Peter Sellers's hilarious portrayal of the bungling Inspector Clouseau holds together this fourth entry in the series. There is a shortage of inspiration here, but Herbert Lom gives another stalwart performance as the long-suffering Inspector Dreyfus. The critics were divided as some thought that Dreyfus's increasingly desperate attempts to bump off the incompetent Clouseau were a riot of bawdy humour and inspired slapstick, while others considered the film to be a repetitive rehash in which the same gag was worked to death without ever really being funny. The box-office evidence seems to suggest that the public voted with the "pro" lobby.

Charles Dreyfus, who has finally cracked over inspector Clouseau's antics, escapes from a mental institution and launches an elaborate plan to get rid of Clouseau once and for all.