DR. DOLITTLE

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: crude humor

Rated:

Have you ever wished that you could understand what your tabby cat was saying? How about the yapping dog down the block, or the robin perched on your porch on a sunny spring morning? Humans have always wondered what animals talk about, but Dr. Dolittle is one of the few who can actually understand what they're saying... and wishes he couldn't!

When John Dolittle was just a boy, he had a habit of talking to his beloved collie dog ... and she would talk back. Concerned that his son might be just a little bit abnormal, his all-business-no-play sends the collie to the pound and from that moment on, John vows never to talk to animals again. In his adult years, John (Eddie Murphy) is a successful physician in a high profile practice about to be taken under the wing of a financial guru interested in backing their research. Happily married to a beautiful woman (Kristen Wilson) and with two mostly sane children (Kyla Pratt, Raven) under his roof, John has not spoken to an animal or even heard one speak back until now. One night he sideswipes a mangy dog on the side of the road, and before the mutt gets up and wanders off, he shouts that John should watch where he's going next time.

That opens the floodgates. Suddenly, every creature from a woodland owl to a circus monkey is begging for his attention and medical expertise. Though John struggles to feign ignorance, it is not long before he is the call boy to a host of creatures and when you throw a suicidal tiger into the mix, his life becomes even more insane! Dr. Dolittle is one of the most creative and genuinely amusing family films I have seen in a long time. I have a soft spot for animals and so for me it was a delight to listen to them talk, from the pigeons who have marriage problems to the melancholy musings of the tiger who is having blurred vision and bad headaches.

The creatures are voiced by an endless array of talented actors and the animation is surprisingly realistic. It has a solid plot and introduces us to John's world with very little difficulty. It doesn't take us long to become fond of his daughters, one of which is an animal lover whose guinea pig is a blabbermouth, or to want everything to come out all right. The poor man even winds up in a mental institution for a short time! It was also nice to see that the film, even though rated PG13, does not have too much offensive material in it. There are a handful of mild profanities, a couple abuses of Jesus' name, and some flirtation between a man and his wife. John is excited when it appears he might get lucky with his wife on their camping trip. Humorously, a German Sheppard being dragged into the vet's office is begging not to be "fixed" and vowing never to look at another female dog again. 

Most of the rating comes from some crude animal-related humor in a scene in which John must take his new dog to the vet. Dialogue revolves around the fact that the best place to put a thermometer is up the dog's hind end; the dog is so nervous that the thermometer disappears and the vet must dig around to get it back. Pigeons take dumps on people they do not like. John is rather mean to his daughter's guinea pig but his behavior improves with time. Children might be frightened that a tiger intends to leap to its death off a building, or might attack members of the press at a banquet.

Dr. Dolittle is not for everyone but is surprisingly good fun, to be indulged in now and again with your favorite pet curled up next to you on the couch. I wonder what my cat would say to me if I could understand her ... but then, from John's experiences, I might not want to know!