Dr. Dolittle | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

42% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 35% Audience Score 250,000+ Ratings

After a fender bender, Dr. John Dolittle (Eddie Murphy) gets back his childhood ability to converse with animals. But the gift turns out to be a mixed blessing when the good doctor finds himself besieged by boozing monkeys, injured owls and depressed lions who need his special assistance. When Dolittle's strange behavior catches the attention of his wife, Lisa (Kristen Wilson), he winds up in a mental institution. Luckily, he has some animal friends to help him out of his hairy situation. Read More Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Dr. Dolittle

Fandango at Home Prime Video Apple TV

Rent Dr. Dolittle on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Dr. Dolittle

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Doctor Dolittle finds some mirth in the novelty of wisecracking critters, but this family feature's treacly tone is made queasy by a reliance on scatological gags that undercut the intended warmth.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (52) Critics Reviews
Dr. Dolittle | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Leonard Klady Variety Slim on story and rife with scatological jokes, the film may strike a chord with pre-teens but misses for an older crowd despite some nifty effects and broad humor. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Dr. Dolittle | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Derek Adams Time Out Murphy's likeable, the script's laden with a gaggle of one-liners, and there's even a vague message nestling beneath the zoological chaos. Jan 26, 2006 Full Review Dr. Dolittle | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Neil Smith BBC.com Murphy himself is rather dull in the straight man role, and the jokes are pretty coarse for a family film. But it's certainly better than the lacklustre sequel, which finds Eddie playing second fiddle to a performing bear. Rated: 3/5 Jul 24, 2001 Full Review Dr. Dolittle | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Gary Wolcott Tri-City Herald This is a slick comedy that would be perfect for the whole family -- except for the ample use of bathroom humor... I will admit, though, that it does help make this remake of Dr. Dolittle a funny movie. Rated: 4/5 Jun 20, 2023 Full Review Dr. Dolittle | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Tim Brayton Alternate Ending The only thing that keeps this even a little bit tolerable is the superlative work by the Henson people. Rated: 1/5 Jan 17, 2020 Full Review Dr. Dolittle | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Ed Grant Common Sense Media This gimmicky animal tale is crude but funny. Rated: 4/5 Jan 1, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews

Paco M I watched this in the cinema when i was 11. After paying 8€ I left 20 mins in. Never got my bucks worth. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/18/24 Full Review 南威 劉 Though the script was a bit cliche, I love the soundtrack a lot!!! It caught my ear when I watched it. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/21/24 Full Review Thinking of Film Really liked Eddie Murphys dr dolittle films. Fun fun fun. Wish he had done a 3rd 👍 Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/20/24 Full Review Ashley H I did enjoy the movie. But wouldn't take the time to go watch it twice.comedy, but not hilarious. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/30/23 Full Review Adam E A modern and rather loose take on the classic children's story, the Dr. Dolittle movie from 1998 sees Eddie Murphy's doctor slowly realize that either he can actually talk to animals or he is losing his mind entirely.The film opens with a young John Dolittle discovering his talents before he is encouraged by his father to forget about all that, which he does well into adulthood. Now a successful doctor and surgeon in San Francisco, John is about to join his family on vacation when he bumps his head almost running over a dog and his abilities promptly return. Not knowing what to make of that, he struggles to come to terms with it all and panics trying to hide his secret from others until he can't. Meanwhile, John's colleagues are trying to set up a meeting with the owner of a medical company who has shown interest in purchasing John's practice. When a tiger from a circus shows signs of a possible neurological issue, John has to decide whether to step in and save its life, others be damned, or try to live a normal life.There's not much more to this light-hearted comedy story-wise and, in fact, the tiger plot only really becomes relevant right at the end, with two thirds of the film dedicated to John Dolittle freaking out about his animal chats. Dr. Dolittle was a box-office hit, hot off the success of The Nutty Professor a couple of years earlier, and Eddie Murphy proved once again that he could single-handedly elevate material that, in lesser hands, might not have worked well at all. Unfortunately, Dr. Dolittle lacks the laughs that The Nutty Professor delivered and feels very slight in comparison. The animals, who are sometimes CG'ed, sometimes puppets, and voiced by the likes of Chris Rock, Norm MacDonald and Albert Brooks, get the bulk of the lines here but they're rarely funny.The writing is the main problem with this movie which, not only lacks genuine laughs but fails to give Eddie Murphy anything to work with, though he definitely does his best to keep things entertaining at least. Not to mention that John Dolittle doesn't so much go on an adventure as he does whine and complain for an hour about what is obviously a very cool power to have. This routine gets tiresome fast and, even though the supporting cast is solid (Oliver Platt, Peter Boyle, Jeffrey Tambor, Paul Giamatti), they're only really there to fill time until the inevitable animal fart joke and keep the non-kids who are watching this from giving up on it completely. This Dr. Dolittle is harmless enough and younger viewers will be reasonably entertained but this needed a stronger plot, perhaps one focused on the tiger at the circus, and a lot more laughs to make it worth sitting through because, as it stands, this is just not very good.Disappointing. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/27/23 Full Review StephenPaul C LOL, the funniest 01 hour: and 25 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!! In memory of Peter Boyle, who played Calloway in this movie and Norm MacDonald as the voice of Lucky. Rated PG-13 for Language, and Crude/ Sexual Humor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring Eddie Murphy as Dr. John Dolittle, and Raven-Symone as his oldest daughter, and Kyla Pratt as his youngest daughter!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Dr. Dolittle

