Haven’t you ever wondered who in God’s name gives film companies truckloads of money and encouragement to produce some of Hollywood’s worst sequels? Seriously, who thought “Jaws” needed four sequels — and one in 3-D? And what masochistic SOB thought “Speed 2: Cruise Control” was a good idea? Hasn’t poor Sandra Bullock been through enough without having to avoid a creepy hollow-faced, leech-sucking man terrorizing a ship full of old ladies and cruisers without Keanu Reeves by her side?

Honestly, this painful list goes on and on. “Legally Blonde: Red, White, and Blonde” (yikes), “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” (just… embarrassing) and “Bad Boys II” (seriously, Will Smith?). And with the recent release of “Pink Panther 2,” a serious question must be addressed: Did this world really need a follow up to 2006’s “Pink Panther?” Did the American people even need a “Pink Panther” resurgence in the first place?

“Inspector Gadget” didn’t exactly work out for Matthew Broderick, and “The Pink Panther” doesn’t really speak volumes on Steve Martin’s resume of comedic performances. However, it is refreshing to admit “The Pink Panther 2″ is not one of these cringe-worthy sequels. In fact, if you enjoyed the slapstick humor of the first “Pink Panther,” you will be satisfied with this sequel because it is pretty much the same movie, sans Beyonce and her awkwardly placed musical performances (thank God for that).

“The Pink Panther” series follows the nitwitted and accident-prone French inspector Jacques Clouseau, originally played by Peter Sellers, readapted for this generation by Steve Martin (“Cheaper By The Dozen”). In fact, this most recent adaptation should really be called “The Pink Panther 6” — but who’s counting?

Martin plays the new face of Clouseau, the lovable detective at the butt of every joke, and any chief inspector’s worst nightmare — a detective who seems to do everything wrong, until he suddenly does everything right. And while there is nobody who can play Clouseau as well as Sellers, Martin does use his comedic instincts to get the job done with his silly expressions, gawky dance moves and laughable French accent that never rolls off the tongue quite right.

“The Pink Panther 2″ follows Clouseau’s latest case, the mystery of the Tornado Thief, who seeks the thrill of skillfully stealing the world’s greatest artifacts and masterpieces, including the precious Pink Panther diamond. Already having solved the mystery of the missing diamond in the first film, Clouseau is assigned to the case yet again alongside three of the world’s best detectives, confident he can uncover the mystery for the second time. In both of these films, Clouseau is assigned to a case by a vindictive and power hungry police chief (“Pink Panther’s” Kevin Kline is now replaced by legendary comedian John Cleese in “Pink Panther 2″), set up to fail and proceeds to humiliate himself in front of the world until he makes his comeback and saves the day. Not so bad for such a daft and bumbling goof.

Overall, “The Pink Panther 2″ does muster up some giggles and maybe a chuckle or two, but there is a finite number of times where accidentally lighting things on fire and clumsily making people fall down stairs doesn’t get old. The jokes that were carried on from the last film, such as Clouseau’s consistent inability to say the word “hamburger” with correct pronunciation, were just as funny as the first time around, but this could be the result of being on the verge of a nervous breakdown from an overload of papers and midterms. Who can say why Martin’s terrible French pronunciation is so funny, but he made it work and continues to make it work.

A budding romance between Clouseau and his charmingly nerdy assistant Nicole (Emily Mortimer, “Lars and the Real Girl”) adds a bit more complexity to the plot that did not exist in the first film, and the chemistry between the two characters is awkwardly precious. Their uncomfortable natures and inability to express their love for one another would make a perfect match on eHarmony.

“The Pink Panther 2″ musters up a couple of laughs, maybe even one or two more than the first, but overall, the film is pretty forgettable, and the humor may be a bit too immature for anyone over seven years old to appreciate. See it when you’re done with midterms — you’ll be so happy that everything that bumbling idiot does will seem like the funniest thing under the sun.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars.