Dr. Dolittle 2

December 10, 2004

Rated: PG Runtime: 88 min Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Did you like the first Dr. Dolittle? Well then, you’ll probably like this second one, too. I guess Hollywood never wants to be accused of not milking a cow for all it’s worth and so it gleefully embraces any chance it gets to make sequels for movies that makes more than $100.00 in profit. Dr. Dolittle 2 (or DR2 for short) is, thankfully, a better-than-average sequel.

Dr. Dolittle 2

This time around, Dr. Dolittle (Murphy) is still busy performing his veterinarian duties but now he’s also heaped animal psychology and a bit of activism on his plate. Yes, all kinds of animals still show up at both his clinic as well as his home looking for help but Dolittle seems to have adjusted to it all. Likewise, the general public has gotten used to his unusual talents and all seems well.

The plot (what there is of it) soon appears in the form of some wild critters who recruit the good doctor to help them save their forest from an evil logging company (insert requisite Hollywood jab at corporate interests). As it turns out, the only way to save the forest is to get two bears of an endangered species to mate in that area. A female is already there but the only available male has been in captivity his entire life as a song-and-dance man..uh..bear.

As you might imagine, this bear is in NO condition to live in the wild and so Dolittle has 30 days to get him into shape and teach him how to fend for himself. This isn’t exactly an original or complex plot, but it is adequate for hanging about 90 minutes worth of jokes and gags on to. If you’re looking for a family-friendly way to kill time with one evening, DR2 would be a pretty good choice.

Posted by Alex | Filed Under 3 Stars, Comedy, Eddie Murphy, Lisa Kudrow, PG, Steve Zahn, Theatrical, voices of Norm Macdonald