Dolittle
Ratings: 3/5
Duration: 1 Hrs 41 Mins
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Action
Release Date: 17th January 2020 (India)
Star Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Tom Holland, Rami Malek, Ralph Fiennes, Marion Cotillard, Antonio Banderas, Selena Gomez, Michael Sheen, Jessie Buckley, Octavia Spencer, Carmen Ejogo, Jim Broadbent, Kumail Nanjiani, John Cena, Jessie Buckley, Harry Collett
Plot: The movie is about an eccentric famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria's England, Dr. John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.), who after the death of his wife, has cut himself off from the world, with only exotic animals as his companions.
It is when the young queen (Jessie Buckley) falls gravely ill, the reluctant Dr. Dolittle is forced to set on sail, on an epic adventure with his animal friends to a mythical island to grab a fruit from an undiscovered tree, for cure. During this journey, the doctor faces Blair (Michael Sheen), who wants to kill the Queen for his own personal benefit, and many more obstacles. Dolittle is all about how he overcomes them and reaches his destination to save the queen.
Review: Dolittle directed by Stephen Gaghan is a routine fantasy-drama. It is a technically rich film with a predictable script that fails to cover the adventurous angle.
When it comes to performances, it is refreshing to watch Robert Downey Jr. out of his Iron Man suit. He doesn’t follow a single trait from the previous Dolittle movies and gives an altogether different take to the Dolittle’s character.
Whereas each creature is brought to life and is given a distinct personality and role to play. John Cena as Yoshi the bear gets a couple of funny lines, Rami Malek’s Gorilla Chee-Chee gets the meatiest of the role of the animals. Kumail Nanjiani’s Ostrich his dubbing might be the most appropriate of all. While Emma Thompson as Polynesia the Macaw and Tom Holland as Jib the Dog didn’t have much to do.
It is definitely an entertaining film with direction, camera, doing all the magic. The veteran music master Dany Elfman from the world of Men In Black, Alice In Wonderland, has lived this world, hence has managed even to amp up some ordinary scenes with his thumping background score.
Even the dialogues are witty and deserve all the credit of maintaining the intrigue. Moreover, the VFX looks clean, bright and shiny. But with actors like these and scale like this, the viewers tend to seek more than just entertainment.
Overall, Dolittle is a popcorn entertainer, which would attract the younger audience. It would take one to the fantasy land, make one laugh and deliver what it promises!