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Betty Thomas Director Eddie Murphy Dr. John Dolittle Ossie Davis Archer Dolittle Oliver Platt Dr. Mark Weller Peter Boyle Calloway Richard Schiff Dr. Gene Reiss
Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home

The Truth About Cats & Dogs 85% 57% The Truth About Cats & Dogs P.C.U. 50% 75% P.C.U. The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest 11% 49% The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest Stuck on You 61% 35% Stuck on You The Nutty Professor 65% 44% The Nutty Professor Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related Movie News

View All Related Movie News
Box Office Preview: Miami Vice Turns Up B.O. Heat "Sgt. Rock" Nabs a Screenwriter

Videos

View All videos

Dr. Dolittle

Dr. Dolittle: Trailer 1 Dr. Dolittle: Trailer 1 2:11 View more videos

Photos

View All Dr. Dolittle photos

Dr. Dolittle

Dr. Dolittle (1998) Dr. Dolittle (1998) Dr. Dolittle (1998) Dr. Dolittle (1998) Dr. Dolittle (1998) Dr. Dolittle (1998) View more photos

Synopsis After a fender bender, Dr. John Dolittle (Eddie Murphy) gets back his childhood ability to converse with animals. But the gift turns out to be a mixed blessing when the good doctor finds himself besieged by boozing monkeys, injured owls and depressed lions who need his special assistance. When Dolittle's strange behavior catches the attention of his wife, Lisa (Kristen Wilson), he winds up in a mental institution. Luckily, he has some animal friends to help him out of his hairy situation.

Director
Betty Thomas

Producer
John Davis, Joseph Singer, David T. Friendly

Screenwriter
Nat Mauldin, Larry Levin

Distributor
20th Century Fox

Production Co
20th Century Fox

Rating
PG-13

Genre
Comedy

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 26, 1998, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015

Box Office (Gross USA)
$144.2M

Runtime
1h 25m

Sound Mix
Surround
Most Popular at Home Now
Dr. Dolittle | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)
Top Articles
Our Top Tricks to Get Rid of Flies in the Chicken Coop
Seed Starting 101: A Guide to Winter Sowing in Milk Jugs
Woodward Avenue (M-1) - Automotive Heritage Trail - National Scenic Byway Foundation
Nwi Police Blotter
Davante Adams Wikipedia
<i>1883</i>'s Isabel May Opens Up About the <i>Yellowstone</i> Prequel
O'reilly's In Monroe Georgia
Slapstick Sound Effect Crossword
Decaying Brackenhide Blanket
Waive Upgrade Fee
Tv Schedule Today No Cable
Autozone Locations Near Me
Rainfall Map Oklahoma
Https://Gw.mybeacon.its.state.nc.us/App
Sport Clip Hours
Slushy Beer Strain
Hoe kom ik bij mijn medische gegevens van de huisarts? - HKN Huisartsen
Nj State Police Private Detective Unit
Grasons Estate Sales Tucson
Aucklanders brace for gales, hail, cold temperatures, possible blackouts; snow falls in Chch
Everything We Know About Gladiator 2
Itziar Atienza Bikini
Understanding Gestalt Principles: Definition and Examples
D2L Brightspace Clc
Maine Racer Swap And Sell
2004 Honda Odyssey Firing Order
Emuaid Max First Aid Ointment 2 Ounce Fake Review Analysis
3 Bedroom 1 Bath House For Sale
Spy School Secrets - Canada's History
What Is Xfinity and How Is It Different from Comcast?
Leland Nc Craigslist
Help with your flower delivery - Don's Florist & Gift Inc.
Family Fare Ad Allendale Mi
Msnl Seeds
Puffco Peak 3 Red Flashes
Frcp 47
Wsbtv Fish And Game Report
Body Surface Area (BSA) Calculator
Keir Starmer looks to Italy on how to stop migrant boats
Oppenheimer Showtimes Near B&B Theatres Liberty Cinema 12
Sig Mlok Bayonet Mount
Craigslist/Nashville
Pgecom
Perc H965I With Rear Load Bracket
Breaking down the Stafford trade
Actress Zazie Crossword Clue
Bismarck Mandan Mugshots
Bama Rush Is Back! Here Are the 15 Most Outrageous Sorority Houses on the Row
How to Find Mugshots: 11 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow
Lux Nails & Spa
Qvc Com Blogs
Wayward Carbuncle Location
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Terence Hammes MD

Last Updated:

Views: 5548

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Terence Hammes MD

Birthday: 1992-04-11

Address: Suite 408 9446 Mercy Mews, West Roxie, CT 04904

Phone: +50312511349175

Job: Product Consulting Liaison

Hobby: Jogging, Motor sports, Nordic skating, Jigsaw puzzles, Bird watching, Nordic skating, Sculpting

Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.