I originally reviewed Trail of the Pink Panther as part of the Pink Panther Collection, in which this hodgepodge of a movie was bundled with other, better Pink Panther films. Now it's back, in a single-disc release. Would taking a look at it again, without having seen the other films recently, make me have a kinder take on it? In a word: no.

The release date of Trail of the Pink Panther should be a tip-off that something's fishy here: 1982, two years after supposed leading man Peter Sellers' death. One might hope that this was a final film with Sellers that sat on a studio shelf for two years, or that it was a work-in-progress that was finished posthumously. Unfortunately, neither of those hopeful hypotheses is true. Trail of the Pink Panther is nothing more than an attempt to squeeze a little more life out of the old Panther franchise, with outtakes and deleted scenes from earlier Pink Panther movies cobbled together with new footage from the secondary actors to make what's supposed to be a complete story.

The story, such as it is, involves the theft of the Pink Panther diamond once again, and Inspector Clouseau gets onto the case... but disappears (how convenient), leaving others to try to track him down and solve the mystery. The film is decidedly unsuccessful, with a clumsy and pointless plot and very little humor. The "new" scenes with Sellers are easily recognizable as being either deleted scenes or alternate takes from earlier films. For instance, a scene in which he orders a hunchback disguise from the costume shop, and then walks home with the package and his groceries, is quite clearly a deleted scene from The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Some parts of this scene, in particular when he's struggling with the elevator, will prompt a few smiles at least, but it's not a good sign for the film when that's about as funny as it gets. Clouseau's slow-motion fight with Cato, from the same film, is also repeated here: it's a good scene, but hard to stomach knowing that it's simply recycled material.

At one hour and 37 minutes, Trail of the Pink Panther is relatively short, but even so it required some additional puffing. Midway through the film, the character of the investigative reporter interviews the characters of Sir Charles Lytton and Madame Clouseau (here re-characterized as Lady Lytton) prompting them to reminisce about Clouseau... at which point we get clips from The Pink Panther spliced in.

The only reason to watch Trail of the Pink Panther is if you're interested in seeing some deleted scenes and alternate takes from earlier films; approached that way, and not as an actual film, Trail may have some merit for die-hard fans. But as a movie on its own merits, it's a flop.

The DVD

Video

The only thing that this DVD release of Trail of the Pink Panther has in its favor is that it boasts a "new digital transfer" and soundtrack. The earlier release wasn't bad, but this new transfer is definitely better. The print is cleaner and crisper, with only a few minor flaws showing up. Some grain is apparent in the outdoor shots, but on the whole the image is nicely clear and detailed. The older footage with Sellers is much better integrated into the film, so there's very little difference between the recycled material and the new footage for the film; this is an improvement over the earlier release, in which the mismatch was fairly evident.

The film appears in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, and is anamorphically enhanced.

Audio

The other claim to fame of this transfer is a new Dolby 5.1 soundtrack; the original Dolby 2.0 mono track is also included. Unlike the video transfer, though, the audio transfer doesn't represent an improvement on the earlier release. I switched back and forth between the two tracks at various points during the film, and for most instances, I could find no noticeable difference between the 5.1 and mono tracks. In the action sequences, such as the Clouseau-Cato fight, I did notice somewhat of a distinction, but one that's unfavorable to the remastered track: the 5.1 was a bit louder than the mono track, and also a bit harsher-sounding. For the most part, it's six of one and half-dozen of another, but if I had to pick, I'd actually say that the original mono track is the better choice here.

French and Spanish mono tracks are also included, as are English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Extras

There's a photo gallery and the original theatrical trailer for the film included here.

Final Thoughts

Let me be perfectly clear: Trail of the Pink Panther is a terrible movie. The new video transfer makes it better looking, but it's like putting lipstick on a pig: everyone can see it's still a pig. This blatant attempt to cash in one last time on the late Peter Sellers' great comic work is a horrible hodgepodge that's painful to watch. I suppose die-hard fans may appreciate it as a way to see a few outtakes from Sellers' work on other Pink Panther films, but honestly that's a stretch. My advice is to skip it. If you're looking for a Pink Panther fix, just re-watch one of the earlier ones instead.