Babar – King of the Elephants [VHS]

The elephant king with the upright stance and smashing wardrobe finally has a movie to tell his story from the scampering days of his youth through his adventures in Paris to his days as husband, father, and king. Based on the popular HBO series–which in turn is based on the books of Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff–this 75-minute film features pleasant animation, a quasi-adult contemporary soundtrack, and adventures culled from several of the classic books, including “The Story of Babar” and “Babar and his Children.” Celeste and the triplets, as well as Arthur, Cornelius, and Madame, all figure prominently. The resilient elephants face a series of mishaps, including fires, illness, and the battle with the rival rhinos. All tends to end well, except for the initial death of Babar’s mother, which happens Bambi’s-mother-style about 10 minutes into the movie. (Ages 2 and up) –Kimberly Heinrichs