A highly awkward and tepid climax ends things with a whimper.

There are some beautifully constructed, elaborately inventive sequences of mayhem involving sight gags; then there are the scenes in between, when people talk. These are mostly disappointing.

This revisiting of Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau catapults Martin so far beyond the pale of authentic comedy that there can be no hope of return.

Steve Martin continues his uninspired performance as the Inspector, complete with an intentionally bad French accent, over-the-top stupidity, and his poor pronunciation of “hamburger.”