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Dr. Dolittle

1998

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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46

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 48 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	Your Score
6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 48 Ratings

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Dr. Dolittle

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Dr. Dolittle

Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: June 26, 1998 | PG-13

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Peter Boyle

Summary: Eddie Murphy stars as a veterinarian who talks to the animals and can hear them talk back.

Director: Betty Thomas

Genre(s): Comedy, Family

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 85 min

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Metascore

Critic Reviews

90

Newsweek

Veronica Chambers

Dr. Dolittle is a zoo-and a blast. [6 July 1998, p. 67] Read full review

75

Chicago Sun-Times

Roger Ebert

Too many adults have a tendency to confuse bad taste with evil influences; it's hard for them to see that the activities in "Doctor Dolittle,'' while rude and vulgar, are not violent or anti-social. The movie will not harm anyone. Read full review

60

The New York Times

Suzanne O'Connor

There is the language to consider, but despite the film's slow start, small children should take to the idea of communicating with animals. Read full review

50

USA Today

Susan Wloszczyna

Dr. Dolittle does do a lot of stuff right. [ 26 June 1998, p. 12 E]

50

San Francisco Examiner

Walter Addiego

The talented Murphy is appealing here, performing with sincerity and restraint - a wise choice, since his co-stars are a menagerie of wisecracking animals. Read full review

40

Dallas Observer Peter Rainer

It's a kiddie comedy that really shouldn't be on the big screen at all; it has all the creative range of an Afterschool Special. Read full review

20

Film Threat

Anthony Miele

The humor is boring and in most spots inappropriate for children. Read full review

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User Reviews

10

Dakz

Jun 14, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Incredible ;) I really enjoyed watching this awesome movie. Highly recommend… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

10

sdumers

Sep 24, 2020

A delightful family comedy flick for animal lovers!!! Dr.Dolittle gives us the moral to help better understand animals for thier needs.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

10

MATM

Feb 7, 2021

"Dr. Dolittle" might be a perfect movie. I just watched it in 2021 and the effects totally blow away anything I have seen in any modern movie. The jokes are constant throughout the movie and they all land. Be warned that due to a lot of foul language, this is no kid’s movie. This is the"Dr. Dolittle" might be a perfect movie. I just watched it in 2021 and the effects totally blow away anything I have seen in any modern movie. The jokes are constant throughout the movie and they all land. Be warned that due to a lot of foul language, this is no kid’s movie. This is the way to do a special effects comedy. Congratulations to Jim Henson's Creature Shop for making it look like animals really can talk. Murphy is spot on funny, but it is really the animals that deliver the best stuff, whether it is hilarious dialog or delirious pet antics. I give it an A - Make a point to go see this movie… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

8

SEROJ

Jul 3, 2013

You're gonna have a lot fun with Eddie Murphy in this movie if you haven' seen it! Great acting and likable story, i'm giving it a 7.5/10, with the Metacritic system 8/10

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

7

JPK

Jan 15, 2020

All Good Fun
Eddie Murphy’s Dr. Dolittle is funny, charming, fun, and an overall pleasant viewing experience.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

7

homer4president

Mar 29, 2015

Wildly of laughs on animals that Eddie Murphy has the ability to communicate with. Not as noble or feel-good as Babe but its own level just as amazing that the filmmakers could pull this off as well as they do. This film is truly for the entire family.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

3

FilipeNeto

Sep 1, 2019

If you forget some good jokes, it's a pretty poor movie.

There are certain movies that may have a poor history but make up for being fun and making us laugh. This is one of them. It tells the story of John Dolittle, a doctor who has been talking to animals since he was a child. But thanksIf you forget some good jokes, it's a pretty poor movie.

There are certain movies that may have a poor history but make up for being fun and making us laugh. This is one of them. It tells the story of John Dolittle, a doctor who has been talking to animals since he was a child. But thanks to his parents' efforts, he has forgotten this gift as he grows up ... until suddenly, for no apparent reason, he begins to hear animals talk and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown over it.

Sound improbable? In fact, it is ... if I had such a gift, I certainly would not suddenly discover it after years and years without using it. The movie does not explain how Dolittle managed to go years without hearing animals and suddenly begin to hear them so clearly. It is a sudden and unbelievable change. However, the whole plot of the movie is weak. There is truly no story to tell ... what we have here is a basic script skeleton that only serves as the basis for a succession of jokes presented to us by Eddie Murphy and all the animals with whom he plays. The humor is based on dialogues, speech and situations involving animals, to the point that they become the real protagonists and Murphy loses relevance in the film. But trying to see this movie from the logical side means taking all the fun out of it. In fact, we enjoy the movie better if we tolerate the faults of the poor and poor script and simply get carried away by what we are seeing and enjoying the jokes.

Eddie Murphy, with this movie and others that followed, probably lived his golden age as an actor. He got money, fame, popularity, good deals ... but in fact he never shows value as an actor. Not because he doesn't have it - he showed it in other movies - but because he had so little to do in this movie! Murphy does little while he is Dolittle (curious!). Of the rest of the cast it is better not to speak. The voice actors (notably Norm MacDonald and Chris Rock) shone more brightly than the entire human cast.

Technically, the movie is quite regular. Not excellent and having very poor visual and sound effects. The soundtrack is virtually nonexistent and even the opening and ending themes are uninteresting.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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Awards & Rankings

58	#58 Most Discussed Movie of 1998
60	#60 Most Shared Movie of 1998

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