Movie the Pink Panther Strikes Again

"Compared to Clouseau, this doomsday car is just a water pistol!"

— Onetime Chief Inspector Dreyfus

The Pinkish Panther Strikes Again (1976) is the fifth pic in The Pink Panther franchise, once again directed past Blake Edwards and starring Peter Sellers as (now-Primary Inspector) Clouseau.

Three years subsequently the events of The Return of the Pink Panther, ^note though this moving-picture show was only fabricated one year after Old Principal Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is seemingly cured... but after coming together upwardly with Clouseau but prior to his planned release from the psychiatric infirmary, the therapy is undone. Dreyfus escapes and organizes a criminal gang that kidnaps nuclear physicist Hugo Fassbender (Richard Vernon) and his girl Margo (Briony McRoberts). Forcing the onetime to build a Disintegrator Ray, Dreyfus threatens to unleash it on the globe unless Clouseau is killed, and many countries immediately ship assassins subsequently Clouseau as he sets out to stop Dreyfus himself.

Followed by Revenge of the Pink Panther.

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This moving picture provides examples of:

• Activation Sequence: A villainous version, with Dreyfus' Disintegrator Ray taking a long fourth dimension to actuate before being used in an attempt to destroy England.
• Actor Innuendo: Dreyfus' organ playing and cape within the film is a nod to the fact Herbert Lom had starred in The Phantom of the Opera (1962).
• Adaptational Alternating Ending: The novelization of the movie (past screenplay co-writer Frank Waldman) features a totally different and relatively bizarre ending where both Dreyfus and Professor Fassbender are disintegrated by the Doomsday Machine. The last affiliate reveals that they take rematerialized in the distant future in a lonely part of infinite known as the Ultimate Galaxy of the Dimension Quattro (where everything they've disintegrated, including the United Nations Building and the front one-half of a dog named Shlep, has ended up). Facing an eternity together as the sole inhabitants of this empty airplane of being, Dreyfus and Fassbender have become friends.
• An Arm and a Leg: After being catapulted back into the castle, Clouseau lands on top of the doomsday auto, knocking it out of position and zapping Dreyfus' legs. Despite this, Dreyfus is still able to walk normally until the entire castle is vaporized. He is as well able to play the pipe organ afterward his artillery disappear.
• Animated Credits Opening: Produced by Richard Williams' Studio. Can exist seen here along with the Creative Closing Credits.
• Armed Legs: One of the killers uses a shoe knife.
• Artifact Title: The Pinkish Panther diamond plays no role in the film's plot.
• Artistic License – Geography: Dreyfus declares he will make the UN building disappear at 3PM Eastern Standard Time, which would exist 9PM in Germany. However, it is broad daylight in both locations.
• Artistic License – Gun Safety:
  • Going by the way that Clouseau accidentally shot a man in the ass past knocking one over and making information technology go off, Professor Fassbender stores his hunting rifles loaded and unsafed.
  • During the scene at the insane asylum, a homo walks in forepart of an archery target moments before someone shoots at information technology, with a real arrow. Said target is in the middle of an open field with no backstop.
• Artistic License – Physics: Dreyfus may have reflected the doomsday LASER off of a satellite, ^note Something which ways that there's a material it tin can't destroy, because otherwise it would have vaporized the satellite instead of the Un Edifice because otherwise, the LASER beam fired from Germany would have to exist pointed through the Earth to attain the United Nations Building in New York City. This issue is never explained in the film, but this is a one-act after all. Targeting the Laser on England may be more than plausible.
• Badass Avowal: Dreyfus says as much almost Clouseau. Although he does not mean it as a compliment at all. To wit, 1 of Dreyfus' goons points out the obvious: Dreyfus has some of the finest hitmen in Europe in the very room they're continuing, so why not handle it themselves instead of extorting the world's governments to practice information technology for them? Dreyfus' reply?

  Dreyfus: Because you wouldn't stand a gamble.

  Goon: (scoffs) Oh, come up on.

  Dreyfus: You don't know Clouseau.

  Tournier: He tin't exist that good.

  Dreyfus: Good? He'south non good. He's terrible. He's the worst. There is no man similar him, anywhere in the world. Compared to Clouseau, this Doomsday Machine is... is simply a water pistol!

