John R. McEwen started
his review by saying, “It's always a bit depressing to me when Hollywood does a
modern remake of an old children's classic movie, because it always says
something to me about our changing tastes. Since censorship has been radically
relaxed since the old days, new versions of those innocent old films almost
always devolve into something rather cheap and crude. I can just imagine future
releases: Bambi with diarrhea, the tin man rusting up because he wets his
pants, and Willy Wonka having an illicit affair with one of the Oompa-Loompas.”
McEwen continued, “Don't
get me wrong; I can enjoy an occasional off-color joke as much as the next guy,
but I prefer if they're not written into the old movies I loved as a kid.” That
is the case with 20th Century Fox’s 1998 remake of “Dr. Dolittle,”
directed by Betty Thomas and starring Eddie Murphy as the protagonist. This
rewrite of Hugh Lofting’s 1927 novel, written by Nat Lauldin and Larry Levin,
is really different from Leslie Bricusse’s 1967 original.
John Dolittle has been
able to talk to animals since he was a child, played by Raymond Matthew Mason
at 3 and Dari Gerard Smith at 5. However, his father, played by Ossie Davis,
forced him to kill his talent, afraid that he would become a loner in the
world. Not until he becomes an adult and a successful M.D. does the talent come
back. Just as he and his colleagues, played by Oliver Platt and Richard Schiff,
are about to make a huge deal with a large company including their small
practice, John starts hearing voices from stray dogs and guinea pigs.
After some time of
denial, he accepts his gift and helps a rat who is having stomach pains. He
gets really famous in the animal community and is soon overwhelmed with so many
patients, all having different types of illness. Confusing his colleagues, his
wife (Kristen Wilson), and two daughters (Kyla Pratt, Raven-Symone), he must
make the decision on saving his relationships with people or his large animal
patients. Or maybe he could balance between the two.
Eddie Murphy is one of
those actors I have always found to be funny in everything he does. Even though
this may not be one of his best movies, he is really enjoyable in here, with
the other actors just staying out of the way during his parts. The human part
of the story is really weird. It is obviously just there to give a small
support for the animal plot.
McEwen noted, “But the
most fun aspect of this film (for me) is trying to guess at the multitude of
celebrity voices featured as the animals.” SNL comedian who also was the star
of “The Norm Show,” Norm Macdonald (Lucky the dog) and Chris Rock (Rodney the
guinea pig) are easy. They’re featured characters. However, there are so many
TV and movie actors’ voices playing small roles in the entire movie, each with
different characterizations. Listen for Albert Brooks, Reni Santoni, John
Leguizamo, Julie Kavner, Garry Shandling, Ellen DeGeneres, Brian Doyle-Murray,
Jenna Elfman, and Gilbert Gottfried, among others.
McEwen ended his review
by saying, “While this film, with its toilet paper and fart jokes, cannot
possibly aspire to the kind of magic created by the 1967 version (I'll never
forget that huge snail and butterfly), it does pack a few laughs and a great
diversity of funny cameos.”
I remember seeing this
movie at a second cousin’s house and found it to be hilarious. I was laughing
at all the parts with Murphy, Macdonald and Rock. I believe I must have seen it
twice in my teens, but when I rewatched it a few years back, I still found it
to be funny. I do think that everyone should see this movie because it is a
very enjoyable, entertaining movie for the whole family to sit through and
watch. You’ll love it, especially those who aren’t so rough on Murphy’s
family-friendly movies.
Look out tomorrow when
I review a yearly “Independence Day Movie Review.”
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