Review: Dolittle

Robert Downey Jr. enters a new generations vision as their Doctor Dolittle, the man that can talk to and befriend any animal. Previously we had Eddie Murphy as the Doctor in the late 90’s and the beloved original from 1967 with Rex Harrison.

This version find Dolittle (Downey Jr.) as a recluse that has hidden away his talents and animals after the unfortunate loss of his wife. His sense of wonder and adventure has fallen to the wayside as he hides from any and all human connection. That is, until a young boy and girl enter his life on the same day with opportunities to heal a wounded animal and save the Queen of England.

From this point, a journey occurs with animals and Dolittle working to finish his lost wife’s work and find a cure for the Queen.

All of which, sounds wonderful, in theory. Unfortunately, this film felt ill-acted and under-whelmingly directed through and through. Relying heavily on CG and voice work, you spend half the movie trying to decide if someone dubbed over Robert Downey Jr’s voice. The visuals, while impressive, also felt like they were covering up many mistakes that should have been avoided.

I’m not sure if the Director lost his way or Robert just didn’t give his all, but this film should not be seen by anyone over the age of 7 years old. There is no magic in this film, just some shiny bells and whistles with a half- heartfelt story. If you want true magic, find yourself a copy of the Original Doctor Dolittle.

Grade: D
Running time: 1h 41m
MPAA rating: PG