Rating: 
Summary: Great follow-up from the first!
Review: "A Shot In The Dark" finds Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau on the case of a murder at the Chateau. Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer), a resider, is accused. Clouseau has fallen in love with her and is willing to free her of any charge by watching her every move and masquerading, which finds him going to the police station 4 times in a repeated paddy wagon sequence which is absolutely the cream of it all. Streaking through a nudist colony is another great sequence that is a quite a shocker on film. When the climax is about to occur, Clouseau questions a group of bickering people who've comitted dirty sinful deeds, plus Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is out to eliminate Clouseau. He did, of course, fail to do so. The outcome is surprising. You'll have to see for yourself. It's not better than "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" as it is called by many the best. It comes close, though. This is the only Pink Panther movie that does not have the Pink Panther in the title and the theme song in the movie, but is definetly worth seeing. There's no question about it. You'll laugh so hard you'll fall. Don't fall to hard, otherwise you'll receive a "bemp" on the head!
Rating:
Summary: A Very Good Shot
Review: "A Shot In The Dark" is the first sequel to "The Pink Panther". Or, it is the first in the series of Inspector Clouseau movies. Take your pick. Peter Sellers, as Clouseau, was part of the ensemble cast that made "The Pink Panther" such an excellent movie. But Blake Edwards quickly realized that he had stumbled onto something special. "A Shot In The Dark" was the first movie where Inspector Clouseau was the main character. It also introduced Clouseau's boss, Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), and Kato (Bert Kwouk), both of whom became fixtures throughout the rest of the series. On the other hand, it continues with the pink panther animation and the Henry Mancini theme from "The Pink Panther", despite the fact that this is the only film in the series that doesn't have "The Pink Panther" in the title. Nor is the mythical diamond in the plot.All this aside, the formula that developed with this movie is a good one. Sellers is hilarious as Clouseau and, of the Clouseau series, this one is the most tightly plotted and works the best. A chauffer in a wealthy household is shot dead in a room belonging to a maid. The maid is found with the gun in her hand. Clouseau, mistakenly assigned to the case, is smitten by the maid (Elke Sommer) and is determined to prove her innocent. A madcap caper with a surprise ending ensues. The scene in the nudist camp is the most famous, but this movie is riddled with funny lines and hilarious scenes. Sellers was a brilliant comedian, and this is possibly his best movie. If you're a fan of Sellers work, you can't be without this one. If you're unfamiliar with Sellers, this is an excellent chance to give him a try. In any event, this one's a classic. One that anybody with a sense of humor can enjoy. I recommend it very highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant
Review: A chapter in the myriad of Pink Panther films, this film is one of the best crafted and most hillarious in the series. Unlike the other films in the series, this film does not focus as much on the Pink Panther as on The Svejk-like inspector Clouseau himself. Valuable to a fan of the series it takes the time to provide a deeper insight into the character of the infamous and clumsy inspector. Investigating a murder in the house of the multimillionaire leads Clouseau to brilliantly farcical adventure, unexpected romance as he tries to defend his lovely object of affection from false accusations and yet a more unexpected conclusion to his case.
Clouseau's developed persona and the mishaps attached to it may be the highlight's of the film, but they do not compensate for the 2-dimensionality of the rest of the characters. There is little to the films secondary protagonist, Maria Gambrelli, as her only feature is a magnificent talent to attract bad luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, having a well-developed character, Clouseau in this case, is very good, but it seems that there should be more Clouseau's in the film.
So, this dramatic production seems to have spread out a bit too thinly as it tries to focus on Clouseau, the case, and the sparked romance. If the director could perhaps chose a more defined focus, this film could have been improved greatly. Having said that, this film does a far better job in the field of comedy than most modern films that audaciously bear the title of "comedy". Highly recommended
Rating:
Summary: You won't know what hit you.