• Balloonacy: Clouseau is floated out of his apartment window by the inflatable hump in his hunchback costume, thereby causing him to miss the bomb Dreyfus sets off.
• Depository financial institution Robbery: Dreyfus breaks a number of criminals out of prison and has them rob a bank in order to secure the funds he needs for his plot.
• Bath Break-Out: Dreyfus orchestrates the escape of a prisoner named Jean Tourier who is being transported past train. Tourier goes to the bathroom, then climbs out through the ventilator on to the roof of the railroad train where Dreyfus is waiting for him in a helicopter.
• Big Underground: Fassbender's butler lies about having witnessed the offense due to business organisation that information technology will come out that he's a Drag Queen.
• Buccaneer Broadcaster: Dreyfus hijacks the broadcast of a football game to deliver his need of Clouseau's death, much to the ire of President Gerald Ford due to the hijacking cutting out the end of the game.

  President Gerald Ford: Call the FBI, the CIA, and the Pentagon, find out who won the game!!

• The Cameo:
  • Omar Sharif plays the Egyptian assassinator whom the Russian one mistakes for Clouseau on their initial meeting; he beds her, and she falls in beloved and chooses non to kill him, which is extremely disruptive for the real Clouseau later.
  • At that place's besides a musical cameo: the (intentionally) awful singing voice sported past elevate queen Jarvis is supplied by Julie Andrews via dubbing.
• Captain Obvious:

  François: What kind of bomb was it?

  Clouseau: The exploding kind.

• Carnival of Killers: The world's greatest assassins descend on Munich in attempt to kill Clouseau and stop up wiping each other out. (Coincidentally, given this trope'due south name, the sequence in question takes place at an Oktoberfest celebration.)
• Catapult to Glory: Clouseau is inadvertently lofted through a castle window by a catapult.
• Comically Missing the Bespeak: In the opening, Clouseau tells Dreyfus that he might run for function in a few years. Dreyfus stifles a laugh and says he'll certainly vote for him. Clouseau then replies that, in render, he'll ensure he'southward released. Dreyfus then does the sign of the cross in a "God aid me" sort of style, to which Clouseau just says "aye, I know how yous feel."
• Contrived Coincidence: Clouseau checks into an inn near Mondschein Castle. After, Dreyfus calls the innkeeper to request a dentist who happens to live there.
• Darker and Edgier: It could be the second darkest moving-picture show in the franchise, though it's more of a Blackness Comedy.
• Delayed Reaction: Clouseau doesn't observe that the helium hump in his Quasimodo disguise has acquired him to float out the window until Cato tries to speak to him. Cato is naturally unfazed seeing him floating to a higher place the street.
• Disintegrator Ray: The device created by Professor Fassbender (and used by former Chief inspector Dreyfus as a weapon of mass destruction).
• Disproportionate Retribution: Dreyfus attempts to destroy an unabridged country because he was lied to about Clouseau'southward assassination. The state that falsely claimed to kill Clouseau is Egypt. The country Dreyfus decides to punish is England.
  • Well, he did say "they all betrayed me" and his demand to take Clouseau killed was directed at the entire globe, so...
  • And then there'southward of grade the whole plot hinging on him threatening to destroy/kill the entire world unless someone kills Clouseau for him.
  • Lastly, Professor Fassbender was from England, and Dreyfus was completely insane by that indicate.
• Practise Non Suit Your Prepare: Dreyfus hijacks every TV signal in order to announce his death warrant for Clouseau. Problem: Nobody knows what he's talking about and are more concerned that he interrupted the big football game.

  President Ford: Call the FBI, the CIA and the Pentagon! Find out who won the game!

