Napoleon

A decidedly mixed breed, this disarming Australian live-action adventure follows the misadventures of a feisty golden retriever, whose real name is Muffin, but who fancies himself a Napoleon at heart. He is forced to fend for himself after he inadvertently takes a balloon ride aboard a wicker basket and is deposited in the wild. There are some clever in-jokes to cheer adult cineastes, such as the birds named after Italian directors (including Birdo Lucci) and dingoes named Sid and Nancy. Much of the dialogue is perfectly pitched to preschoolers, but the perils, including the basket's nasty tumble down a cliff and a "deeply disturbed" cat who insists that Napoleon is a mouse, may upset younger viewers. Optional. (K. Lee Benson)