Review: A howlingly funny film that shows just how brilliant star Sellers and writer/director Edwards can be. The best among the Jacques Clouseau series, though all are worth a look. Genuine laughs come throughout this film, right up to the ending in which Clouseau "reveals" the killer. No one can stall for time as hilariously as Sellers does here. If you enjoy this film, you undoubtedly will also enjoy Blake Edwards' other slapstick offerings--most notedly "Operation Petticoat."
Rating:
Summary: The Best Clouseau Film
Review: After the first Pink Panther film, which was extremely long, rather boring, and silly-humour featured, and besides, Blake Edwards meant to make it a tribute to David Niven, comes A Shot in the Dark, which is hilarious, interesting and well acted by the one and only, Peter Sellers. I attach little importance to the slapstick humour in that film (which is wonderful in its way)- for example when Clouseau falls into the fountain, but to the classic phrases, pronounced in an awkward French accent, such as "she's got a beump" or "Kato, answer the pheune". Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Funny but a bit outdated
Review: Although funny at times, this film seemed a bit outdated and boring in general. Also, the quality of the transfer and sound is not impressive...
Rating:
Summary: a must see
Review: Although I would agree that like any comedy, there are moments in A Shot in the Dark where it is clear the writers were trying to hard, but make no mistake, this is an unbelievably funny movie. This is the only Pink Panther I've ever seen and I'm completely in love with it. Just the first twenty minutes are funnier than anything I've ever seen before.
I would not, however, necessarily recommend the DVD.
The DVD includes both the widescreen and the modified versions of the film. Unfortunately, seeing the movie in widescreen doesn't help it at all, in fact it detracts. The movie is known for it's funny acting, not for it's cinematography (which I didn't particularly like). I would recommend the DVD over the VHS only if it isn't siginificantly more expensive.
Rating:
Summary: The clumsy inspector at his best
Review: Although not really a movie in the Pink Panther series, (no pink panther diamond and no pink panther cartoon in the opening credits) inspector Clouseau is again the leading character. Once again he drives his superior, collegues and servant to dispair in a murder investigation where only he is certain that the beautiful Elke Sommers isn't guilty of the crimes she is suspected of. This movie contains more classic comedy highlights than the other "Clouseau" movies put together: the snooker scene, Clouseau in desguise trying to follow Elke Sommers after her release from prison, the scene in the nudist colony and the following one with Clouseau and Sommers "nude" in his car in a Paris traffic jam. The attempts on Clouseau's life and how he escapes are brilliant! All the Pink Panther movies are gems, but if you have to pick just one, A Shot in the Dark would not be a bad choice.
Rating:
Summary: The best in the Pink Panther series
Review: Although this movie is not exactly a "Pink Panther" theme, it provides the second outing of the marvelous Clouseau character and really give Peter Sellers an chance to use his unrivaled comedic talents. I think this is the best of the Clouseau movies. I have seen nearly all of Peter Sellers' movies, including all of the Pink Panther series and he never ceases to amaze me. Bottomline, "A Shot in the Dark" is just a very funny movie, with no explicit sex or vulgar language. It should be considered a classic.
Rating:
Summary: A SHOT IN THE DARK
Review: Blake Edward's halarious comedy A SHOT IN THE DARK saw the return of the bumbling french Inspector Clouseau, played by the brilliant Peter Sellers. Not so much a sequel to the story started in the first one as a character-based continue, this is the funniest film in the series, followed closely by THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN. This one centres around a "who-dunnit" murder mystery, and Closeau is signed to the case. Also invloved in an increasingly-complex plot are Burt Kwouk as Kato and Herbet Lom, who would continue the (Blink, blink) character of Cheif Inspector Dreyfuss throughout the entire series. Watch out for the brilliantly sustained seduction sequence in Clouseau's apartment (complete with a "beumb" and Kato interruptus), the wonderfully ridiculous watch synchronising sequence with Sellers and Graham Stark, and of course, the wit and comedic brilliance of the drawing room finale where Clouseau attempts to flush out the killer only to completely lose the plot when he finds out they all did it. Not only the best in the Pink Panther series, but also one of the most laugh-out-loud funniest films ever made.
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