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DR.
DOLITTLE 2
On the surface there are story lines with merit and it would have
been nice to have seen them addressed in an appropriate, meaningful
way.
Review
By MIKE FURCHES
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DR. DOLITTLE 2
2001
This
page was created on July 2, 2001
This page was last updated on
May 21, 2005
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The
doctor is in again.
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 Dr.
Dolittle: Eddie Murphy
Joseph Potter: Jeffrey Jones
Jack Riley: Kevin Pollak
Maya Dolittle: Kyla Pratt
And the voices of Norm Macdonald, Lisa Kudrow, Steve Zahn and Molly
Shannon.
Directed by Steve Carr.
Written by Larry Levin.
Based on the Dr. Dolittle stories by Hugh Lofting.
Running time: 88 minutes.
Rated
PG (for language and crude humor).
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Dolittle
Is Back
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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 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. 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 life 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 love life with the local wolf isn't faring much
better.
Will
Dolittle's animal friends start walking picket lines? Can he 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.
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 Review
by
MIKE FURCHES
mike@furches.org
Web site www.furches.org
Mike is the Senior Pastor at United at the Cross Community Church
in Wichita Kansas. United at the Cross is a church made up of individuals
not often accepted in other churches. The church consists of former
gang members, drug addicts, prostitutes and others. Mike also speaks
nationally on various topics and is a freelance writer. To learn
more about Mike and his ministry link onto www.furches.org.
In the arts Mike has worked with top music artists such as Steppenwolf,
Marshall Tucker Band, Kansas and has an active interest in film.
Mike is pictured with his music band "Route 66."
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 Dr.
Dolittle 2 is a movie that I was looking forward to seeing this summer.
I actually think that Eddie Murphy is an underrated actor and Dr.
Dolittle was one of my favorite characters as a child. While the first
Dr. Dolittle movie with Eddie Murphy was not nearly as good as the
original film it still had some good laughs and was an enjoyable film.
The trailers (2.7
MB) for the new movie looked fun and I was especially interested
in seeing Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, in the film. If you are
not familiar with Steve Irwin he is a modern day contemporary of Jim
Fowler from the old Mutual of Omaha television series and has been
called a "real Dr. Dolittle."  Irwin
hosts a top rated television series. He is a family favorite and one
of the reasons my family was excited about seeing this movie. You
don't wait long to see the sequence with Steve Irwin and unfortunately
if you have seen the previews of the movie you have seen the total
footage used in the film. This is one of many let downs in this film
that comes early and often. |
 Recently,
Eddie Murphy stated that he wants to make movies that he would be
proud of having his children see. He rated The Klumps among these
films and while The Klumps had some success at the box office I would
consider it a terrible movie. While Dr. Dolittle 2 is not nearly as
embarrassing as The Klumps it is still an embarrassingly bad film.
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 The
film, rated PG, had the potential to address several appropriate topics.
Dr. Dolittle, with the help of his animal friends, realizes that he
has fallen short in showing his family, especially his daughter, the
love they deserve. There is also the aspect of helping save the forest
for all of his animal friends, for it is being stripped by evil land
developers. He does this by helping Archie, an endangered bear who
grew up in the circus, learn to adapt to living in the wild. On the
surface these are story lines with merit and it would have been nice
to have seen them addressed in an appropriate, meaningful way. |
 I
always try to find some positive aspects in the films I see but this
one is quite hard. There is crude humor that I have difficulty with,
especially when the film is marketed towards young children. There
is little of redeeming moral value in the film and if you feel that
you must see it, I would encourage you to wait until it hits the discount
theaters or video. I would also advise parents to watch the film before
making the decision to let their young children watch it. This may
be the kind of movie that Eddie Murphy wants his children to see but
I would prefer others such as Shrek, Titan
AE, and numerous others over recent years. If you insist on seeing
Dr. Dolittle 2, I would advise you to see it soon because it won't
be in first run theaters long. |
| I
can hear the skunk telling me that on a scale of 1 - 10 this film
stinks with a 4. |
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OFFICIAL
SITE
Dr. Dolittle 2 © 2001 20th
Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.
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