As a kid, one of my favorite films was Dr. Dolittle with Eddie Murphy. It didn’t take me long to notice this new Dr. Dolittle film with Robert Downey Jr. Because of COVID-19, I didn’t get to see it in theaters though it did premier a bit before the pandemic.
Unlike the Dr. Dolittle of my childhood, Dolittle is set during a very early Victorian England. But John Dolittle still talks to animals, and he was once honored by Queen Victoria for his talents. But in recent years, after the death of his wife Lily, he’s not really at his prime.
He soon learns that Queen Victoria is dying from poison. There is no known cure in the world that could serve as an antidote. Except for one, and one of Queen Victoria’s maids begs John Dolittle to save the monarch of Great Britain.
With all of his favorite animals, Dr. Dolittle travels to a very distant part of the world in search of a cure. It’s not going to be an easy quest, but for his Queen and his animals, he has to be successful.
Overall, Doolittle was a pretty disappointing film. I think the studio was banking on Robert Downey Jr. alone, but the script is fundamentally flawed. It’s also so much different from the Dr. Dolittle with Eddie Murphy. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, it definitely didn’t become a good thing.
Score: C+
