Skip to content
Dolittle sees the titular doctor played this time by Robert Downey Jr… junior doctor? Either way, RDJr has bowed out of the Marvel universe to deal with different sorts of creatures, but is still joined by his Spidey pal, Tom Holland, who plays the voice of Jip.
After losing his wife seven years earlier, the eccentric Dr John Dolittle (Downey), famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria’s England, hermits himself away behind the high walls of Dolittle Manor with only his menagerie of exotic animals for company.
But when the young queen (Jessie Buckley – Beast) falls gravely ill, a reluctant Dolittle is forced to set sail on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure, regaining his wit and courage as he crosses old adversaries and discovers wondrous creatures.
The doctor is joined on his quest by a young, self-appointed apprentice (Harry Collett – Dunkirk) and a raucous coterie of animal friends, including an anxious gorilla (Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody), an enthusiastic but bird-brained duck (Octavia Spencer – Bad Santa 2), a bickering duo of a cynical ostrich (Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick) and an upbeat polar bear (John Cena – The Wall) and a headstrong parrot (Emma Thompson – Years And Years), who serves as Dolittle’s most trusted advisor and confidante.
Dolittle is released in the UK on February 7th 2020, so just in time for the first half-term of the year. Normally, I’m unlikely to watch this sort of movie, but Downey Jr could most likely make it watchable, and it’s bound to be a lot better than Disney’s Jungle Cruise.
Director: Stephen Gaghan (Gold)
Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan, Chris McKay
Also stars: Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Ralph Fiennes, Antonio Banderas, Selena Gomez, Ralph Ineson, Carmen Ejogo, Jim Broadbent
Check out the trailer below:
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.