Revenge of the Pink Panther - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

All good things must come to an end, so why not go out on a big laugh? Unleashed two years before Seller’s untimely death, Revenge of the Pink Panther is another hilarious madcap delight, moving the franchise into the realm of ‘70s gangster and exploitation films. If nothing else, this film shows just how malleable the franchise was and how you could place Clouseau into almost any situation, and it’d still be a romp worth taking. I’d say the mafia plot angle is a weak point; it’s not as tight as Dreyfus creating an international incident just to kill Clouseau, but it serves the purpose of forcing the greatest detective in the world to go underground and in disguise. And this movie loves to show us Clouseau in disguise! We meet the incredible Professor Balls (Graham Stark - Harvey Korman portrayed Balls in The Pink Panther Strikes Again, but all of his scenes were cut from the final film; the footage would turn up in the woeful Trail of the Pink Panther) and his costume shop of wonders. We get to see Clouseau try to blend in with Hong Kong locals (a segment that might not age well for some), and then go full cotton-mouthed Brando as a mafioso Godfather. 

It’s a true testament of the abilities of Sellers and Blake Edwards to conjure up comedy gold - while apparently hating each other’s guts. By this point, their relationship was so bad that Sellers would write a seventh film, Romance of the Pink Panther, on his own and planned to make it without Blake Edwards behind the camera. Sadly, he passed away before that could happen. But, even through what sounded like absolute hatred at the time, Edwards and Sellers delivered another hilarious film. Iron needs fire and abrasion to become stronger. Without Sellers, none of  Blake Edwards’ Pink Panther follow-ups worked and were all painfully awful, unfunny, desperate misfires. To that end, I don’t think that Sellers’ planned Romance of the Pink Panther would have worked without Edwards directing. They may not have liked working together, they may have even hated each other, but the final product of each of their efforts remains some of the funniest material ever captured on film. It can’t be replicated, no matter how many times they’ve tried. It's hard to capture lightning in a bottle once. Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers did it five times within one franchise!

Here’s what I had to say about the entire series back in 2017 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Taking off in the blazing fire of the Silver Hornet, Revenge of the Pink Panther debuts in 2160p as a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Same as the previous films, the  4K is pressed on a BD100 disc with a Region A BD50 serving up 1080p and the bulk of the extras. The discs are housed in a standard black two-disc case with reversible insert art and slipcover.

Of the sequel films, a case can be made that Revenge of the Pink Panther arrives with the best of the new 2160p Dolby Vision transfers. There are a couple of brief odd shots with a strange bit of rather pronounced speckling and scratching (specifically, a reaction shot of Tony Beckley’s Guy Algo after Mr. Chong's destructive demonstration), but that’s the worst of it. Overall details and fine lines are much cleaner and sharper than in past releases. I do wonder if some sharpening was employed; sometimes the image can appear a little crispy, but nothing too distracting, and I didn’t notice any compression abnormalities or visual hiccups. Grain is present but not distractingly obvious or intrusive. The Dolby Vision grade is another strong effort, with robust colors that deliver vibrant primaries and healthy skin tones. Black levels are strong throughout with nice shadow separation. There are a couple of instances where I thought whites still looked a little hot, but looking black at the past editions, those moments always had a bit of blooming to them as if someone was standing right under the set light. Aside from some minor quibbles, this one comes out looking the second-best in the franchise on 4K. We’ll have to wait and see what Return of the Pink Panther looks like later in March of this year to get the full perspective of the series in 4K.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, Revenge of the Pink Panther enjoys a DTS-HD MA 2.0 and 5.1 audio package. The 2.0 is the default and, like the others, probably the better-balanced track available, but given how this particular film plays out, I have to tip my hat to the 5.1 track. It might need a little bit of a volume boost, but this film offers more surround opportunities. Similar to The Pink Panther Strikes Again, there’s just more going on with this film, from the various international locations to the disco to the docks of Hong Kong. This film finds more interesting ways to utilize those extra surround channels than, say, what The Pink Panther or A Shot in the Dark offered. Both tracks deliver, so if you feel more at home with the 2.0 you won’t be disappointed. 

Again, no new extras here, the same commentary track from before, the same promotional materials. Click that link above for my previous review for more info about the extras. 

• Audio Commentary featuring William Patrick Maynard
• Radio Spots
• TV Spots
• Theatrical Trailers
• Franchise Trailer Gallery:
• The Pink Panther
• A Shot in the Dark
• The Return of the Pink Panther
• The Pink Panther Strikes Again
• Trail of the Pink Panther
• Curse of the Pink Panther
• Son of the Pink Panther
• The Party

The final film of the true five Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers Clouseau Pink Panther films might not be the best, but it’s a damned hilarious flick all the same. While Sellers and Edwards were again at each other’s throats for this production, they still managed to deliver one funny-as-hell madcap comedy sequence after another. Of the original five, I may pull this off the shelf a bit more often than the original The Pink Panther, but I have to put A Shot in the Dark, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, and Return of the Pink Panther on a higher pedestal. But then, how do you earnestly rank comedic genius? Edwards and Sellers may not have been friends (to put it nicely), but they made some incredible films together - five of them featuring the exploits of one bumbling, lovable detective. As the final film of the series (the real one, not counting those disastrous spinoffs or weak sauce reboots), Revenge of the Pink Panther comes in with probably the best overall A/V presentation of the sequel films. The condition of the elements is in better shape, and the Dolby Vision grade is stronger, while both the 2.0 and 5.1 audio options deliver. Extras are the same slim archival materials, but if you haven’t listened to that commentary, it’s worth the time. All in all, a Recommended release.