• Down to the Last Play: The football game game that Dreyfus preempted, to President Ford's dismay.
• The Dragon: Bank robber Tournier, who is the start recruit to Dreyfus's army, acts as an counselor to him and goes to try and kill Clouseau himself after most of the world's assassins fail.
• Dramatic Thunder: The first shot of Mondschein Castle is accompanied by a thunderclap.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: When Dreyfus attempts to accident up Clouseau in his flat, he calls him, to ensure he's within the blast radius, and claims he's role of a committee that intends to nowadays him with an award. Clouseau remarks that he wondered why, after 9 years of service, he'south not been recognized sooner.
• Equal-Opportunity Evil: Dreyfus has several women every bit role of his crew.
• Evil Costume Switch: Dreyfus is wearing a grey suit in the opening, and in one case he becomes a supervillain, he dresses in all black.
• Evil Is Hammy: Dreyfus is fully aware that he has turned into a Bond villain and is enjoying every minute of information technology.
• Exact Words:

  Closeau: Does your dog bite?

  Hotel Clerk: No.

  Closeau: <petpetpet> Nice doggie!

  Dog: OMNOMNOM!

  Closeau: I thought you said your domestic dog did non seize with teeth!

  Hotel Clerk: That is not my dog.

• Explosive Instrumentation: The computers and panels in the control room get-go exploding equally the doomsday machine overloads.
• Confront Expiry with Nobility: As the laser slowly destroys the castle, Dreyfus remains playing "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" on the organ.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: in his previous films, Dreyfus has been a threat just to Clouseau. Here, he is the leader of a powerful crime grouping and threatens the world's powers into doing what he wants.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Dreyfus' fate. As he tries to destroy England with his laser, Clouseau accidentally knocks information technology around at the crucial moment - it malfunctions and zaps Dreyfus instead.
• Dear Trap: Olga, the Soviet agent. She seduces her prey before killing them, even boasting that no man had ever been able to involve her emotionally. However, she ends up seducing the Egyptian assassin, mistaking him for Clouseau, and falls in love with the real Clouseau, much to his confusion.
• I Have Your Wife: Fassbender's daughter is threatened to make him build Dreyfus'southward device.
• Instrument of Murder: A clarinet blowgun.
• Intimidation Demonstration: During Kato's surprise attack on Clouseau, Kato displays impressive ability wielding a staff and Clouseau shows off his elite skill with a pair of nunchucks before they start using them to fight.
• It's Ever Mardi Gras in New Orleans: When Inspector Clouseau goes to Munich, the yearly Oktoberfest festival is going on; justified as the film takes place on and around October ninth. During the celebration, the world'south greatest assassins compete to kill him.
• Kidnapped Scientist: Dreyfus kidnaps Hugo Fassbender, a scientist specializing in space-time relations, to build a doomsday weapon. To ensure Fassbender'due south cooperation, Dreyfus kidnaps his daughter also.
• Laughing Gas: In order to infiltrate Dreyfus's castle, Clouseau disguises himself every bit a dentist who has come to take care of Dreyfus's toothache. He administers nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to both Dreyfus and himself, causing both of them to be overcome with laughter.
• Madness Mantra: Dreyfus' "Every day, in every style, I'thou getting better and better!"
• Manly Gay: Jarvis the butler is a elevate queen and kisses Clouseau at 1 betoken but drives effectually on a motorcycle and is able to kill an assassin who tries to silence him.
• Monumental Impairment: Dreyfus vaporizes the Un building to make his threat clear. He is initially disappointed when told that the auto will not leave a crater or wreckage.
• Potato'southward Bed: Information technology's the basis for the final non-animated gag.
• Nails on a Blackboard: Used as a literal torture method.
• Naked in Mink: Olga Beriosova (Lesley-Anne Down) seduces Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) in a scene that is beyond words.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: The U.South. President and Secretary of State are obvious parodies of Gerald Ford and Henry Kissinger.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Upon reading the transcript of Dreyfus' threat, the Scotland Yard detectives initially laugh it off, until they read that he intends to make the United nations building disappear. They realize he intends to use Fassbender's work to brand good on his threat.
  • The United states President'due south Secretarial assistant of State has one when he learns that twelve countries have their elevation assassins converging on the Oktoberfest to kill Clouseau:

  Secretary of Country Henry Kissinger: My god it'll be like a shooting gallery.

