Watch Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers

Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers is a 2013 documentary film that takes the audience on a journey into the world of the infamous Pink Panther gang, a group of international jewel thieves who have robbed over 300 jewelry stores in 35 countries. The movie explores the group's history, their methods and their members, as well as the law enforcement officials who are trying to catch them.

The film is directed by Havana Marking and co-written by Marking and Simon Chinn. Through interviews with former members of the Pink Panthers, as well as the journalists and the detectives who have pursued them, Smash & Grab gives an inside look at the workings of this highly sophisticated criminal group.

The movie begins with an introduction to the Pink Panthers' origins, tracing their roots back to the Balkans, where many of the group's core members are from. The film then goes on to explain how the gang came to be known as the Pink Panthers, a reference to the 1963 movie starring Peter Sellers.

Using reenactments and archival footage, the filmmakers walk the audience through some of the Pink Panthers' most daring and elaborate heists, including a $50 million diamond robbery in Cannes, France and the infamous Wafi Mall heist in Dubai, where the gang drove a stolen Audi through the mall in broad daylight, smashing into the windows of a jewelry store and making off with millions worth of diamonds.

Along the way, Smash & Grab also highlights the cultural and societal factors that contribute to the Pink Panthers' success. Many of the group's members come from poverty-stricken areas and have limited opportunities for upward mobility. For some, joining the Pink Panthers is a way to escape their circumstances and make a better life for themselves and their families.

The film also touches on the corruption that exists within the law enforcement agencies tasked with tracking the Pink Panthers. While some officers are dedicated to catching the group, others have been known to take bribes and turn a blind eye to their crimes.

As the movie nears its conclusion, the filmmakers turn their attention to the efforts to stop the Pink Panthers. We see how international law enforcement agencies have banded together to share information and intelligence in order to put an end to the gang's reign of terror. While some members have been arrested and extradited to face trial, others continue to evade capture, including the group's ringleader, who remains at large.

Throughout the movie, the audience is treated to stunning visuals of some of the world's most beautiful and opulent jewelry stores, as well as exclusive interviews with some of the Pink Panthers' former members, some of whom have never spoken publicly about their involvement in the group.

Overall, Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers is a gripping and thought-provoking documentary that will leave viewers both fascinated and disturbed by the world of high-stakes jewel heists. Despite the fact that the Pink Panthers' crimes are undeniably wrong, the film manages to paint a nuanced portrait of the group's motives and why they continue to elude the law.

Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers is a 2013 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 15 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.0 and a MetaScore of 66.