Looking over the reviews of Steve Martin‘s remake of The Pink Panther, I’ve noticed that a lot of reviewers ask, "What’s the point?" (here, here, here, here, here, etc.) Setting aside the fact that these critics seem to have rejected the movie on some kind of misguided principle before even seeing it, I’d like to try to answer the question:
Steve Martin is one of the great geniuses in the history of comedy, and like most geniuses, he seeks out challenges. He’s done it his whole career: When he was the biggest comedian in the world, he quit touring and focused on acting. He followed The Jerk with a Depression-era musical (Pennies From Heaven) that confused his fans who expected another zany comedy.
