The Pink Panther 2 (DVD, 2009, 2-Disc Set, with Bonus Disc)

With 2009’s THE PINK PANTHER 2, Steve Martin once again dons the mantle of the giddily absurd Inspector Clouseau. This time, the bumbling French lawman, relieved of meter-maid duty, attempts to track down a bold thief known as the Tornado, who makes off with many of the world’s cultural treasures, including the Magna Carta, the Shroud of Turin, and, of course, the Pink Panther Diamond. Aiding Clouseau is a team of international investigators, most notably a Brit (Alfred Molina) and an Italian (Andy Garcia), all of whom get to marvel at his unfiltered silliness. While this second installment of the PINK PANTHER series reboot features some changes to the creative team, with director Harald Zwart (AGENT CODY BANKS) replacing Shawn Levy and John Cleese stepping in for Kevin Kline as the sourpuss Chief Inspector Dreyfus, the movie reunites Martin with the always-likeable actors Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer. Also joining the ensemble cast are Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jeremy Irons, and Martin’s old comrade Lily Tomlin, making this sequel quite crowded with top-notch talent. Though the film itself doesn’t live up to its potential--the Clouseau role is still securely owned by the late, great Peter Sellers--it offers up plenty of chuckle-inducing moments as Martin hams it up with grand mispronunciations and gleeful slapstick.