Classic novels have a reputation for constant adaptations. The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle, written by Hugh Lofting in 1923, is one of the ones with some of the most iconic adaptations – both the 1967 film starring Rex Harrison and the 1998 ironic masterpiece starring Eddie Murphy are both great for two very different reasons.
This gives Stephen Gaghan’s Dolittle a very high bar to set, but unfortunately it doesn’t really hit it. For some reason, everyone’s calling the 2020s a cinematic doomsday thanks to this and a few other dump month releases, but it’s really not as awful as everyone says. This is one of the very few situations that the critics are wrong, and yet it could have been much, much better.
Right off the bat, it seems to be the most family-friendly and approachable of the three, thanks to its fun and bubbly tone, yet the script tries too hard to be witty and appealing that it ends up failing in that sense. Where it shines is in the production design – not only do the CGI animals look extremely realistic and wondrous, even in their movements, but it feels just like a period adventure with its beautiful set and costume design.
Additionally, it’s the most faithful version of the original story’s narrative. Just like in the novel, the film opens up with Dr. John Dolittle (this time played by Robert Downey Jr.), a veterinarian in 19th century England who hides away after the death of his wife. His only company, at least in the beginning, is his menagerie of exotic animals, who he can listen and talk to with a swish of his hand. Everything changes when Queen Victoria (Jesse Buckley) falls ill, leaving Dolittle and his animal friends to set sail to Spider Monkey Island to find a cure, where he finds old friends and enemies. It’s a linear plot, just like the novel, but it works.
Robert Downey Jr.’s performance fails to impress. It’s hard to believe that this man is one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood right now, because in this film his acting is not only wooden but he slips in and out of a Welsh (not even British) accent. The aforementioned animals are where most of the film’s cast succeeds, however. It’s basically an ensemble voice cast – some particular actors who shine, despite some of them being interesting choices, are Emma Thompson (as Dolittle’s right-hand parrot Polynesia), John Cena (as a polar bear), Rami Malek (as a gorilla), Tom Holland (as a dog), and Kumail Nanjiani (as an ostrich). Each of these actors bring something unique to the table and contribute a lot to the very few good jokes that this film has. Some of the humor would have worked great in a different context, but fail due to their poor attempts to appeal to kids, utilizing age-old slapstick and toilet humor. Yet the good jokes are another aspect in which this film isn’t that bad, and a few examples would be the film’s attempts to bash modern British culture and politics, which would go right over kids’ heads.
Honestly, though, this whole experience feels more like a Holmes & Watson situation than anything else, because it’s really not as awful as everyone says it is. While most of the humor is juvenile or slapstick-based, the anachronistic jokes (although nothing can top the Trump jokes in Holmes & Watson) and the incredibly appealing period design make it a much better film than it seems to let on. A lot of the film’s negative qualities may lead up to it potentially being a disaster, but luckily it has its moments that save it from utter failure.
2.5/5 STARS