The Boomer Review.
By Cecilia Calabrese.
The first type of audience would be those with children. My first experience with Dr. Dolittle was the year that the version with Rex Harrison in the titular role was released. I loved it! My fog of nostalgia makes me believe that the Harrison Dolittle was well-received and universally loved. In reality such was not the case. In monetary terms Rex didn’t prove to be the U.S. box office draw that the movie studio had hoped he would be. But, to 8-year old me, it didn’t matter. I loved it then as I still love it today. Who goes to see a movie about an eccentric that talks to animals for reality anyway? Children will relate to the animals very well. It’s almost a shame that the newest version wasn’t released a few months before the December holidays. A huge monetizing opportunity may have been missed by the timing of its release mid-January. There are hints throughout the way that suggests a sequel (or two?) may be in the offing such as was done with the Eddie Murphy version. Time will tell. Dr. Dolittle was always meant to tug at the heart strings and imagination of children. This version hits the mark. If you have children, take them to see this movie and don’t miss the opportunity to talk to your kids about what may be going on in their lives that you may not realize. In particular, pay close attention to which animal your children identify with the most. There could be a real opportunity for revelation there. Sorry-didn’t mean to get so “deep.”
Which brings me to the second type of audience that will love this movie: the Escapists. Dolittle allows you to check reality at the theater door, grab a popcorn and drink, and enjoy the movie for the pure enjoyment of watching a well-told story unfold. The interaction among the human and animal characters feels so natural it made me long for the ability to talk to my cat! The movie made me suspect that maybe my cat understands me just as much as I understand her. By their very nature, animals are instinctive and seek ways to communicate, cross-species. Honestly, how many of us come home from a long day at the office or school and don’t unburden ourselves with long chats with our fur babies? Without getting too philosophical about communication skills among various types of fauna, if you want to see a movie that is just pure joy to watch, you will love Dolittle.
The third type of audience that will love this movie is the Robert Downey, Jr. fandom. He has been one of my Hollywood heartthrobs since I saw him in the movie Chances Are (released in 1989). RDJ has a breadth of talent that some people may not realize if your only exposure to him is in the MCU as Iron Man. I do not pretend to be an expert in authentic speech patterns, but he speaks in a Scottish accent that nearly is lilting. His voice and facial expressions are two qualities that set him apart, in my eyes, from other Leading Men. As Dr. Dolittle, he is almost animatronic in a natural way. His body movements must be difficult to replicate because I just cannot imagine another version of Dr. Dolittle being as convincingly performed as Robert Downey, Jr’s.
If you do not fall into one of the three types of movie audiences I have described, you may find yourself being unfairly harsh in your own review of this movie. It isn’t preachy (which I find most appealing). However, you may find yourself learning lessons you didn’t realized you could use. It’s not a musical, thankfully. It’s not “deep” and brooding. It’s not historical.
What Dolittle is: it’s timeless. I usually do not enjoy the re-telling, and re-telling again of familiar movies (A Star Is Born, for example). But this one I loved. I hope we do get a sequel or two, but not more than that. If this movie theme is beaten too often it will lose its appeal. But I did leave the movie theater wanting more. And, oh, by the way…THAT’S NOT A SQUID!
Cecilia Calabrese is the Vice President of the Agawam City Council and will serve as President of the Massachusetts Municipal Association in 2020. She is a licensed attorney in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well as a Registered Dental Hygienist, and a rental property manager. Married to her husband, Michael Calabrese, for 34 years, they have two grown children, Charles and Michaela Calabrese.
Cece has written featured articles in the Valley Advocate (Tom Duggan, Editor), as well as various Opinion pieces in The Springfield Republican and The Agawam Advertiser News. She is currently on the pre-production crew for daughter Michaela’s graduate film project. Please give your generous support to the project at GoFundMe.com.
The Gen Z Review.
By Michaela Calabrese.
The history of Doctor Dolittle films very much parallels the backstory of this incarnation’s main character. A rough start in the Sixties eventually led to a period of success in the late Nineties and early Two Thousands; but that success eventually soured and turned to near-obscurity. Audience members who saw the Eddie Murphy version in theaters probably remember those films fondly; but anyone who was either too young or too old to enjoy them when they came out most likely don’t think much of them.
The same goes for the 1967 Rex Harrison original. In talking with my mother, who was eight years old when the Harrison film was released, I learned that at the time she thought the film had done well. She had fun with it. Why shouldn’t a cute movie about talking animals be successful?
Well, I won’t go into much detail, but let’s just say money is easier to lose than it is to make.
This newest version of Dolittle falls somewhere between Harrison and Murphy. It’s not a musical like the Harrison version, but Dolittle is still British and the plot revolves (partially) around finding a way to cure the unnamed Queen Victoria stand-in of a mysterious illness. The story keeps itself open to possible sequels like the Murphy version, but also works as a stand-alone with a solid beginning, middle, and end.
But what about Dolittle himself? I think the best way to describe him is a blend of childishness, gentleness, stubbornness, and inner pain. Think Peter Pan if he’d allowed himself to grow up (kind of like the film Hook). Dolittle isn’t very social with people, but thrives when working with animals. He even considers them his family. He’s gentle and patient (especially with the neurotic but lovable gorilla Chi Chi) and rarely lets his temperament get the better of him. With people, it’s a different story. A tragedy from his past leads him to shut himself off from the world and reject the company of humans. He only begrudgingly lets them into his life when he’s literally given no other choice.
That being said, he never comes across as unlikable. The audience is made to understand early on that he is very good-natured and kind. He’s just been hurt so deeply that he never wants to feel that pain again. He wants to hide from it and live out his days with his animals; and he bristles when his comfortable solitude is interrupted. Once a human comes along and proves that it is worth rejoining Society, however, Dolittle allows his views to be challenged and acquiesces to the idea that he can’t keep his back turned on the people who need him anymore.
Let’s talk technicals. They’re…fine. The cinematography is fine, the CGI is fine, it’s all…fine. Nothing stands out as really good or really terrible, it’s all sort of middle-of-the-road. I’m not bothered by that as much as other people may be. The story is good enough that I can overlook a few less-than-stellar effects. If you can’t, and CGI that isn’t exactly realistic bothers you, then maybe don’t see this movie.
Essentially, if you’re going to complain that the movie about a man who can talk to animals isn’t realistic enough, don’t buy a ticket to the movie about a man who can talk to animals.
What I’ll leave on is this: in my opinion, it’s perfectly alright for a movie to just be perfectly alright. In this day and age, when it seems like everything is a blockbuster, box office titan, franchise, or big-budget epic, movies like Dolittle are refreshing in their simplicity. It’s a tidy little fairytale that I wouldn’t mind showing my future children; and if you can sit back, turn your brain off for an hour and forty-six minutes, and let yourself have fun, then I highly recommend giving it a chance.
Michaela Calabrese was born and raised in Agawam, MA and is now living her dream of studying filmmaking in New York City. Her graduate program has offered her the chance to direct a twelve-minute short film which will be screened for industry professionals. Please give your generous support to the project at GoFundMe.com.
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