  • Clouseau is catapulted onto the doomsday motorcar, knocking it out of position. Everyone in the control room panics upon seeing the automobile is at present pointing within.
• Oktoberfest: The hilarious scene where Clouseau goes to the Munich Oktoberfest and several dozen assassins from around the world accidentally kill each other while trying to kill him.
• Ominous Opera Cape: Dreyfus wears a black opera greatcoat while making his threat to the world.
• Ominous Piping Organ: Onetime Main Inspector Dreyfus plays a version of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" instead of the usual Bach Toccata.
• One-Human being Regular army: The U.s. President refers to Clouseau as this when he is told that twenty-6 assassins dies trying to impale the French inspector. However, Clouseau is actually an disfavor; the assassins took each other out by accident while Clouseau, who wasn't even enlightened of them, survived through dumb luck.
• Operation: [Blank]: Fassbender worked on a projection called Functioning Looking Drinking glass, which serves every bit the basis of Dreyfus's doomsday machine.
• Hurting to the Donkey: While at the Fassbender home, Clouseau accidentally sets off a rifle which hits Superintendant Quinlan in the donkey.
• Potty Dance: Just before activating the doomsday machine, Dreyfus says he needs to become to the bathroom and tells Fassbender to hold off until he gets back. The Professor says he has already started the firing sequence, causing Dreyfus to wince in discomfort as he watches the machine being aimed.
• Pretty in Mink: Would-exist assassin Olga wears a full-length coat and hat.
• Rake Take: While talking with Clouseau in the prologue, Dreyfus steps on ane, causing him to fall over in the water... over again.
• Realpolitik: Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, one of history's most famous proponents of Realpolitik, suggests that Dreyfus will likely hand over the doomsday auto to whichever state eliminates Clouseau. Hence, the assassins are ordered to kill each other in lodge to be the one with a shot at Clouseau, though they all fail confronting him nevertheless. In reality, Dreyfus muses that he might continue his reign of terror regardless of whether Clouseau is killed or non.
• Reference Overdosed: The opening titles include parodies of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Batman, King Kong, The Sound of Music, Dracula, Singin' in the Rain, Steamboat Bill, Jr., and Sweet Charity. The closing scene includes a parody of Jaws.
• Reluctant Mad Scientist: Professor Fassbender. Dreyfus kidnaps him and threatens to torture his daughter if he doesn't build a doomsday car based on his theoretical studies.
• Revenge of the Sequel: The "Strikes Once more" version is used for this title.
• Running Gag: The corporeality of times Dreyfus is knocked into the pond at the kickoff.
• Sanity Slippage: Dreyfus is due to be released from the insane asylum when Clouseau drives him to insanity within the span of v minutes. After that, he goes full James Bail supervillain simply to have Clouseau killed.
• Screen-to-Stage Adaptation: A phase version was created for regional/amateur theaters in 1981. It's a Pragmatic Adaptation that, amid other things, gives the Girl of the Week more characterization, has its own "Pink Panthers" (stagehands who sometimes interfere with the plot), and completely rethinks the climax: the disintegrator ray has a self-destruct mechanism built in that the professor activates. Dreyfus is ready to go down with information technology, simply Clouseau'south morals and sense of honor mean he's ready to Save the Villain...or go down with him. The prospect of going into eternity with Clouseau is terrifying enough for Dreyfus that he allows himself to be saved and taken into custody.
• Screw This, I'yard Outta Here!: Afterward Clouseau knocks the doomsday machine out of position and zaps Dreyfus, everyone immediately flees the castle.
• Separated by a Common Language: Clouseau and the hotel clerk.

  Clouseau: (in his usual exaggerated French accent) Tell me, practice you accept a room?
  Clerk: I practise non know what a "rrrheum" is.
  Clouseau: (pulling out his English-to-German dictionary) "Zimmer".
  Clerk: Ah! A "room"!
  Clouseau: That is what I've been proverb, y'all idiot...!

