Les Misérables

As we go to press, Columbia TriStar's star-studded adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic 19th-century novel should be drawing in fans of Les Mis the musical...or not, audiences being fickle, unpredictable creatures. Either way, this decade-plus old animated version which condenses the sprawling story of convicted thief Jean Valjean's trials and tribulations with the French penal system (particularly the pit bull Jalvert) and his selfless commitment to raising the orphaned Cosette is...perfectly pedestrian in nearly every way. Average animation, scripting and voice-over, combined with the fact that very young audiences are unlikely to be drawn to this complex tale (here reduced to mere plot), make this an optional purchase, at best. Also available in the series: The Phantom of the Opera. Aud: I, J, P. (R. Pitman)