The Pink Panther Film Collection [6 Discs] [DVD]

Straight from the MGM vaults comes The Pink Panther Film Collection, a sharp release that packages together some of the finest moments in history of slapstick comedy. For fans of the dynamic duo of Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards, the set is a dream, with gorgeous remastered prints and revamped audio levels that make each print a pristine element to be enjoyed for endless viewing. Sadly, despite the set's looks, not every one of the duo's Panther films could be included (the third entry, The Return of the Pink Panther, is held up in rights issues). Despite it not quite being as complete as many would like, the set still is something terribly special. First off is the packaging; inside a slipcase there is a puffy faux photo album book which unfolds to display a dual-layered digipack case that holds six discs. Making the packaging even swankier is the lounge-tastic art that adorns the packaging, along with a wild panoramic piece underneath the discs that highlights classic Clouseau moments from the oh-so-hip artist Shag. There's never quite been anything like this set, so collectors beware -- this is one box that you shouldn't miss out on.Each film is presented in a remastered anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen picture, along with standout 5.1 Surround tracks and, for extra benefit, the original Mono tracks as well. Since so much of the film series' history has been relegated to cut-up TV broadcasts, seeing the full scope of each film is a delight, as is the top quality in which they can now be seen. Particularly benefiting from the remastering are the wild color schemes in which Edwards swathed his sets -- here, they're bright and vibrant, whereas the older copies had long lost their brilliance. The discs also feature each film's original theatrical trailers, along with accompanying photo galleries. Other extras that can be found on the first disc include a fact track and Blake Edwards commentary that, while a little rusty, is packed with stories and anecdotes on the production. The track tends to suffer from the same thing that plagues the supplementary sixth disc, and that is a lack of the juicy behind-the-scenes tales. Edwards often states that he had the best and the worst of times with Sellers, though he never goes beyond that. Mix that with his inexperience with recording commentaries (the last third of the film finds the director almost completely silent), and you have a track that is wonderful on a historical level, but severely lacking otherwise in content. On that same note, the 30-minute "Pink Panther Story" documentary does a fine job of chronicling the first two entries, but simply breezes over everything after that (including the incredibly controversial Trail of the Pink Panther -- the final installment that the duo made two years after Sellers' death -- featuring outtakes and best-of clips). Thankfully, they've also included a juicy featurette on the Pink Panther cartoon series and a collection of six of the animated shorts (including classic "Ant and the Aardvark" sketch). In the end, the set is worth it for enthusiasts of the series and especially collectors who flip over outrageous packaging.