• Sequel Escalation: Clouseau goes from investigating robberies and murders to try to salvage the world. Likewise Dreyfus has been trying to kill Clouseau always since his outset appearance in A Shot in the Dark, but in this film he goes total-blown James Bond supervillain and threatens to destroy the earth unless someone, anyone, kills Clouseau.
• Sexual activity–Face Plow: The same effect is accomplished not past the antagonistic adult female actually seducing the hero, but by having her sleep with someone she thought was him when it was in fact another member of the aforementioned multi-national Carnival of Killers as her. This leaves the hero very confused when she of a sudden appears naked in his bed professing her undying love for him.
• Sherlock Browse: In the opening, Dreyfus shows off some of his policeman skills by remarking that his psychiatrist has had another fight with his married woman, every bit information technology is the only time he doodles.
• Shout-Out: The movie has this in spades, eight of which are in the Animated Credits Opening alone.
• Siege Engines: Inspector Clouseau is accidentally propelled upwards and through a castle window by a catapult.
• Singing Voice Racket: Exaggerated. Ainsley Jarvis appears to be singing a song in a operatic female vocalization, but when he talks it'due south clearly a human in drag.
• Spanner in the Works: When Clouseau unwittingly lands on meridian of the laser and ends up unintentionally aiming information technology at Dreyfus.
• Stating the Simple Solution: Some of the criminals ask Dreyfus why they don't just go after Clouseau themselves, instead of having the world'southward assassins do information technology. Dreyfus replies that they would not stand up a chance (as we see, he'southward right - even the world's top assassins are helpless confronting Clouseau'due south incredible luck).
• Supervillain Lair: The Bavarian castle that Dreyfus has bought and converted into his hiding spot for the doomsday car. The control room definitely looks like something out of a James Bond film.
• Sweater Girl: Margo Fassbender spends most if not all of her screen time in a sweater that isn't exactly beefy.
• Sweet Molar: Dreyfus helps himself to sweets, eventually getting a cavity.
• Have Over the World: Dreyfus' ostensible goal in creating the doomsday device, but the true reason is only to become Clouseau killed. Though he later tells Fassbender that he considered continuing his reign of terror regardless of whether Clouseau is eliminated.
• Too Impaired to Live: Jean Tournier, an otherwise vivid criminal, goes against Dreyfus's advice and decides to take out Clouseau himself for clout. His plan? Sneak into Clouseau'south hotel room bearded as Clouseau himself. He is immediately gunned down by the Egyptian assassin, showing that perchance dressing equally the man all the world'due south greatest killers are openly gunning for may not have been the best call.
• The Tooth Hurts: Sometime Master Inspector Dreyfus gets a bad toothache and sends for a dentist. Clouseau pretends to be the dentist and performs dental malpractice on Dreyfus.
• Torpedo Tits: One of the killers, a cantankerous-dressed homo, attacks Clouseau with spikes emerging from the fake tits in his dress. He meets his end when he's pinned to a table.
• Twitchy Centre: Dreyfus' famous twitch is more pronounced than e'er here. When he is disintegrated at the end, it's the last thing that we see of his face.
• Uncertain Doom: 2 of the assassins at the Oktoberfest who impale other assassins (a sniper peeking out the oral fissure of a dragon prop and a piper who shoots a poisoned dart) aren't shown dying on screen, although it's after claimed that the Russian and Egyptian assassins are the last ones left and there's little reason to doubt that statement.
• Villain Brawl: Upon seeing that Clouseau is in the castle, Dreyfus announces he volition pick a target and and then worry about Clouseau. Then again, he has gone completely insane by this betoken.
• Wins by Doing Admittedly Naught: At the Oktoberfest, Clouseau wanders aimlessly through the festival while dozens of assassins end upwards killing each other while trying to kill him. The easiest incident to draw was when he entered the center stall at a restroom, while two gunmen entered the other two. Clouseau bends over to pick up a dropped roll of toilet newspaper at the moment the assassins fire, resulting in a Mutual Kill.
• Would Hurt a Child: Dreyfus gleefully tortures Fassbender's girl Margot to convince him to build the laser.
• Yank the Dog's Chain: After iii years of therapy, Dreyfus is finally sane again and within hours of being released from the asylum. He suffers a total relapse and ends up fifty-fifty crazier than before later spending a mere five minutes (almost to the 2nd) in Clouseau'due south company.
• You Can Leave Your Lid On: In the final scene, Clouseau tries (and fails) to seductively take off his adjust to a Tom Jones song before his love scene with Olga.
• You're Insane!: Professor Fassbender is quick to point out that Dreyfus is mad.

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Source: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/ThePinkPantherStrikesAgain

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