Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Arriving at an Italian ski resort with a large diamond known as the Pink Panther, Princess Dala encounters the suave Sir Charles, who also happens to be the notorious jewel thief The Phantom. Can Clouseau, the clumsiest inspector ever to trip over a case, stop Sir Charles' plot...or will The Phantom steal the "cat" and leave Clouseau holding the bag.

It has been years since I’ve watched this Blake Edwards classic. Sellers is in top form as the klutzy French detective but is brilliant in his nonchalant portrayal. It is so different from the recent remake with Steve Martin who brings so much excess to the part and makes the detective out as a complete fool. Sellers was far more reserved and just made the character out as an unlucky klutz more than a complete idiot. If you haven’t had the chance to see the original there is never been a better time. I’m really glad Fox has been digging into their classic library and pulling out some real gems lately.

The restored HD presentation is quite good and one of the better classic catalog releases from Fox. The film print is in excellent shape and detail and dimension are all first rate. Some of the establishing stock shots can be a bit wincing but that is typically the case with older films like this. There is a complete lack of video compression artifacts and no signs of ringing giving the image a very natural film-like quality. Contrast levels are strong throughout and colors have a very nice saturation and vibrancy to them. A splendid presentation.

The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack also does a great job with presentation. The highlight is Mancini’s score, which has become a staple in our society. Its playful tone is present throughout the film. The sound design is a bit dated and foley effects do sound a bit canned, but this is no fault of the presentation. Dialogue can sound slightly thin at times and a tad bright but it was never cringe inducing or bothersome.

Fox includes a feature audio commentary with the film’s director Blake Edwards as well as a nice assortment of production features that give an inside look at everything from the making of the film, to its popularity to the cartoon it inspired.

Comedy capers don’t get much better and the original Pink Panther is still considerably better than the more recent remake. Fox has done a great job bringing this one to Blu-ray making it an easy recommendation for fans.