Martin's Inspector Clouseau Doesn't Have a Clue

Feb. 10, 2006 — -- Steve Martin is a great physical comic, and the new "Pink Panther" is not without laughs. There are sight gags galore, and Beyoncé has star quality. But I liked the Henry Mancini music more than the punch lines.

Technically, this is a prequel to the Peter Sellers' original, but it still breaks the Joel Siegel sequel rule: If this had been the first of the series, would anyone have made a sequel? The answer, as Inspector Clouseau might have said, "Nuuuuuuu."

The Blake Edward's original from 1963 is one of the funniest movies of all time, and I'm clueless why Martin would make this film. He wouldn't do Charlie Chaplin; why do Peter Sellers? (Grade: C)

I always ask actors and directors what they want audiences to take away when they see their films. I got to talk with Harrison Ford, and he told me, "There's nothing wrong with having fun at the movies." That's what "Firewall" is.