Wow, it’s certainly been a hot minute since I did one of these, especially for a recent release. But if I was going to do a hyena-fest review for any movie this year then it was definitely going to be for this one.
One of the earliest 2020 releases, Dolittle has been labeled by many as one of the worst films of the year. And having seen it myself months after its release, I can see exactly what people were talking about. Now, I don’t consider this the worst film of the year, there’s been a lot worse, but good lord was this hilariously bad on so many levels.
If you’re unfamiliar with the character of Dr. Dolittle, he is the central character of a series of children’s books by Hugh Lofting, which follows a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in their own languages. He later becomes a naturalist, using his abilities to speak with animals to better understand nature and the history of the world. He’s a great character and his stories were so beloved that the character has been adapted several times across various media.
The last adaptation of Dolittle prior to this one was a modern comedic take in 1998-2001 with Eddie Murphy, which I will admit I was a fan of as a kid. This adaptation stars Robert Downey Jr., who seems perfect for a role like this, and this was advertised to be a rather wholesome, fun, adventure film. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
In this story we find Dolittle living in solitude behind the high walls of his manor in 19th-century England after the tragic death of his wife, his only companionship being an array of exotic animals all voiced by famous celebrities. But when young Queen Victoria, who he somehow has a connection to, becomes gravely ill, Dolittle and his animal friends embark on a quest overseas to find the cure. If you think that sounds like a lame story, you would be correct, because right from the get go you know this movie is going downhill, as it starts with an exposition-filled introduction of Dolittle that tells a more interesting story than the one we actually get.
All the best ideas for a Dolittle adaptation are all given right in the beginning as exposition, while the rest that follows is a hilariously awful and boring mess. As much as I love Robert Downey Jr. the performance he gives here is laughable and over the top in so many ways, as he is attempting to give us a quirky, lovable character, but just comes off as silly and embarrassing. I’ll give him this though, at least he seemed to be trying, compared to everyone else who felt bland, boring and cliche. No one was interesting at all in this entire film, and there is little to no chemistry between anyone, not to mention the god awful dialogue.
As for the voice cast for the animals, they did fine, but they barely had much to do or say in the movie, pretty much wasting all the amazing talent behind them. The story as I said is boring, but it also makes little to no sense while also lacking any heart. There are plot lines that come and go, never to be brought up again. There are pre-established relationships that are never explained nor fully explored, we are just expected to go with it. The intentional humor was awful while the unintentional dumb stuff presented was hilarious for how bad it is. I mean, Dolittle literally does a rectal examination on a fucking dragon, I wish I was kidding.
And to add on top of such a messy narrative with garbage characters, this is an ugly made film. Terrible editing, god awful cinematography, and poor CGI effects. There was little to no effort in making a competent looking film, especially considering the story and characters are lackluster. And the music was fine but pretty forgettable and had nothing to make it stand out, despite the fact it that was made by Danny Elfman. It’s basically a big joke of a film that is best to watch for a funny, bad-movie day.
Again, this isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen this year, nor of all time, but it is pretty bad, and is only worth your time if you want something to rip into for fun. Dolittle gets an F.