Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.0

Dr. Dolittle Blu-ray Movie Review

'Dolittle' does little.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 21, 2015

"Dog bites man" isn't news. On the other hand, "Man bites dog" is news. And "Man talks to dog" is on a whole other level of weird. Comedian extraordinaire Eddie Murphy stars in Dr. Dolittle, a 1998 film both loosely based on the short stories penned by Author Hugh Lofting and a re-imagining of the 1967 film of the same name starring Rex Harrison. The story can be summed up as "man talks to animals. Hilarity ensues...or does it?" Dr. Dolittle misses opportunities to be more; the film is more concerned with wrenching in humor where the situation doesn't necessarily call for it, or when the script simply can't naturally come across it, rather than more deeply exploring the fascinating core story around it. The movie proves wildly unbalanced and hard to tame, fumbling around with a lot of good ideas and peeks into more substantial areas of concern that are rarely, if ever, fully resolved. The end result is a rather crude film that's a bitt too much for the kids and a bit too loud and obnoxious for adults, resulting in a picture with a narrow audience and not much of a spirit beyond a spirited effort from Eddie Murphy who's hampered by a lackadaisical script and a dearth of opportunity to truly shine within the tightly constricted confines of his part. And as with any movie that begins by discussing the virtues of butt-sniffing and proceeds to show a child sniffing his principal's butt, audiences should have a pretty good idea that they're in it for the long haul of blah.

Cats rule, dogs drool, and Eddie Murphy's cool!

Dr. John Dolittle (Murphy), who, as a child, was once at the center of an exorcism after it was discovered he could communicate with animals, has grown up to be a mostly normal, functioning man who, surprise, surprise, isn't too fond of anything with more than two legs. He's a doctor and a family man, doing the best he can with what he has. After a late-night call in to work while his family's on vacation, he returns home and nearly hits a dog with his SUV. "Bonehead!" The dog (voiced by Norm MacDonald) calls him. Suddenly, it all comes flashing back. He still has the gift. Or is it a curse? Soon, he's hearing voices everywhere. All the animals want to speak with him, including the family guinea pig, Rodney (voiced by Chris Rock). Finally, they're all coming to him for some reason or another, mostly for medical aid. He learns of a suicidal tiger (voiced by Albert Brooks) suffering from immense head pain. Dolittle agrees to help. But a procedure of that scope, and with such a large animal, is sure to draw attention where Dolittle doesn't want it: on his "gift" of animal communication that's quickly ostracizing himself from both his community and his family.

In Dr. Dolittle, Eddie Muprhy has the unenviable task of trying to sell the movie by being himself -- by being uproariously funny -- while forced into a part that doesn't give him much room to work beyond a general reliance on a few physical gags and a number of visually and verbally unconvincing interactions with his furry compatriots. Murphy courageously tries his best but often becomes lost in a shuffle of a movie that can never quite decide what it is or where it's headed. It aims for funny here, serious there, a family film at its core, and a raunchy comedy on the surface, resulting in a grossly uneven structure and a pace that manages to impart so much resistance on the movie that even its 80-some-minute runtime often feels twice as long. Murphy's voice acting co-stars are hit-or-miss. Chris Rock's performance generally feels right for the Guinea Pig character; he gives it a certain annoying squeakiness but at the same time there's a little too much of a guttural shrill and too much raw effort on his part to top Murphy and steal the show that his Rodney becomes one of the film's most obnoxious characters. Some of the other voice performances find a bit more balance, but truly good, easy, and effortlessly enjoyable work comes far and few between; the best hails from a German Shepard begging and pleading not to be "fixed" at the vet.

Since the film can never really find much of a rhythm for the humor and considering a disappointing absence of character depth -- even as the film tries to the contrary through the brief reflection of Murphy's character's youth and the parallels between his adult self and both his childhood and his children -- it's a shame it doesn't take the opportunity to dig a little deeper to the other side and do more than cursorily gloss over the interesting underpinnings that is the story of a man whose unique "gift" makes him nearly an outcast and certainly distances himself from friends, family, and colleagues. The social and personal stigma of engaging in an act that nobody else can perform, let alone understand, seems ripe for exploration, but the film really only ever goes anywhere with the idea with humorous intent in mind. Granted, that's playing to the film's supposed strength and general direction, but the broader consequences of a man living, working, and talking outside of normal societal parameters seems, considering the relative spottiness of the film's humor, a better use of its time.

Dr. Dolittle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dr. Dolittle features a maddeningly frustrating 1080p transfer. It can look quite good in spurts and borderline awful elsewhere. First, the good. Dr. Dolittle often finds commendably complex textures that bring out the best in basic clothing and facial features. Image clarity usually satisfies, giving the movie a fairly healthy, appealing edge. Light grain sometimes appears. Colors, though mildly favoring an evident warmth, are pleasing to the eye, bold, and well defined in terms of both general vitality and nuance. However, the transfer suffers from a myriad of problems, including an overly processed general appearance. Take a look at a scene depicting an outdoor meeting around the 12-minute mark. It's not only flat (but still fairly well detailed) but it's home to some heavy and unsightly aliasing on suit coats and eyewear. Jagged edges line shirt collars and bald heads. The film's image further disappoints with black levels that are often pale and tired. Light wear and tear in the way of pops and scratches are mild but included. A number of shots are unnaturally soft and lacking the razor-sharp definition seen elsewhere. Of all these problems, the aliasing appears most frequently, on everything from wicker furniture to wood trim inside Dolittle's SUV. Most every shot featuring his glasses are problematic. When it's on, Dr. Dolittle looks good. When it's off, it's quite bad.

Dr. Dolittle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dr. Dolittle's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack may be technically proficient but it's not a particularly exciting listen. Music is adequately clear and well defined with a good, healthy, fairly wide front placement and mild surround support. Ambient sound effects are audible but lack much of a true, immersive posture. The track finds a few good directional bits, and basic imaging is well done, particularly as animals speak out of a corner rather than the front, culminating in a good, fully immersive cacophony of voices filling the stage when Dolittle visits an animal shelter in chapter eight. General dialogue is clear and well defined with natural center placement. The track doesn't raise any eyebrows or perk any ears. It does its duty well enough and is, sadly, the best part of an otherwise bland release.

Dr. Dolittle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All that's included is the Dr. Dolittle theatrical trailer (1080i, 2:13, 4x3).

Dr. Dolittle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dr. Dolittle means well but never quite gets anything right. Its PG-13 rating makes it inaccessible to younger kids, who should be the target audience, and too unbalanced for adults. The film falls into a murky middle ground where it feels either too overdone or too constrained. It's not the significantly more audience-appropriate sequel, and on the other hand it's not the raunchy, adult-oriented Ted, two films that know their audience and play to their audience. Dr. Dolittle, despite some fun moments, never does find its soul or center, and even the venerable Eddie Murphy can't accomplish much with a wayward script and clumsy pace. 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray is as disappointing as the movie. Flawed video, passable but unremarkable audio, and no supplements of note make this a release that's easy to skip.