Although only a second grader, Meeka is certain that aliens from Mars and other planets visit Earth on a regular basis. She claims that they are responsible for the unexplainable crop circles and cattle mutilations that she hears about on television. Her brother, Toriyasu, whose classmates constantly harass him about Meeka's outlandish proclamations, vents a lot of anger and hostility upon his younger sister and their dog, Papadoll.

Unable to physically harm his sibling, Toriyasu releases the brunt of his ire upon Papadoll by beating him and neglecting to feed or walk him. This works out just fine, until one day when the kids discover Papadoll missing from their backyard. Meeka insists that the aliens took him, while Toriyasu purports that the lazy, stupid mutt merely ran away.

The mystery about Papadoll's disappearance perplexes the entire family, until later that evening when the children go to sleep. A rickety, cat-shaped zeppelin appears inside their bedroom and three magical talking felines introduce themselves to Meeka and Toriyasu. The cats want the children to return with them to their enchanted homeland of Banipal Witt. They must save their lovable dog who is being used as a doomsday weapon of mass destruction. Against Toriyasu's better judgment, the siblings enter the balloon and embark on a harrowing quest to rescue their dimwitted canine.

For tastes that lean toward movies about children who abuse their pets and magical talking cats that fly around in hot air balloons, "Catnapped!" is the film of a lifetime.

The word strange can carry various meanings, but when applied to "Catnapped" it just means weird. Written and directed by Takashi Nakamura (an animation director on the anime favorite "Akira"), this juvenile offering disturbs more than it entertains. This story about a boy who tortures his dog, but then ventures to a mystical land to save him from becoming a balloon monster could be considered a touching family movie - for members of the Manson family, perhaps.

For convicted serial killers and domestic violence advocates, "Catnapped!" makes a lot of sense. Sure, Toriyasu beats and kicks his dog, but isn't that what love, true love, is all about. It's like the old saying, "If you love something, set it free; if it doesn't come back - hunt it down and kill it." At least in this title Toriyasu experiences an epiphany in which he discovers that by hurting his dog he is really only hurting himself. A great lesson for a little boy or girl to learn, but does it have to come at the expense of showing the main character pistol whipping his cute and cuddly pooch.

A twisted (but not so much wacky, as "wacky" doesn't imply animal cruelty) film like few before it, "Catnapped!" induces more of a horrific yelp than the cat's meow. Its contrived, rescue-based narrative and annoying characters, including a Cruella De Vil rip off who turns everyone she touches into balloons, leave little to appreciate. Meeka and Toriyasu spend most of their time getting into trouble and offending the inhabitants of Banipal Witt while the cat characters do much of the hands-on rescuing.

The protagonists' efficacy, though, ranks a hair above their personalities. Meeka's voice is ear piercing to any species, and her brother's complaining and crappy attitude irritates enough to wish that Papadoll would bite him in his whiny ass. This story features no characters with which to relate, nor decisive action or drama to prevent taking a cat nap during its viewing.

Members of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), as well as most other viewers, would be well served to avoid this film that stinks more than a dirty litter box.