Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Stephen Gaghan, Universal Pictures, PG 101 Minutes.
‘Gold’ director, Stephen Gaghan’s lighthearted fantasy film is completely different to the delightful Doctor Dolittle musical released in 1967 that featured Rex Harrison in the title role and which was disappointingly remade in 1998 with Eddie Murphy.
In Gaghan’s version, Dolittle (Robert Downey of ‘Avengers’) is a vet living with his animals at his secluded Dolittle Manor in Victorian England, when he is approached by the emissary for Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley of ‘Beast’) Lady Rose (Carmel Laniado of ‘A Christmas Carol’).
On being informed of the Queen’s critical condition and that his help is required to find a special fruit located on a mysterious island, Dolittle reluctantly agrees to return with Rose to England accompanied by his closest companions: Poly the parrot (voiced by Emma Thompson of ‘Last Christmas’), Chee-Chee the gorilla (Rami Malek of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’), and Yoshi the polar bear (John Cena of ‘Bumblebee’) together with Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett of ‘Dunkirk’) an inquisitive young boy determined to tag along.
After visiting the gravely ill Queen, it becomes clear to Dolittle that Lord Badgely (Jim Broadbent of ‘Brooklyn’) and physician, Dr Blair Mudfly (Michael Sheen of ‘Passengers’) are the main obstacles to her recovery.
Once on the island, Dolittle’s search for the exotic fruit is hampered by King Rassouli (Antonio Banderas of ‘Pain and Glory’) but he eventually succeeds with the help of his friends.
Gaghan’s reboot is based on Hugh Lofting’s children’s stories, which will appeal mainly to the younger generation largely due to the range of colourful CGI creatures appearing in the movie and the lavish settings shot throughout the English countryside.
Besides the voice overs – provided by a stellar cast including Thompson, Malek, Cena, Octavia Spencer (Dab-Dab), Tom Holland (Jip), Ralph Fiennes (Barry), Selena Gomez (Betsy) and Marion Cotillard (Tutu) – there are only reasonable performances by Banderas, Broadbent and Sheen.
Although Downey is renowned for performing superhero stunts in his movies, that is not so in ‘Dolittle’, in which his portrayal of the eccentric character is mostly enjoyable.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 Stars
