Like two films in one: Half silly slapstick romp, half straightforward, non-comedic (though still light-hearted) crime caper.
The former boasts Peter Sellers (brilliant as always) reprising his role as the fantastically inept Inspector Clouseau. The latter features Christopher Plummer as the suave, retired jewel thief out to clear his name when he becomes prime suspect in the disappearance of the diamond of the movie's title.
The Sellers half is great, with many fine, extended sight gags. But Plummer's half - while beautifully lensed on location in scenic Morocco - is sometimes exciting but too often tedious. You keep waiting to jump back to Sellers.
So overall it's a mixed bag - alternately funny and slow. But Edwards remains a fine writer (he co-wrote the screenplay) and a master of composition and staging. The movie looks terrific - as does Catherine Schell as Plummer's sophisticated wife with some secrets of her own.
My score card: Sellers' half rates an A. Plummer's half, C+.
The former boasts Peter Sellers (brilliant as always) reprising his role as the fantastically inept Inspector Clouseau. The latter features Christopher Plummer as the suave, retired jewel thief out to clear his name when he becomes prime suspect in the disappearance of the diamond of the movie's title.
The Sellers half is great, with many fine, extended sight gags. But Plummer's half - while beautifully lensed on location in scenic Morocco - is sometimes exciting but too often tedious. You keep waiting to jump back to Sellers.
So overall it's a mixed bag - alternately funny and slow. But Edwards remains a fine writer (he co-wrote the screenplay) and a master of composition and staging. The movie looks terrific - as does Catherine Schell as Plummer's sophisticated wife with some secrets of her own.
My score card: Sellers' half rates an A. Plummer's half, C+.