DR. DOLITTLE 2 / (2001) *** (out of four)
I am often cautious when I walk into a theater to screen a sequel, but even more so when it's the sequel to a family comedy. Family comedies are so lazy these days. Many filmmakers seem to think their target audience isn't analytical, therefore, they do not take the proper precautions. The 1998 hit "Doctor Dolittle" wasn't a great movie, but it was entertaining and amusing. Steve Carr's "Doctor Dolittle 2" is even better. The film works because it doesn't waste time explaining what we already know. It relies on the first film for the character development and circumstances, and also creates a story that stands on its own. The plot drifts a little here and there, but it's new material, not a duplication of "Doctor Dolittle." This is the kind of movie that revives this struggling genre.
Eddie Murphy takes center stage again as Dr. John Dolittle, but he has a more important role in this film. In the original, he was upstaged by the talking animals; he simply reacted to their various crude and witty comments. Here, he's the main focus of the plot, thus, the film provides us with a stronger central character. I like the way the movie gives Dolittle dimension by incorporating his family into the story. We learn more about his wife (Kristen Wilson), and his lovely daughter Charisse (Raven-Symone), who learns of a new ability and forms a love interest with a young man. Some of these family aspects work well, and others fall flat. Charisse's relationship with her father is involving, but the subplot dealing with her boyfriend does not pay off.
John Dolittle is a world-famous veterinarian who can talk with animals. The premise involves Dolittle's attempts to save a forest that is about to be leveled by a powerful forester (Jeffrey Jones). A slick attorney (Kevin Pollak) represents our enemy, while Dolittle recruits his lawyer wife to defend his case in court. Dolittle's only true argument depends on a protected species of bear. Unfortunately, there's only a single female bear who cannot reproduce by herself, so why save her habitat? But wait! There's a circus performer male bear of the same species. Dolittle rushes to persuade the animal to come to the wild and mate with the female bear, but will he want to leave his circus home?
"Doctor Dolittle 2" is not an extremely funny movie; its more amusing than hilarious. A lot of the film's humor comes off as surprisingly dual and annoying. Such humor evolves from a lizard's inability to blend with his environment, a canine's attempts to pick up a wolf, convincing the two bears to mate, and a monkey's drinking problems. These jokes lack the sharp impulse, the zest, the perfect timing, and the wit we encountered in the first film. Until the creative, prosperous final act, "Doctor Dolittle 2" invokes very few laughs.
Eddie Murphy supplies his character with the perfect amount of wit and energy. He is the funniest thing in the movie. The filmmakers decided to tone down some of the crude humor and sexual entendres to warrant the movie family-orientated PG rating. Murphy still takes advantage of the mildly risqué material present, however, as he makes the film more viewable and entertaining. The filmmakers learned from the first film, where Murphy was too passive and reactive. Here, they put him on screen whenever possible, and that's why "Doctor Dolittle 2" is better than the original.
I am often cautious when I walk into a theater to screen a sequel, but even more so when it's the sequel to a family comedy. Family comedies are so lazy these days. Many filmmakers seem to think their target audience isn't analytical, therefore, they do not take the proper precautions. The 1998 hit "Doctor Dolittle" wasn't a great movie, but it was entertaining and amusing. Steve Carr's "Doctor Dolittle 2" is even better. The film works because it doesn't waste time explaining what we already know. It relies on the first film for the character development and circumstances, and also creates a story that stands on its own. The plot drifts a little here and there, but it's new material, not a duplication of "Doctor Dolittle." This is the kind of movie that revives this struggling genre.
Eddie Murphy takes center stage again as Dr. John Dolittle, but he has a more important role in this film. In the original, he was upstaged by the talking animals; he simply reacted to their various crude and witty comments. Here, he's the main focus of the plot, thus, the film provides us with a stronger central character. I like the way the movie gives Dolittle dimension by incorporating his family into the story. We learn more about his wife (Kristen Wilson), and his lovely daughter Charisse (Raven-Symone), who learns of a new ability and forms a love interest with a young man. Some of these family aspects work well, and others fall flat. Charisse's relationship with her father is involving, but the subplot dealing with her boyfriend does not pay off.
John Dolittle is a world-famous veterinarian who can talk with animals. The premise involves Dolittle's attempts to save a forest that is about to be leveled by a powerful forester (Jeffrey Jones). A slick attorney (Kevin Pollak) represents our enemy, while Dolittle recruits his lawyer wife to defend his case in court. Dolittle's only true argument depends on a protected species of bear. Unfortunately, there's only a single female bear who cannot reproduce by herself, so why save her habitat? But wait! There's a circus performer male bear of the same species. Dolittle rushes to persuade the animal to come to the wild and mate with the female bear, but will he want to leave his circus home?
"Doctor Dolittle 2" is not an extremely funny movie; its more amusing than hilarious. A lot of the film's humor comes off as surprisingly dual and annoying. Such humor evolves from a lizard's inability to blend with his environment, a canine's attempts to pick up a wolf, convincing the two bears to mate, and a monkey's drinking problems. These jokes lack the sharp impulse, the zest, the perfect timing, and the wit we encountered in the first film. Until the creative, prosperous final act, "Doctor Dolittle 2" invokes very few laughs.
Eddie Murphy supplies his character with the perfect amount of wit and energy. He is the funniest thing in the movie. The filmmakers decided to tone down some of the crude humor and sexual entendres to warrant the movie family-orientated PG rating. Murphy still takes advantage of the mildly risqué material present, however, as he makes the film more viewable and entertaining. The filmmakers learned from the first film, where Murphy was too passive and reactive. Here, they put him on screen whenever possible, and that's why "Doctor Dolittle 2" is better than the original.