|
 Dr
Doolittle 2
 
Two
words for you: family movie.
And
I mean 100%- mini-van driving- "my kid made the honor list"sticker
sporting- weekends at the kid's soccer game- Disney's the only
vacation you've had in five years-McDonald's is a treat kind
of suburbia USA family. All the little aspiring Veterinarians
around the world will be in their glory, as the talking animals
are, still, a hoot. But, for the older generation, without kids,
it will take a strong martini and a happy pill to sit squirm
free for what seemed like a Titanic length film.
The
magic of the first Eddie Murphy Dr. Doolittle is replaced with
goofy way-out there storylines, bad toilet jokes, and a sacharin
laced goody-tewo-shoes mushfest family.
Doolittle
did little for me, and that's okay, it is for the kids. In the
same way that The World's Greatest Athelete, Herbie the Love
Bug, or That Darn Cat were not, in anyway, meant for adults.
Neither is this. We are all so spoiled with the double-meaning
movies Disney and Pixar have managed to produce. The intelligent
kind all ages can enjoy, and not just the wee ones. This ones
for the wee ones!
Ed's
back as Dr. Doolittle the magical doctor who communicates with
the animal kingdom. Doolittle is approached by a wiseguy raccoon
who tells him "da boss would like a meeting with yous."
The
boss is a portly beaver a'la The Godfather. Very funny. He explains
to Murphy er, Doolittle the big bad logging company is coming
in and grabbing his territory. Dayz movin' in, see. The animals
of the forest need Doolittle to save them. Speak up for them.
How?
Seems there is one female Pacific Western bear, named Eva (endangered
and voiced by Lisa Kudrow) in the doomed land spread. If Doolittle
can get captive performing PW bear named Archie (Steve Zahn
voiced), to mate with her- bingo preservation of the species
and protected habitat.
If
not the loggers come in and level the place.
Sounds
easy. But, Archie's no Yogi bear! He's a big old - tap dancing-
tutu wearing- dancin' fool - geek-lacking only the Buddy Holly
glasses and the pocket-o-pens. Think Andy Dick without
the sense of humor. Archie can't swim, nearly drowns when fishing
and prefers Wolgang Puck take-out to meal worm foraging. Meanwhile
her other lover-to-be-in-running is a rough and ready Kodiak
bear.
Trouble
in Sierra paradise. Dr. Doolittle has a month to get Archie
to be a bear instead of the Wayne Newton of circus
animals. Archie and Eva must fornicate to populate their kind
and, of course, save the forest.
Some
wafer-thin subplot is entangled about Doolittle and his annoying
teenage daughter (Raven-Symone) being filled with the  usual
spoiled girl angst and mundane secrets. Yawn. Murphy is so unnatural
as a dad the scenes were painful to watch.
Norm MacDonald voiced the family pooch, Lucky, and had the few
borderline PG lines the other "family" movies drop
in behind the kids' back. There will be none of that here! Pure
unadulterated child's play.
Take
the kid (s), the younger kids and try to remember when
you bought in to this kind of farcical fluff. DR2 is gonna be
great this Thanksgiving when you need one of those all around
family movies even the toddlerins' can view without causing
later-life therapy. Holiday list: perhaps Nutty Professor 2,
Dr. Doolittle 2, and Eddie Murphy Raw for when the chillin'
goes to bed and before you break out the porn.
Snack
Recommendation: Honey and Salmon
Starring:
Eddie Murphy, Kristen Wilson, Kyla Pratt, Raven-Symone, Kevin
Pollock (poor schmuck) and Jeffrey Jones
|
