'The Cat In The Hat' (PG)(out of four)

My 2-year-old movie companion was fixated to the big screen during "The Cat In The Hat."

He didn't wiggle, he didn't jiggle, why, he didn't even giggle.

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Preview: 'The Cat In The Hat'

And so it was that we watched the colorful, ridiculous tale of an oversized kitty (he coined the phrase "party animal"), who shows up and makes a household mess while showing a brother and sister the proper way to have fun.

Single mom Joan Walden (Kelly Preston), who looks like a day-glow June Cleaver, must leave the kids alone with a baby sitter while she goes off to work as a real estate agent. But she's laid down some parental rules: Do not leave the house and do not make a mess. You see, she's getting ready to host a party that evening for her germ-phobic boss, Mr. Humberfloob (Sean Hayes).

While their babysitter, Mrs. Kwan, relaxes in a state of perpetual sleep, the children are paid a surprise visit by a 6-foot-tall feline in a red-and-white hat.

No doubt about it, the kids will love "The Cat In The Hat." Parents will find that the 84 minutes whiz by in a flash. There are some scenes parents may wish kids didn't see, such as the Cat showing kids that having fun means going wild on Mom's good furniture. Some of the adult humor will go over small children's heads: a reference to a garden "hoe" and an auto mechanic whose pants in the rear ride a little too low.

Those who read the celebrity gossip columns will want to catch a glimpse of celebrity du jour Paris Hilton, who appears quickly in a disco club scene getting grabbed by The Cat.

By the way, the double entendres go a bit over the top, especially in a scene where The Cat In The Hat "va-va-va-vooms" at a centerfold of the children's mother, complete with his large hat growing even longer.

Theodore Geisel would be shocked.

Mike Myers' cat veers astray from Geisel's leading man in the 1,620-word book. It appears the filmmakers let comedian Myers run amok. He conjures up every character he's ever played on the big and small screens. "The Cat In The Hat" at one point has the voice of Dr. Evil, Linda Richman, and the little British boy in the bathtub from "SNL."

The movie is reminiscent of 2000's "How The Grinch Stole Christmas," starring Jim Carrey -- what is it about Canadian comedians playing Seuss characters? -- while the storyline is a close cousin to "Home Alone."

Probably the most annoying thing about "The Cat In The Hat" is its blatant Madison Avenue marketing. It's everywhere, hawking everything from dishwashing detergent to fast-food meals.

The most shameless plug takes place in the movie as the Cat takes the kids for a waterslide ride and produces a pair of Universal Theme Park tickets.

"The Cat In The Hat" is perfect holiday family film fare. It's mindless entertainment with colorful characters and "buy this" plugs to get everyone in the shopping spirit.