Posted on: July 10, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

The Pink Panther 2 did surprisingly well at the box office in my opinion, and MGM has attempted to really capture the same spark with their Blu-Ray release of the title. In this sequel to the 2006 re-start of the series, Inspector Clouseau (Steve Martin) has to join forces with a number of the world’s best detectives. The cast of this film blends old hands (Lily Tomlin, John Cleese, Jeremy Irons) with faces that may not be too familiar to American audiences (Emily Mortimer, Yuki Matsuzaki, and Johnny Hallyday), but unites these two groups in a way that creates the best possible movie. Of course, movies in the Pink Panther line should be on the verge of absurdism, and the film delivers in that sense as well. The film deals with some pretty dark elements despite its lighter feel; where the film itself was not given straight positive reviews during its initial run, I feel that a few additional views for anyone will showcase some of the subtleties present.

When one purchases the Blu-Ray version Of The Pink Panther 2, they will be treated to a video and audio quality that is similar to that of its original theatrical run, while the additional features present here provide further value. Aside from the 27(!) different Pink Panther shorts that are included on the last disc of the set, the eight-minute “Drama Is Easy” featurette is important because it briefly shines a light into the difficulty present in doing such a physically-based comedy, something that seems on the surface to be quite easy. A game – “Master Thief” – provides further fun in regards to its trivia-based form. Finally, “A Dream Team Like No Other” points more to a point I made earlier regarding the sheer talent exhibited by the members of the cast, no matter whether the Blu-Ray-watching public were familiar with them before this movie.

I feel, that with the massive amount of additional features that are present here, that the replay value of this release far outstrips any other similar release. Couple that with the compelling, humorous story, and what viewers will receive when they get this title is something that is a tremendous value.

Rating: 8.4/10

Pink Panther 2 (Blu-Ray) / 2009 MGM / 92 Minutes / http://www.fox.com

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