Millionaire crime boss Philipe Douvier (Webber) is about to be phased out of the “French Connection” crime syndicate when he vows to Marchione (Loggia) he will do something significant to get his boss' attention. He decides to kill Clouseau who has inexplicably thwarted their efforts for years. A bomb attempt is made on Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Sellers) at a costume shop, but it fails to do in the hapless French detective.
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Douvier hires Mr. Chow, a trained killer and martial arts master to do the job. Clouseau unknowingly takes out the would-be assassin while battling his relentless manservant Cato (Kwouk). A phone call alerts Clouseau of a clandestine meeting sure to be a trap but the inspector believes otherwise. Waylaid by a transvestite named Claude Russo, who switches clothes and steals the inspectors borrowed car, the trap is sprung on the cross dresser rather than it's intended target.
Everyone is convinced Clouseau is dead. Former Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Lom) who despises Clouseau is suddenly cured of his homicidal obsession with the inspector and is brought in to solve the case. Clouseau, unrecognized by the police when he is apprehended in drag, eludes his captors at an asylum where Dreyfus had been committed. The two come face to face but Dreyfus faints and Clouseau leaves as Dreyfus. Returning to his former apartment that Cato has turned the flat into a high class Asian brothel Clouseau is treated roughly by a dominatrix.
At the funeral services Dreyfus delivers a eulogy behind barely concealed titters and snickering, as well as ever increasing tics and tremors. Douvier is given an ultimatum by his wife that he must stop sleeping with his secretary Simone Legree (Cannon), who takes the breakup poorly.
In a series of outrageous disguises, Clouseau now impersonating a Swedish sailor is out to catch the people who attempted to kill him. By accident he saves Simone's life outside a disco. She learns who he is back at her apartment and they hatch a plan to snare Douvier and the other members of the crime family. In Hong Kong Clouseau, Simone, and Cato attempt to infiltrate the drug transaction by a thoroughly implausible plan with the inspector impersonating a drug dealer named Scallini (Stewart). The bad guys fall for the ruse temporarily, before a Keystone Cops type chase ensues upon the streets of Hong Kong. The vehicles collide at the dock and Dreyfus fires at Clouseau instead of the criminals. They all wind up running after Clouseau into a fireworks warehouse before an explosive finale.
The review of this Movie prepared by David Fletcher
