I'm not revealing any big secrets when I say that the movie is about how Eddie Murphy's character can talk to animals. This is definitely an Eddie Murphy movie, but the stars are the animals. With tons of celebrity voices (stick around for the credits, some of the voices may surprise you), they get the funny lines while Eddie Murphy tries something different... he's the straight man.
I've never seen the original "Dr. Dolittle" that starred Rex Harrison, but I can tell you that I enjoyed this movie. The word I would use to describe it is "cute." It's a cute movie. I saw it with a theater filled with kids (and inconsiderate parents that allowed the kids to babble endlessly), and they loved the movie.
"Dr. Dolittle" was directed by Betty Thomas, director of "Private Parts," "The Brady Bunch Movie," and the HBO movie, "The Late Shift." She's really making a name for herself as a director, and I'm happy for her. She doesn't direct huge, cerebral movies, but I've yet to see a movie outta her that didn't entertain me.
I hope that
Eddie Murphy is smart and will continue in this route. I've always been
a fan of his, and I want him to be successful. I think that he knows what
he's doing, though. There's a whole generation that wants to see more of
him... and he knows it.
Scale
of 1-10: 8