'The Pink Panther'

''The Pink Panther'' works better at home

To be fair, The Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection is lacking the wonderfully twisted Peter Sellers in his trademark role as the buffoonish Inspector Clouseau. Then again, so is the Steve Martin ''remake'' or ''reimagining'' or ''mistake'' now in theaters. So why not groove out on the couch to Henry Mancini's sly, jazzy score with this five-disc set, featuring 124 cartoons about the silly pink feline engaging in Chaplinesque comedy. The collection offers everything the current big-screen incarnation doesn't: smooth wit, subtle performances, and most importantly, laughs. (Being the top box office draw opening weekend doesn't make Martin's movie funny.) And thank the team of DePatie-Freleng (who produced all the opening sequences for the Panther films) for creating an amusing animated Inspector, which should satisfy anyone jonesing for a little Clouseau. Forgive the cliché: We promise you'll be tickled pink.