Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)

It's about time that a movie comes out that is so true to life and turns that truth into lighthearted comedy. The truth of turbulent teenage times ran a common thread though real life. And bringing back the same characters from the first movie was such a good idea. The movie is appropriate for all ages which is a good movie to go to and Murphy is at his best again. Thanks for an uplifting evening.

Fmovies: Dr. John Dolittle (Eddie Murphy) is more successful than ever honing in on his new animal communication skills. With his dog Lucky (Norm Macdonald) at his side, he is able to help multitudes of animals. His daughter Charisse Dolittle (Raven-Symoné) is annoyed with him. It's her sweet sixteen and two rats pop out of her cake. To appease her, he promises to take the family on an European vacation away from the animals. He drives to the woods to meet the Godfather beaver. The animals are concerned about encroaching humans and the clear cutting of the forest. He needs an endangered animal to save the forest. Eugene Wilson tells him about unique female bear Ava (Lisa Kudrow) but they need to reintroduce male circus bear Archie (Steve Zahn) into the wild. Oppositing them are lumber company owner Joe Potter (Jeffrey Jones) and his lawyer Riley (Kevin Pollak).

It has some functional kids' movie aspects. The talking animals are funny sometimes although Steve Zahn may not be the best wacky voice actor. There is a lot of low brow humor. It could be good but the situation is too manufactured and the cabin setting is too fake. It has some good laughs but the story gets too tiresome. Kids might like this but even they should be bored by courtroom drama and corporate powerplay.

A few months ago, I saw "Doctor Dolittle" (the 1998 remake) for the first time in years. I liked it when I was twelve years old, so I was curious to know what I would think after growing up, despite having low expectations. My expectations were surpassed slightly, but if I had never seen "Dr. Dolittle 2" before, its predecessor wouldn't have been enough to make me interested in seeing it, but I did see it about four years ago, and enjoyed it. I was seventeen, past this movie's targeted audience, but didn't tend to watch a lot of movies at the time. I just watched this sequel again, and my once again low expectations were not surpassed at all.

Dr. John Dolittle has become famous for his ability to communicate with animals, but lately, he has also been having trouble with his family. One day, he is brought to the forest to see the Godbeaver, and learns that the forest is rapidly being cut down. The animals who live in this forest are counting on Dr. Dolittle to save their habitat, and in order to do so, the doctor must attempt to get a female Pacific Western bear in the forest named Ava together with a male so he can save the species! He gets a male bear of this species named Archie from a circus, and begins his attempt to get him adjusted to life in the wild and teach him how to win Ava's heart, both of which are easier said than done! It doesn't help that Archie has to compete with a Kodiak bear named Sonny, and logging company owner Joe Potter is determined to get his way!

Although I found no huge laughs in "Doctor Dolittle", I did find some minor ones. However, in this sequel, I found none. I smiled at times, but VERY rarely and briefly. Like its predecessor, "Dr. Dolittle 2" contains some juvenile excretion jokes, though it is a TAD cleaner, for better or worse (since it was aimed at kids, many would probably say it's for the better). These jokes are usually lame, if not always, a good example being the scene where Archie has diarrhea. There are also some embarrassing lines in the script, such as the one Dr. Dolittle has, humiliating his daughter, Charisse by telling her boyfriend how she tried to get out of diapers early and made messes around the house. Fortunately, the movie isn't totally filled with these problems, but most of the film is basically average and forgettable in my book.

Both Dr. Dolittle films starring Eddie Murphy are rather cheesy, and would definitely appeal to kids more than anyone else, but this one more so than the original. If you don't like the 1998 film, then you probably wouldn't like this one, either, but if you do, then you STILL might not like this sequel. "Dr. Dolittle 2" may have a slightly better plot than its predecessor, but overall, it is inferior, not that I'm saying the original is really that good. If you ask me, 1998's "Doctor Dolittle" is very close to being strictly for kids, and this sequel is right there. Remembering the film's targeted audience, I guess it deserves some credit, but if you're not part of that audience, and are not a parent of anyone who is, I wouldn't say there's any need to bother. After watching this, I definitely won't be watching the straight-to-video "Dr. Dolittle 3".

Dr. Dolittle 2 fmovies. 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.

`Dr. Doolittle 2' does have some of the same old doggoned hilarious animal-talking moments as the original. However, the story of this sequel was sometimes so tedious that a few times throughout the movie I wanted to say `bye bye birdie' to this one. Eddie Murphy once again stars as the doctor who can talk to the animals. In this one, Dr. Doolittle must play matchmaker to two bears in order to save an animal habitat from being taken over by developers. Yea! I know ! The plot sounds beary beary boring! I must admit though that is those talking animals that overshadow any plot storyline in this film. If this sounds fishy to you- then check out the italian racoon, the deceiving weasel, the mobster beaver, the drunken monkey, and the mexican iguana. Let's not left the dog out, and remember that `lucky' once again steals the show as the Doolittle's right hand pooch. It might be a `little' uninteresting at times, but i `doo' recommend for you to check this one out! Later gator!!!!!! *** Average

Yes, it's full of jokes based on body fluids (both gaseous and liquid), but even those can be funny. Not here. This movie delivered almost no laughs.

The unfunny script offers no relief from the other irritations in "Dr. Doolittle 2": the obnoxious older daughter character and the preponderance of closeups. Seeing what appears to be the cast from "The Cosby Show" on screen so tight that the image cuts off just above the eyebrows and below the chin is not fun and not entertaining.

The script comes off like a sixth grade class's presentation on ecology. Disappointing.