Completely Underrated

chazzy-3

The visual wit and warm wrap-up that Blake Edwards' brings to one of the finest comedic series of film history (and, apart from the couple produced in the eighties, they were consistently original and inventive - and changed with each one) is sadly misunderstood and no longer appreciated by our audiences.  The manner in which Edwards' uses the entire screen instead of just cutting for quick effects requires a little more patience, and can result in quite a payoff - witness the side-splitting scene with Dreyfus and colleague in hospital beds (but, of course, you need a widescreen version to see it).  This movie made me laugh, and laugh, and laugh, but, as I said before, if Edwards' "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" (probably the best in the series) were released today, it wouldn't have gotten the time of day either.  It's too bad, because this film, which displays a tenderness to these characters and Edwards' creation as a whole, was never allowed a chance to really be seen without generally jaded eyes.

score 10/10

chazzy-3 29 February 2000

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0329621/