The art of comedy… perfected by accident.

Sometimes a movie feels like a memory, and Revenge of the Pink Panther is pure ’70s leftover VHS goodness: the hazy glow of late-night TV, the freeze-frames you swear you remember, and a soundtrack by Mancini that sounds like vinyl through warm speakers. This sixth Panther entry, directed by Blake Edwards and starring Peter Sellers in his final new turn as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel — it’s trying to get you to laugh at how sideways it can go.

If you’re Gen-X, you grew up on Clouseau stumbling through screens and scenes like an avatar of accidental chaos. Sellers leans into that again here, delivering disguises, pratfalls, and that signature accent with a soft smile behind it. The film’s narrative — a mob boss trying to prove his muscle by killing Clouseau — mostly serves as scaffolding for sketches rather than story propulsion.

The Kino Lorber 4K release is where the nostalgia gently morphs into appreciation. Colors feel honest without being sharpened into sterility, grain is left intact, and the clarity helps these set pieces breathe. Details pop in the background — props, costumes, small expressions — the kind of stuff that broadened your grin back when you first saw them on grainy VHS. The remaster feels like you’ve dusted off an old friend you forgot you owned — and they still talk at exactly the same speed.

And then there’s the “A Bomb!” scene. In this gag — lifted straight from the film’s comedic DNA — Clouseau receives a “special delivery” package at a shop run by the eccentric Professor Balls. Without a beat, Sellers’ Clouseau treats the suspicious parcel like any other mundane errand, blissfully unaware that it’s meant to blow him up. The tension comes not from fear but from that delicious comedic timing where we, the audience, know something he doesn’t, and he barrels ahead with earnest obliviousness. It’s slapstick tension at its purest: simple, silly, and sold with full commitment.

Where modern comedies often trim jokes to a beat or two, this film luxuriates in them — letting awkward beats hang, letting Sellers’ physical choices land without cutting them away too soon. That’s both its charm and its weakness: if a gag doesn’t land for you, it lingers. But when it does — like the “special delivery” bit — you feel the pleasure of timing you didn’t even know you were waiting for.

It isn’t the sharpest entry in the franchise, and by the end you realize Edwards is mining series lode rather than breaking new ground. But that’s okay. This Kino Lorber 4K isn’t just a pretty upgrade — it reminds you why, for an entire generation, watching Clouseau blithely stick his foot in danger was a joy. If you grew up in that VHS glow, this feels less like a movie and more like a cultural hug.

Laugh again with one of cinema’s most iconic detectives — where every misstep is a masterpiece and every mishap is a memory.

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Edition

Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber
Available on Blu-ray - January 13, 2026
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Video: Dolby Vision
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

The inimitable Inspector Jacques Clouseau is back — and blundering his way into bigger trouble than ever! In Revenge of the Pink Panther, Peter Sellers delivers his most delightfully unhinged performance yet as the oblivious, accident-prone sleuth on the trail of an international criminal mastermind. When a mysterious package lands on his doorstep, Clouseau’s instinct isn’t fear — it’s routine! With unwavering confidence and zero self-awareness, he turns everyday hazards into legendary slapstick. Now presented in jaw-dropping 4K resolution, this Kino Lorber edition restores the visual detail and vibrant color this classic comedy deserves. From Clouseau’s wild disguises to unforgettable set-piece moments, every pratfall, pause, and perfectly timed punchline shines.

VIDEO

The 4K glow-up on Revenge of the Pink Panther is the kind that sneaks up on you—in the best way. Kino Lorber doesn’t scrub the movie into plastic perfection; instead, they let the natural film grain breathe while dialing up clarity where it counts.

Colors have real pop now (those ’70s interiors finally look like design choices, not accidents), blacks are steadier, and fine details in costumes and backgrounds land with a quiet confidence that old TV prints never had. It still feels like a late-night favorite, just one that’s been cleaned, pressed, and reminded it actually looks pretty great for its age. This is the rare upgrade that respects the vibe while making you notice how much was hiding in plain sight.

AUDIO

The audio upgrade is similarly low-key but deeply appreciated. The original mix is presented cleanly and faithfully, with dialogue finally sounding crisp instead of buried in that familiar TV-era mush. Peter Sellers’ line readings and little under-the-breath mutterings come through clearly, which matters more here than any sonic fireworks.

Henry Mancini’s score has better separation and warmth, giving the music room to swing without overpowering the gags. No gimmicky surround nonsense, no artificial punch-ups—just a respectful polish that makes the comedy play smoother and the whole track feel less like a relic and more like a well-kept classic.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• See Special Features.

Special Features:

The special features on this Kino Lorber 4K set lean into classic physical-media goodness — thoughtful commentary, historical context, and the kind of archival material collectors appreciate. Rather than flashy new documentaries, this edition gives you room to hear the movie and see the marketing history that surrounded its original release, offering both a fresh critical perspective and a nostalgic look back at how the film was presented to audiences in its day.

Disc 1 (4K UHD):

• Audio Commentary with film historian William Patrick Maynard
• Dolby Vision/HDR transfer from a 4K scan of the original camera negative
• 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 audio options
• Optional English subtitles

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

• Audio Commentary with William Patrick Maynard (same track)
• Two Theatrical Trailers (3:04)
• Five TV Spots (1:57)
• Five Radio Spots (2:21) 1
• Surround and Lossless 2.0 audio
• Optional English subtitles

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: PG
Runtime: 99 mins
Director: Blake Edwards
Writer: Frank Waldman; Ron Clark
Cast: Peter Sellers; Herbert Lom; Burt Kwouk
Genre: Comedy | Crime
Tagline: Just when you thought it was safe o go back to the movies.
Memorable Movie Quote: "So as a tribute to my memory, you open this - this Chinese nookie factory?"
Theatrical Distributor: United Artists
Official Site:
Release Date: July 19, 1978
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: January 13, 2026.
Synopsis: To prove that he still is strong and powerful, Philippe Douvier decides to kill Clouseau. Once news of his "death" has been announced, Clouseau tries to take advantage of it and goes undercover with Cato to find out who tried to kill him.