'Dolittle' Does Little to Dazzle

After his iconic character’s glorious swan song in the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. got to take on his first non-Tony Stark/Iron Man project in six years.  His choice?  Dolittle.  Yes, sir.  Fresh off from starring in the biggest movie ever, he could have picked any movie role he wanted.  And he opted for the eponymous character of Dolittle.

Dolittle is based on Hugh Lofting’s Doctor Dolittle book series from the early 20^th century, which had already been adapted for the big screen a few times before – the most notable of which is the modern reimagining starring Eddie Murphy.  In this latest incarnation, Dr. John Dolittle (Downey Jr.), the eccentric Welsh veterinarian (as well as physician, I guess, since he’s also been asked to treat a human in this movie) who can talk to animals, has been living as a recluse in his manor/animal sanctuary ever since his explorer wife died at sea.  But when young Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) mysteriously falls ill, he’s summoned to the palace to cure her, and he complies, stepping out into the world for the first time in years.  Upon examination, he finds out that she has been poisoned.  Thus, he and his animal friends must embark on a quest to retrieve the antidote, which is exclusively located in a mythical island.

This movie is widely considered as one of 2020 cinema’s early stinkers, so I wasn’t exactly raring to watch it.  It just happens that I didn’t have anything currently better to watch (with new movie releases on hold due to the global pandemic and all that).  Well, it wasn’t as bad as I was led to believe.  Yes, it’s bad, and I’m sure the CGI looks obnoxious in the big screen, but it isn’t a godawful movie.  It can be a decent piece of entertainment within the context of being viewed at home.

It’s extremely dumb, and it annoyingly panders to children’s sensibilities – or what the studio thinks is “pandering to children’s sensibilities.”  This includes featuring some excruciatingly childish toiler humor.  Nevertheless, I can see children enjoying this movie.  If I had seen this when I was eight, I might have developed some fondness for it.  The charm of an ensemble of talking animals simply has that much potency on a very young viewer.

And, yes, the best part of Dolittle is the animal ensemble – voice by an all-star cast that includes Tom Holland and John Cena (how I wish his avatar, a polar bear, Attitude Adjustmented someone n this movie).  Now, I can’t exactly say that they’re the redeeming factor of this movie, but if they had benefited from a better script and better visuals, I can see them carrying this movie.

On the other hand, Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Dolittle is just “Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka” bad.  His charisma couldn’t save his performance.

In the end, Dolittle isn’t an utter train wreck.  It has some fun, chuckles, and heart.  But it’s mediocre at best.