Critics destroyed this when it came out. The trailers didn’t look promising as few, if any, of the jokes hit. But I like Depp and I held out hope this was a throwback type of comedy in the same vein as the original Pink Panther. I’m sorry to report my fears were confirmed. While the film does attempt to capture some of the magic of those older comedies, the big problem is, almost none of the jokes work. The timing is off. The script doesn’t come through. Most everything just falls flat.
This isn’t a terrible film in the sense that it’s poorly made or that the performances are bad. Actually, it seems most of the actors/actresses are giving 100%. Depp appears to be having fun. Bettany is particularly good here. But unfortunately, it’s just not that funny. With the talent involved, this should have been a laugh-a-minute fest like Bill Murray’s The Man Who Knew Too Little. Instead, it’s just a forgettable, slightly humorous slog.