Movie Review: Dolittle

Dolittle is a 2020 fantasy adventure film directed by Stephen Gaghan from a screenplay by Gaghan, Dan Gregor, and Doug Mand, based on a story by Thomas Shepherd. Dolittle is based on the title character created by Hugh Lofting and is primarily inspired by the author’s second Doctor Dolittle book, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922). Robert Downey Jr. stars as the title character, alongside Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, and Harry Collett in live-action roles, with Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, and Marion Cotillard voicing an array of creatures.

It is the third iteration of film adaptions based on the character, after the 1967 musical Doctor Dolittle starring Rex Harrison and the 1998–2009 Dr. Dolittle film series starring Eddie Murphy as the titular character and later Kyla Pratt as his daughter Maya, and the only one not to be distributed by 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios).

The project was announced as The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle in March 2017 with Downey set to star, and the rest of the cast joined over the following year. Filming began in March 2018 and lasted through June, taking place around the United Kingdom. The film underwent three weeks of reshoots in the spring of 2019, directed by Jonathan Liebesman and written by Chris McKay, after initial test screenings yielded poor results.

Universal Pictures theatrically released Dolittle in the United States on January 17, 2020. The film was met with negative reviews from film critics and grossed $251 million worldwide, making it a box-office failure for a reported loss of $50–100 million. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the seventh highest-grossing film of 2020. It was nominated for six Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, winning for Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.

In Victorian era Britain, Dr. John Dolittle is a Welsh veterinarian with the ability to communicate with animals. After his adventurous wife Lily dies at sea, Dolittle retreats from human society, living in seclusion at the animal sanctuary gifted to him by Queen Victoria.

Years later, young animal lover Tommy Stubbins is forced to go hunting, accidentally wounding a red squirrel named Kevin. He finds himself led to Dolittle’s home by Poly the macaw, who hopes his arrival will help Dolittle reconnect with humans. There, Tommy meets Queen Victoria’s maid of honor Lady Rose, sent to summon Dolittle to help the queen, who has fallen seriously ill. Tending to Kevin, Dolittle agrees to see Victoria, realising that he will lose his home to the Treasury if the queen dies.

At Buckingham Palace, Dolittle finds Victoria being treated by his lifelong rival, Dr. Blair Müdfly, in the presence of Lord Thomas Badgley. Dolittle discovers the queen has been poisoned with nightshade and can only be cured by the magical fruit of the Eden Tree. Leaving Jip the Irish Wolfhound and stick insect Styx to guard the queen, Dolittle mounts an expedition of various animals, including Chee-Chee the gorilla, Yoshi the polar bear, and Plimpton the ostrich, but refuses to take Tommy.

Poly sends Betsy the giraffe and Tutu the fox to bring Tommy aboard Dolittle’s ship, convincing the doctor to accept his help. However, Lord Badgley plots to seize the throne for himself, and sends Müdfly to stop Dolittle’s quest. Enlisting the help of a whale to escape Müdfly and the warship HMS Britannia, Dolittle is saved from drowning by Tommy, who begins to learn to talk to animals.

Dolittle and Tommy infiltrate the bandit island of Monteverde to steal the only map to the Eden Tree, contained in Lily’s journal salvaged from her shipwreck. They are captured by King Rassouli, Lily’s father, who leaves Dolittle to be eaten by Barry the Bengal tiger. The doctor is rescued by his animals as Tommy steals the journal, which is seized by Müdfly and his soldiers, who sink Dolittle’s ship. Moved by Dolittle’s undying love for Lily, Rassouli gives him another vessel to continue his journey, pursuing Müdfly with the help of more whales.

They arrive on Eden Tree Island only to be captured by Müdfly, who inadvertently awakens the dragoness guarding the tree. Realising she is suffering from the death of her mate, as well as a bowel obstruction, Dolittle successfully treats the grateful dragoness, who leads him to the Eden Tree. He and his animals return just in time for Tommy to cure Victoria with the magical fruit, and they expose the traitorous Badgley for poisoning the queen. Victoria has him imprisoned in the Tower of London, thanking Dolittle and Tommy for saving her.

Returning home, Dolittle reopens the sanctuary and takes on Tommy as his apprentice. Meanwhile, trapped in the dragoness’s cave, Müdfly tries to speak to a swarm of angry bats.

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