Dr Dolittle 2 Review

"Dr Dolittle 2" reviews

Movie

Dr Dolittle 2

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2006-02-16 16:06:46

Provider

CinemaSource

Review

Eddie Murphy reprises his 1998 role as Dr. Dolittle, a San Francisco doctor who can talk to animals. This sequel is appropriate for kids, packing in a few good laughs and a politically correct lesson on wildlife preservation.

Story

Now that word is out of Dr. Dolittle's ability to talk to animals, his business is booming. Distraught pet owners ambush him outside his home, and furry critters tap on his window during dinner, all wanting some sort of advice. Joey the Raccoon has a special request: he has been sent by the God Beaver to solicit the doctor's help in saving their forest from developers. Dolittle reluctantly agrees to look for endangered species living in the forest so that the law can be invoked to protect it. He discovers Ava, a lone Pacific Western Bear, living in the soon-to-be-demolished forest and sets out to find her a mate. Enter Archie, a performing circus bear. Dolittle convinces Archie that he would be happier living in the wild, and to help the bear adjust to the wilderness, the doc relocates his own city-dwelling family to the forest, much to his teenage daughter Charisse's (Raven-Symoné) dismay. But the match between the two bears is not exactly made in heaven, and when the plan backfires, the animals organize and plot a worldwide strike.

Acting

Murphy seems lately to have traded in his adult-oriented comedy of the past (Beverly Hills Cop, 48 Hours) for one that appeals to a younger audience (Dr. Dolittle, Shrek). In Dr. Dolittle 2, Murphy is funny and comfortable enough in his role as the doc who can talk to creatures big and small, but it is the animals that generate the biggest laughs. Smooth-talking Joey the Raccoon, voiced by Michael Rapaport ( Men of Honor), positively steals the show with lines like, "Mafia? We don't know anything about no Mafia, do we boys?" The flighty voice of Lisa Kudrow, who plays the endangered bear Ava, is appropriate enough for the part, but you can't help but wonder if it's Phoebe Buffay wrapped in a bear pelt. Norm Macdonald narrates the entire film as Lucky the Dog, but the lines are surprisingly vacuous and Lucky spends most of his on-screen time peeing on things and making passes at wolves. A grown-up Raven-Simoné (The Cosby Show) returns to her role as Charisse Dolittle and is convincing enough as the brooding, rebellious teenager fed up with animals clambering up her balcony and vying for her father's attention.

Direction

As with the acting, the animals easily steal the show. The filmmakers use different methods to achieve realistic animal interaction, including motion-control cameras that filmed the animals separately and later created a composite shot. Digital animation techniques animate some of the animal's mouths and facial features, while others, like Joey the Raccoon are completely animatronic and required several people to operate them during filming. These special effects must have burnt up most of the budget, however, because the outdoor sets with their moss-covered Styrofoam rocks look totally fabricated. The animals were amusing to watch and delivered good one-liners, but they were mostly about defecating and bestial libido. Sadly, not even the animal kingdom is able to transcend social stereotypes, like Pepito the Mexican chameleon who gets excited at the mention of tacos, or the French beret-clad monkey who is perpetually drunk. The film also portrays the life of a circus bear in a curiously positive light--unless they really do take bubble baths in swank accommodations--that clashes with the whole animal rights theme.

Bottom Line

This is no Shrek or Nutty Professor, but kids will probably find this film and its many fart jokes entertaining. Fans with a nostalgic longing for the "old" Eddie will leave feeling disappointed.