Director
Stephen Gaghan
(SYRIANA)

Starring
Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas and Michael Sheen

The latest incarnation of Dr. Dolittle sees Robert Downey Jr. assume the mantle of the famed veterinarian with the ability to speak to animals.  In a step away from the more contemporary Eddie Murphy films of the late 90’s, early 2000’s, Dolittle goes back to the original early Victorian setting along with the original characters from the books.

In this tale, a young Queen Victoria has taken ill, and it is up to Dr. Dolittle to find a find a cure on a hidden island in a bid to not only save the life of the Queen, but also his own sanctuary that she protects. With the assistance of his helpful band of animals and a young apprentice, there are many obstacles that the crew will need to overcome in order to save the day.

Dolittle certainly isn’t a film to be taken too seriously; from the appalling attempt at a Scottish accent by Robert Downey Jr. (which usually sounds like a Scottish/Irish/Welsh hybrid) to the implausibility that a teenage boy could easily up and leave his family to travel around the world with some older dude he just met, there’s a lot here you shouldn’t think too hard about. But moving that aside, there is a lot of fun and charm here also, particularly for a younger audience.

The animal voices are highly recognisable; from Emma Thompson to Rami Malek and John Cena, half the fun of watching is trying to figure out whose is the voice you know. Downey Jr. himself seems to be mostly going through the motions, but let’s face it, most of us are watching for the funny animals getting up to crazy hijinks. This is very much a film tailored towards the 6-12 age demographic, but it’s one that parents and slightly older kids should also enjoy.

Go in with an open mind and without expectation and you should find plenty of joy in the experience.

3 Stars

Trailer
DOLITTLE

Moviedoc thanks Universal for the opportunity to review this film.

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