The clunky direction of Steve Carr (Next Friday) lurches from one scene to another with the grace of a pratfall and the script reads more like a skit comedy than a story.
Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:104
Fresh:42
Rotten:62
Average Rating:4.9/10
Consensus: Although there are laughs to be had in Dr. Dolittle 2, its preoccupation with toilet humor and Murphy’s restrained performance makes this a missed opportunity.
Runtime: 87 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis:
Eddie Murphy returns as the doctor who can talk to the animals, in Dr. Dolittle 2, the sequel to the blockbuster 1998 comedy, which grossed over $290 million worldwide. This time, it’s Dolittle...
Eddie Murphy returns as the doctor who can talk to the animals, in Dr. Dolittle 2, the sequel to the blockbuster 1998 comedy, which grossed over $290 million worldwide. This time, it’s Dolittle versus Darwin in the ultimate man vs. nature show down, in the midst of the animal kingdom’s first strike.
In Dr. Dolittle 2, the now-famous doc has more patients – two-legged and four-legged – than he can handle. But his animal friends want more than office visits. But his animal friends want more than office visits. The outraged critters want to save their forest from unscrupulous human developers, and they’re seeking Dolittle’s help.
Dolittle concocts a plan to save the forest: Find an endangered species the law protects. He discovers a lone endangered Pacific Western Bear, Ava, living in the condemned forest. But she needs a mate – and Dolittle thinks he’s found one in Archie, a city-dwelling, wise-cracking, fast-food-loving, circus-performing bear. Although Archie initially resists the idea, Dolittle convinces him there’s live to be found in his natural habitat.
Dolittle and his dog Lucky head to the forest to try and teach Archie the ways of the wild. Unfortunately, it’s hardly a love connection for the mismatched bears, as Ava is unimpressed by Archie’s bumbling antics. And Lucky’s live life with the local wolf isn’t faring much better.
Will Dolittle’s animal friends start walking picket lines? Can her come up with the right prescription to bring Ava and Archie together, and save the forest? Will Lucky get lucky? It’s down to the wire, as Dolittle and company give the money-hungry land-grabbers a taste of real bargaining power – wilderness style. -- © 2001 20th Century Fox
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Lil' Zane, Jeffrey Jones, Kevin Pollak
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Lil' Zane, Jeffrey Jones, Kevin Pollak, Kyla Pratt, Raven Symone, Kristen Wilson, Steve Irwin, Norm MacDonald, Lisa Kudrow, Michael Rapaport, Molly Shannon, Steve Zahn, Anthony Anderson, Joe Bologna, Mike Epps, Phil Proctor, Reni Santoni, Renee Taylor
Director: Steve Carr
Director: Steve Carr
Screenwriter: Larry Levin
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Dr. Dolittle 2
A mildly amusing film that gets a B for effort and a C- for execution.
Murphy is alive, except artistically. His paycheck had better be fantastic compensation.
Eddie Murphy goes animal crackers again -- and reminds us how truly funny he can be.
It's been said that if a film uses a lot of narration, it's because its makers either don't know how to tell their story or have no story to tell. Well, this film has more narration ... than any movie in recent memory.
If they cut all the stupid or incompetent bits out of it, it would be only opening credits and end titles, and even then there would have to be some trims.
Offers benign Darwinian amusement for young animal lovers and parents in search of 90 minutes of air-conditioning.
The talking animals, a seamless combination of special effects and puppets, delighted the young audience at a preview I attended. Even the adults seemed to be having a good time with Dr. Dolittle 2.
The effortless charm the first outing possessed is taxed to the point of exhaustion in Dr. Dolittle 2.
Aimed even more squarely at the 10 and under set that made the 1998 original a surprise box office smash, this amiable, if uninspired, family outing chucks out much of the gross-out crudity of the first film in favor of cleaner, cuter animal antics.
Whenever poor Murphy has to interact with his fellow humans, the film falters because the crises writer Larry Levin has created are more cute than acute.
The animals are adorable. The story is fairly easy to grasp. That is enough for any six year old.
Latest News for Dr. Dolittle 2
June 14, 2001:
Dolittle was shot during hibernation season, and its ursine star (a brother of Bart from The Bear) just wanted to nap all day. ![]()
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May 22, 2001:
Variety reports that Kevin Pollak and Jeffrey Jones are also aboard, though it isn't yet known whether they'll be playing humans or providing animal voices. ![]()
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May 22, 2001:
Rushing into production on an $80 million Eddie Murphy sequel apparently wasn't exciting enough for Twentieth Century Fox. ![]()
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