The thing I liked most about this slapstick-silly sequel to the 2006 franchise reboot is that, though it derives most of its laughs from watching 63-year-old Steve Martin fall down a lot and act like a bumbling fool, it doesn’t stoop to kicks in the crotch or fart jokes to entertain you.

Martin again performs pratfalls and mercilessly mangles the English language as French Inspector Jacques Clouseau, who somehow gets appointed to a team of international detectives assigned to thwart a thief who has stolen historical artifacts from their respective countries.

For sure Martin is no Peter Sellers and the film itself is hardly A Shot in the Dark, but you can’t deny that the guy earns his (likely) large paycheck here. I laughed loud and often watching him prance around in a matador costume, get beat up by the kids of his devoted partner (Jean Reno) and dress up in the Pope’s clothes before tumbling off the Pope’s balcony.

As orchestrated by Danish director Harald Zwart (Agent Cody Banks), the best bits evoke classic silent comedy. Like when Martin nearly knocks over a restaurant’s wine shelf, tries to catch each bottle as it falls out and then tosses them to other diners who then toss them to each other and so bottles fly and whirl about all over the room.

In another funny bit the various detectives, including Andy Garcia and Alfred Molina, grill a suspect (Jeremy Irons) in his mansion while trying to block his view of his security monitors where we see Martin skulk about and get run over by horses, balance on a rolling globe, fall from a high window and fall down one very long chimney.

The supporting cast earns some laughs, too, especially Garcia as the Italian representative who romances Martin’s girlfriend (Emily Mortimer) and has to constantly repeat his long name when introducing himself. We also get Lily Tomlin’s hilarious attempts to teach Martin political correctness, and Molina has a great bit with Martin as the two try to one-up each other with their expert detective skills.

My only real complaint is seeing John Cleese wasted as Chief Inspector Dreyfus, a role that has required whoever plays it to express exasperation at idiot Clouseau’s strokes of luck. Herbert Lom went classically batty, and Kevin Kline was amusingly aloof, but Cleese merely sputters and yells and that’s about it, aside from an amusing scene where he bangs his head against a wall.

And though the laughs eventually peter out, the film’s only about 87 minutes long and overall is perfect for people of any age. So check it out if you don’t mind seeing Alfred Molina in a tutu, watching the suave Andy Garcia fall down some stairs and laughing as Martin is flung halfway across Paris. – [DVD]

Adventure/Comedy/Mystery

Rated PG

DVD Release Date: 6/23/09

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