THE PINK PANTHER (2006)
A funny, morally minded Clouseau comeback with discernment needed.
Should You Watch It?
This remake takes a familiar comic detective and gives him a new case, a new performance, and enough cleverness to justify its existence. Steve Martin makes Inspector Clouseau a worthy successor to Peter Sellers, especially once the slow opening gives way to laugh-out-loud sequences and surprising turns.
The movie’s moral center is stronger than its bumbling hero might suggest. Clouseau is conceited and clueless, but he is also earnest, decent, and committed to catching criminals, promoting justice, and serving his country. Marriage and fidelity receive a positive, if understated, treatment as well.
The cost is modest but real: light sexual innuendo, brief light foul language, and comic violence. Teens and adults can take the trip; parents should use discernment with children ages 8–13, and this is not for children under 8.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESThe coach of the French soccer team is murdered, and his priceless Pink Panther diamond ring disappears. Newly promoted Inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned the case, though his superior expects him to fail.
Clouseau must investigate a thief, a killer, two spies, and a cast of possible suspects—including the coach’s beautiful girlfriend, business partner, team trainer, and business rival—while his boss schemes to take the case and claim the glory.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means a funny, worthwhile remake with a slow beginning and several strong comic stretches. Steve Martin brings an absurdist, lanky quality to Clouseau, and his performance earns sympathy for the character beneath the foolishness.
The script, which Martin co-wrote, supplies clever plot twists and amusing sequences. Highlights include Clouseau unknowingly tripping and hurting professional bicyclists, attempting “Good Cop, Bad Cop” by himself, and clashing with his superior. The movie eventually becomes an entertaining and engrossing comedy, though it takes time to find its rhythm.
The Worldview
The film presents a strong moral worldview in a comic tone. It values catching criminals, promoting justice, and serving society. Clouseau may be bumbling, clueless, and conceited, but his heart is in the right place, and his desire to protect others gives the comedy a decent center.
The movie also expresses strong patriotic sentiments and offers a generally positive, brief depiction of America, an American, capitalism, and American fast-food hamburger culture. A Catholic nun who helps orphans receives a slight, positive reference. At the same time, the film accepts fooling around and attempts to use what appears to be Viagra in a contemporary, pagan way, which weakens its otherwise strong moral emphasis. Marriage and fidelity are implicitly honored in a minor subplot near the end.
The film’s central longing is for justice and faithful service rather than personal glory. Scripture says, “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong, sometimes implied, moral worldview in a comic tone about catching killers, promoting justice and serving society, marred by some sexual innuendo and bumbling French hero's contemporary, pagan acceptance of fooling around and trying to use what appears to be Viagra, plus slight, positive reference to Catholic nun who helps orphans and strong patriotic sentiments expressed and generally positive, but brief, depiction of America, an American, capitalism, and America's fast-food hamburger culture; four light obscenities, two light profanities, man in intense pain tries to say "f" word but it is completely garbled and unintelligible, and a couple jokes about passing gas; significant amounts, but usually very light individually, of comic violence with no or little blood, including elderly woman gets bonked on head, bicyclists take a tumble in several scenes, dead man has poison dart sticking out of his neck, gun fires and kills man off-screen, dead body with chalk outline, police say man has been shot dead in the head, bumbling policeman threatens witness with electric shock by reaching under table and (implied) attaching electrodes in his own pants and, outside room, people can hear policeman's screams and later viewers see smoke coming out of policeman's pants, fighting, punching, robbers let off tear gas in casino and man traveling on wire shoots them down to stop robbery, man's thumb painfully stuck in door, and policeman's superior gets stuck, dragged by car, hit, and rolled out window; light sexual innuendo done in light comic tone includes man lifts woman down from desk in awkward position, man pats woman on rear, man tries to take what appears to be a Viagra pill in order to seduce beautiful suspect (but nothing happens between them because things go wrong when pill falls out of his hand), slightly suggestive dancing looks comical, and light oblique innuendo about erection; no nudity, but female cleavage; alcohol; smoking; and, apparent stealing, talk about gambling and embezzling money for gambling, and bumbling policeman is a bit conceited and impressed with his own abilities but he has a heart for catching criminals, promoting justice and serving his country.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Clouseau wants to catch criminals and serve his country, even when he is mocked. What does faithful service look like when nobody gives you credit?
Colossians 3:23–24 · Mark 10:43–45The movie contrasts Clouseau’s personal decency with his conceit. How can someone do good work while still needing humility?
Philippians 2:3–4 · Proverbs 16:18The story gives a positive place to marriage and fidelity. Why does Scripture treat faithfulness as something worth protecting?
Hebrews 13:4 · Proverbs 5:18–19Clouseau pursues justice while others seek glory. When do our motives matter as much as our actions?
Micah 6:8 · 1 Corinthians 10:31The Final Word
This is a funny, clever remake with a decent hero at its center. Its light sexual innuendo, brief profanity, and comic violence call for parental discernment with younger children. For teens and adults, WORTH THE TRIP — TEENS AND ADULTS.
