Dolittle

I watched this at home on BluRay from our public library.

The IMDb rating seems a bit low, this is a very well-made and entertaining movie, with A-list actors, even those who voice animated characters.

Queen Victoria is ill and dying, in talking to a squid in a tank suspects she is being poisoned. They set off on a long cruise to find a particular plant that no one knows for sure exists but could cure the Queen.

Lots of green screen and CGI are involved, as such it takes on the look of a cartoon more than a conventionally filmed movie. It reminded me of watching Saturday morning cartoons with a few live characters.

Overall very entertaining, I watched it again 3 months later (September 2020), then almost 4 years later (APR 2024), this time with my wife also, and enjoyed it even more the second and third times. Plus I am a big Jessie Buckley fan, she plays the sick Queen, ultimately a small part but she lights up the screen.

Had to write a brief review as the level of ignorance regarding RDJ's accent is astounding.

As a Welshman I can say his attempt at a Welsh accent is not a bad effort at all. Like many places around the UK we have regional variaions but RDJ does a passable version of a South Wales Valleys accent and that is no mean feat.

As far as the plot is concerned you have to remember this is a family film that's full of CGI animals. Was it great? Not quite - but there was enough fun to enjoy if you could get past the the initial shock that Dolittle wasn't from England.

Sadly it seems this was too far out of some peoples comfort zones and because of that they missed the hidden meanings of the film which circled around friends and friendship.

I was worried going into this that it would be awful based on early reviews. It turned out to be a delightful, humorous family movie with CGI that would put most films to shame. Yes, there are cheesy over-the-top jokes. Yes, a lot of it is silly. Yes, the plot is simple. It's a movie for children! Robert Downey Jr was charming, Michael Sheen was every bit that classic mustache-twirling villain, and Antonio Banderas surprised me with his performance! The child actors were impressive and believable, and the voice acting was cute and probably the funniest part of the movie. Again, let me say- this is a movie intended for children that can be enjoyed by adults who aren't expecting a drama of the year. Let your inner kid out and see a movie for fun. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

This movie has lots of entertainment value especially for the younger ones. Seeing Robert Downey Jr. in this role was pretty odd, but it was entertaining nonetheless, even for a young adult like myself. Entertaining rating would be around a 7.5/10 for me, so I recommend it for sure.

The negative reviews here are lacking consideration of the viewer such a movie intends to alight and invite in: not film or literature aficionados; children. This movie is perfect for elementary school age kids, entering the genre of film and unawares or wary of the mature themes, titles and classics that flit by in their budding lives. Don't review or see this movie as a critic. Consider it as a parent and carrier of culture, and see it as an amuse bouche for the little blossoming beloved in your life. This film is great.