Big Picture Big Sound

Dolittle Review

By Matthew Passantino

Do Less

What do you get when an Oscar-winning screenwriter directs a two-time Oscar-nominated megastar plus a sterling cast lending their voices to the project? It turns out you get "Dolittle," a misbegotten adventure picture finally making its way to theaters after ping-ponging across the release calendar. Perhaps it should have stayed on the shelf.

There's a plot here, which barely matters, but Robert Downey Jr. stars as John Dolittle, who has been self-exiled for seven years following the death of his wife. He lives with an array of animals, who he can hear and speak to, and spends his days with them in his manor. Dolittle's reclusiveness is disrupted when young Stubbins (Harry Collett) appears at the manor, seeking Dolittle's help with an animal. Also, Lady Rose (Carmel Laniado) has been sent to retrieve Dolittle, in the hopes of healing the ailing Queen (Jessie Buckley).Dolittle refuses to go because he is done helping people and doesn't have much interest in being in another human's company. After some nudging by his parrot Poly (voiced by Emma Thompson), Dolittle decides to take the voyage to Buckingham Palace.

dolittle-body.jpg

Director Stephen Gaghan co-wrote the screenplay with three other writers, and they have packed the movie to the brim. Whether or not the movie is faithful to Hugh Lofting's original vision doesn't matter here. The focus is on the effects and Downey Jr.'s interplay with them. At times, it just feels like the plot is getting in everyone's way. The animals are voiced by an all-star cast, including Tom Holland, Marion Cotillard, Kumail Nanjiani, John Cena, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer and Craig Robinson. None of them are given any material to work with, despite their best efforts.

Though the film has been completed for a couple years, "Dolittle" is Downey Jr.'s first outing since concluding (allegedly) his run as Iron Man. "Avengers: Endgame" gave his character a proper goodbye but Downey Jr. now has to navigate his film career without the guaranteed audience. He is considered a bankable star, but isn't most of the "Avengers" cast when they are starring in a Marvel property?  Surrounding yourself with special effects and CG creatures doesn't automatically equal big box office numbers. The effects here are lackluster, look incomplete, and distract from what's happening around them. If Downey Jr., who turns in quite possibly the worst performance of his career, continues to make special effects-laden projects that look this bad, his audience will be less-and-less guaranteed.

"Dolittle" is being distributed by Universal Pictures, who are coming off the "Cats" debacle. It's disappointing to see a major studio continue to let projects with high price tags ("Dolittle" cost a reported $175 million) into theaters when they don't seem ready. Studios would be better off taking risks on new voices and original stories than continuing to let movies like this out into the world.

"Dolittle's" adventure aspect and talking animals may entertain young children but movies shouldn't try and operate on such a baseline level. There is plenty of family entertainment out in the world, and "Dolittle" isn't worth the voyage to the theaters.

What did you think?

Movie title Dolittle
Release year 2020
MPAA Rating PG
Our rating
Summary Poor special effects and a terrible turn by Robert Downey Jr. make this adventure spectacle a tedious voyage.
View all articles by Matthew Passantino
More in Movies
Big News
Newsletter Sign-up
 
Connect with Us