I didn't really find the story, characters or dialogue all that compelling or interesting. Combine that with a lack of many laugh out loud moments and I would have to say I found this movie disappointing. On the other hand, the biggest positive to come from this movie would have to be the iconic theme song. Anyway, I wouldn't say that this is a bad movie, it just isn't that good, in my opinion. 5/10Recommended for those that enjoy cartoon intros, clumsy french policemen, suave womanizing cat burglars, manipulative female seductresses, breaking things, spilling things, tripping over things, falling off of things, unreliable door handles, high speed costumed pursuits......but that's just like, my opinion, man# Of Times Watched: Once

I am a fan of the Pink Panther franchise but this movie didn't quite do it for me. It is slow and at times goes scenes without Peter Sellers. That and I got confuse because David Niven at times looks like Peter Sellers in this movie, making me guess which one was which. There are some classic scenes though and for that maybe I should have gave it a higher rating. I landed at six because the slow parts were tiresome and made it not feel like a Pink Panther movie. Which is kind of funny because I do believe this is the first Pink Panther made. Hopefully that is true so I can give them the excuse that they just hadn't found their direction yet. I would say despite my rating it is worth watching. That may sound strange but there are a few iconic Pink Panther scenes in this movie that should be watched. The ending is solid as well which gives way to more, which obviously they made more. So watch it and know that it only goes up from this movie to the next Pink Panther.

As a child, Princess Dala was given the Pink Panther diamond (named for a flaw in the stone) from her father, the Shah of Lugash. In Rome, jewel thief The Phantom makes a big score. In Paris, Simone (Capucine) tries to fence the jewels and is almost caught. Bumbling French police inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is desperate to catch The Phantom but he doesn't know his wife Simone is involved. In Cortina D'Ampezzo, Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale) is vacationing. Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven) is also there who is secretly The Phantom. His American playboy nephew George Lytton (Robert Wagner) is in debt to thugs, coning his way through life, and also plans to steal the jewel. Clouseau arrives with his wife.Clouseau is the break out character. Sellers steals the movie from Niven. The comedy works when Sellers is on the screen but the movie is flat without him. Simone is also not a particularly good comedic partner for him. She's more of a wet blanket. The audience has to wait for the second movie 'A Shot in the Dark' before Clouseau becomes the lead, and we get Dreyfus and Kato. At least, this first one introduces Clouseau to the world.