[REVIEW] ‘Dolittle’: From Saving The World To Saving The Animal Kingdom - Can RDJ Do It?

Following RDJ’s demise from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans are looking forward to anything new that the legendary actor has to offer.

Well, the man’s back and this time, instead of saving the entire universe, he’s on a mission to care for animals in ‘Dolittle’.

We recently went to a preview of the film and here’s what we think about it.

#1 RDJ as Dr. Dolittle

The transition from the hero of the universe to the hero of the animal kingdom may seem like an easy feat for a seasoned actor like Robert Downey Jr. Fans are already expecting a great performance from him, but unfortunately, this time around, it wasn’t his best.

What’s disturbing wasn’t actually his acting but his fake Welsh accent that’ll immediately put you off. It sounds as if it was dubbed in an unnatural way and at times it was as if someone else was voicing the animal doctor.

He’s still a great actor nonetheless, as he really went into character, especially when it came to communicating with the animals in their very own language. The voice and facial expressions were good, but something was still amiss.

Does he make a believable, deranged animal doctor? Yes. Could he have done better? Most definitely.

#2 A Kingdom of Star-Studded Cast

If the who’s who of showbiz (from all ages) decided to come and hang out, it’d be in this movie. We love how diverse the cast is and how colourful their characters are. From a tiger who’s suffering from mummy issues to the confident parrot, each animal represents a type of personality that we could all relate to.

Among the characters that stood out the most was the hilarious squirrel, played by Craig Robinson and the gorilla who suffers from anxiety and confidence issues, played by Rami Malek. The gorilla is definitely some of us, especially when it comes to social settings and stepping up to the plate.

We were also pleasantly surprised to learn about the number of A-list starts that lended their voices to the film - John Cena as Yoshi the polar bear, Octavia Spencer as Dab Dab the duck, Selena Gomez as Betsy the giraffe, RDJ’s ‘Avengers’ alumni Tom Holland as Jip the dog, and many more.

Overall, we loved the dynamics of the team and how every character complemented each other.

#3 Adventurous Storyline, Great Humour

The premise of the film is pretty simple, the Queen of England (that looks really young to be honest) falls sick with a mysterious illness. Dr. Dolittle is then summoned to treat her and he ends up going on a voyage into the unknown with his animal pack and a new protégé to find a mythical cure for the queen.

Dolittle is faced with a few challenges along the way but this chapter of the adventure felt a little flat at times. There are several scenes that’ll get you almost on the edge of your seats (read: when Dolittle met the tiger) but in reality, there were plenty of plot holes and the story could’ve been executed better. The ending, in our opinion, was a bit off as we kept thinking to ourselves “was that it”?

However, if there was one thing that we truly enjoyed – it was the humour and the banter between the animals. It’s as if we’re watching National Geographic but in human language.

VERDICT

Robert Downey Jr’s first post ‘Avengers’ film may be a bit of a let-down to fans, especially because of his weird accent. He may have saved the universe, but there's no way he can save this film with that accent.

We get why kids may enjoy this film but it’s just missing some key qualities - an x-factor and a strong storyline. With an impressive line of Hollywood stars, they could’ve achieved something amazing but they missed that opportunity. However, if you’re a fan of RDJ and the rest of the cast members, then this is definitely for you.