Dr. Dolittle 2 MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +3 Content: -1/2

Eddie Murphy reprises his role as Dr. John Dolittle, based on the character in Hugh Loftings books, whose patients are both human and animal. Since learning to speak and understand animal language, Dolittle has more business than he can handle. And his family life is suffering, particularly relations with his 16-year-old daughter, Charisse (Raven-Symone). When forest animals call on the doctor to save their habitat from unscrupulous land developers, Charisse is even more upset to learn the family vacation will be spent in the woods. Dolittle can halt the developers if he can get Ava (voiced by Lise Kudrow), an endangered female bear, a mate. But Archie (voiced by Steve Zahn), her possible mate, is a trained circus bear who prefers the comforts of home to living in the woods. Dolittle has his hands full convincing Archie to act like a bear, get Archie and Ava together, and keep Charisse away from her pizza-delivering boyfriend whos joined the family outing. Although teens may not be as enthusiastic, kids from eight to eighty will enjoy the comical interaction between man and beast as the animals go on strike to save their homes.

While another film this year featured a man acting like an animal and doing socially unacceptable things, this production lets the animals do their own “unacceptable in human society” acts. One scene shows a dog licking his crotch while several other scenes find humor in territory marking. In a strike negotiation with the land developer, one animal expresses himself by wetting the contract. A bear using a human bathroom, accompanied by sound and reactions to smell, is also considered humorous. But the main theme of the film is relationships and accepting who you are, as Archie learns to act like the bear he is. Of course, animal relationships deal largely with mating and several comments are made about being ‘in heat’. But Dolittle also tries to demonstrate that his family is important to him even though his job is demanding. Charisse discovers an unusual talent and, like most teens, worries about being different from her peers. Although some questionable, crude humor based on animal habits is exploited, DR. DOLITTLE 2 can help everyone learn a few lessons about relationships.

Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035