Dr. Dolittle, who favored animals and shunned humans, was on to something.
The century of human history since Hugh Lofting, in 1920, created his eccentric veterinarian character has only made Dolittle a more astute fictional figure, and a natural candidate for big-screen resurrection. Aquaman can talk to the fishes but Dolittle has the ability to converse with all fauna.
But if they could speak, no realm of the animal kingdom – no penguin, parakeet or panda – would have anything good to say about Stephen Gaghan’s “Dolittle,” a big-budget train wreck in which things go so awry that it can’t even be said to be strictly for the dogs.
“Dolittle,” starring Robert Downey Jr., arrives just weeks after the advent of “Cats,” another Universal Pictures release likewise stuffed with computer generated animals. “Dolittle” is a more harmless and whimsical family entertainment, less likely to provoke nightmares than the digitally furred felines of Tom Hooper’s Andrew Lloyd Webber adaptation. But, just the same, the two films together could be the worst setback for animalia since global warming, or at least “Howard the Duck.”
It’s tempting to think: Well, it can’t be that bad. Who doesn’t like both Downey and animals? At the very least, you would think, no amount of special effects can completely dilute such a vibrant and clever actor. He was even good in the Marvel movies!