From the racism fable “The Sneetches” to the ecologically cautionary
“The Lorax,” author Theodor Geisel found a means to make his
colorful, wildly inventive tales resonate beyond the images.

But Hollywood adaptations have a way of focusing on the packaging
more than the contents. The live-action version of “Dr. Seuss’ How
the Grinch Stole Christmas” released three years ago proved to be a
crass, heartless downer. It was yet another case of throwing money at
the screen when additional time spent polishing the script would have
helped matters much more.

Admittedly, there’s not much of a message to “Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in
the Hat” – other than such platitudes as “try and behave” and
“lighten up.” Even so, the film’s complete commitment to copying the
late author’s visual style helps make the venture watchable.

Hyperactive star Mike Myers handles the title role of a magically
empowered feline who materializes in order to baby-sit a pair of
siblings named Conrad (Spencer Breslin) and Sally (Dakota Fanning).
The kids are left in the house by their mother (Kelly Preston) and
instructed to keep the place clean in anticipation of a work-related
party she is hosting.

Of course, the mischievous Cat seems to exacerbate the situation.

Or is there a method to his madness?

The casting of Myers in “The Cat in the Hat” is a mixed blessing. The
Canadian star always brings an irreverent, self-referential energy to
his projects, and this picture is no exception. (He interprets the
Cat as a combination of the Blue Genie from “Aladdin,” the Cowardly
Lion and 1970s TV mainstay Charles Nelson Reilly.)

Yet there is also a real distance to his persona. Very little of
Myers the individual comes through in his roles. Even at his most
entertaining he remains emotionally aloof.

Coincidentally, the movie echoes this.

Style is everything here, from the pastel houses to the retro ’50s
costumes to the exaggerated props to the wacky special effects.
First-time director Bo Welch – best known as the Oscar-nominated
production designer of such eye-catching delights as “Men in Black”
and “Edward Scissorhands” – is certainly the right choice from a
design perspective. There is never a lull in the visual activities he
foists onto the screen. (Some critics will no doubt complain there is
simply TOO much.)

Welch is also good at capturing the slight creepiness that underlies
some of the Seuss books. Nowhere is this more apparent than his
visualization of the Cat’s hideous accomplices, Thing 1 and Thing 2.
Decked in red pajamas and towers of blue hair, they’re the most
unsettling, androgynous twins since those girls who stood at the end
of the hallway chanting “Hello, Danny” in “The Shining.”

All the wild visual textures don’t disguise the fact that the film
makes little connection with its characters. Like Myers, the Cat
remains a complete enigma whose motivations are never clear. Even
with his superpowered help, Conrad and Sally seem to solve their
psychological issues too hastily. It’s not entirely convincing
they’ve learned ANY actual moral lessons from their ordeal.

Luckily, there’s enough perpetual zaniness happening onscreen to
distract the viewer.

“The Cat in the Hat” is just short enough at 82 minutes that it
doesn’t overstay its welcome. Like any good children’s book, it works
best in small doses.