The Pink Panther

The Pink Panther is currently streaming in Australia on MGM Amazon Channel, and in the US on Kanopy and Hoopla, and it delivers exactly the kind of comedy that earns a loyal following. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. With 2,166 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Steve Martin sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on MGM Amazon Channel.

The Pink Panther is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The Pink Panther gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. When the coach of the France football team is killed by a poisoned dart in the stadium at the end of a game, and his huge, expensive ring with the Pink Panther diamond disappears, the ambitious Chief Inspector Dreyfus assigns the worst police inspector – Jacques Clouseau – to the case. Steve Martin and Jean Reno lead a cast with the timing to make it work. The Pink Panther came out in 2006. The timing in The Pink Panther is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, The Pink Panther respects your intelligence. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Steve Martin is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.