20th Century Fox presents a film directed by Steve Carr. Written by Larry Levin. Based on the Dr. Dolittle stories by Hugh Lofting. Running time: 88 minutes. Rated PG (for language and crude humor).
Eddie Murphy is returning in his role as Dr. Dolittle, but critics are suggesting that it will do little for his career. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times is one of several critics who agree that Dr. Dolittle 2 is an improvement over the original. But, he adds: Its successful moments (and they are only moments) remind us that this is a squandered opportunity. With the application of more intelligence and a different sensibility, this could have been a good film instead of one that's content with not being a complete waste of time. Jack Mathews also gives the movie a so-so review saying that it's still fresh enough to provoke laughs, even though the humor is occasionally beneath the dignity of a dung beetle. A.O. Scott in the New York Times calls the movie, a sloppy, good-hearted sequel that offers benign Darwinian amusement for young animal lovers and parents in search of 90 minutes of air-conditioning. Gary Thompson in the Philadelphia Daily News suggests he likes the movie only because of its short length which should be the maximum running time of all poop-joke sequels. To be sure, there are a few flat-out raves for the movie. Eleanor Ringel Gillespie in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, for example, calls it very pleasant, very sweet and very funny. Sometimes laugh-out-loud funny.