I anticipated that a prequel to PINK PANTHER would be dreadful, yet I still wasn’t prepared for how disappointing it turned out to be. I chose to see it because I enjoy Steve Martin's work as an actor and writer. His effort to either copy or rebuild the Clouseau character—it’s hard to say which—was at best a misfire. What made Peter Sellers’ portrayal of “Clouseau” so special was his nuanced approach. He appeared awkward rather than unintelligent. The humor in the original films comes from the fact that Clouseau would typically stumble upon a solution, more or less due to his shortcomings, and the praise he received because of it only amplified the comedy. Martin’s version of “Clouseau,” however, is portrayed as foolish and self-centered, lacking any redeeming qualities. He even possesses some police abilities that assist him in resolving the case, but these are not consistent with Clouseau's established character. It’s clear he isn't Clouseau at all. I struggle to understand why anyone would try to duplicate a character who was already flawless.

Source on TMDB