Dr. Dolittle 2 (also known as Doctor Dolittle 2) is a 2001 American fantasy comedy film and a sequel to the 1998 film Dr. Dolittle. It was written by Larry Levin, one of the co-writers of Dr. Dolittle, and directed by Steve Carr. The film stars Eddie Murphy in the title role, Kristen Wilson, Jeffrey Jones, and Kevin Pollak.
| Dr. Dolittle 2 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Steve Carr |
| Written by | Larry Levin |
| Based on | Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting |
| Produced by | John Davis |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Norm Macdonald |
| Cinematography | Daryn Okada |
| Edited by | Craig Herring |
| Music by | David Newman |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $70 million[1] |
| Box office | $176.1 million[1] |
It tells the story of Dr. Dolittle as he tries to help the animals protect their forest from unscrupulous human developers. He decides to populate the forest with a species of animal that the law protects, and enlists the help of Ava (voiced by Lisa Kudrow), a lone Pacific western bear living in the condemned forest. To provide her with a mate, Dolittle turns to Archie (voiced by Steve Zahn), a wise-cracking circus-performing bear.
This is the last Dr. Dolittle film to feature Eddie Murphy in the lead role, before Kyla Pratt assumed the lead role in future films, starting with Dr. Dolittle 3 in 2006. It is also the last Dr. Dolittle film to feature Raven-Symoné as Charisse Dolittle.
Plot
editThree years after the events of the first film, veterinarian Dr. John Dolittle's ability to talk to animals has made him famous, and he travels the world performing his skills. Returning home from France, he gives his younger daughter Maya a chameleon named Pepito, and grounds his eldest daughter Charisse for doing poorly in school, confiscating her phone for a week. Charisse's boyfriend Eric joins the family for the former’s 16th birthday party, where an opossum and a raccoon named Joey tell John that their boss, the Godbeaver (Godfather of the rodent mafia), wants to see him. John meets the Godbeaver and agrees to save the forest from being cut down by mating an endangered female Pacific western bear with a male.
At a circus, John persuades Archie, the sole surviving Pacific western male, to accompany him to the forest and become a real bear. John takes his family on a month-long vacation to the forest, where he makes a deal with the sole surviving Pacific western female bear named Ava, who is involved with a male Kodiak bear named Sonny. She agrees not to make any decisions for a month after John promises to turn Archie into a bear she will love.
Struggling to train Archie, who is used to the pampered lifestyle, John hires the local forest creatures to chaperone Charisse and Eric, and neglects his wife Lisa. After assuring Archie that he will find a way to win Ava's heart, John attempts to win Lisa back by dancing in their cabin, with every animal in the forest watching, but Lucky the dog accidentally ruins it.
Archie attempts to get Ava's attention by imitating John singing, but falls from a tree branch. Humiliated, he refuses to leave his new-found cave, but becomes frustrated with John's insults and knocks him into a muddy hole, finally listening to his "inner bear". Later, Archie spends the day with Ava, whose relationship with Sonny is declining. Lucky tries to woo a female wolf, successfully urinating around her territory, but is interrupted by one of her packmates before she agrees to go out with him. Meanwhile, Sonny forces Ava to leave Archie.
Logging magnate Joseph Potter and his lawyer Jack Riley attempt to make a deal with John to spare some parts of the forest, until Archie tells John he has prepared his "big finish" to win Ava and goes after a beehive at the edge of a tall hill, ignoring John's warnings and the attacking bees who also attack a nearby Riley. He manages to get the hive, finally winning Ava's heart and the respect of the other forest animals. Ava then dumps Sonny, finally having had enough of his rudeness to Archie.
In a game of hide and seek with Ava, Archie is tranquilized by Riley. John learns that Archie had somewhat destroyed the back of a restaurant. After getting information from a weasel, John visits Archie in jail, telling him that he may be too dangerous to go free and will be sold to a Mexican circus, ending John's chance of saving the forest. His determination is quickly reignited, however, when John realizes that Charisse has developed her father's gift of talking to animals. He rallies the animals of the forest not to give up without a fight and free Archie. Charisse, Eric, and Maya rebel against the loggers with the aid of wolves, while word of Archie's predicament spreads, leading animals around the world to go on strike.
At Potter Wood Industries, Mr. Potter and Riley are attacked by the animals. While Riley takes the brunt from the birds, wolves, and bees, Mr. Potter is cornered by Ava and Joey, forcing him to finally start negotiating with John and the animals. As the negotiations go on, the strike continues to grow with several animal pros like race horses and Shamu getting in on the act. Finally, a deal is made and the Dolittles and animals accept, freeing Archie and saving the entire forest outside San Francisco.
John and Charisse become closer, talking with and helping animals together, while Archie and Ava mate and have two cubs who try to take after their father.
Cast
edit- Eddie Murphy as Dr. John Dolittle, a doctor who can talk to animals.
- Kristen Wilson as Lisa Dolittle, the wife of John.
- Jeffrey Jones as Joseph Potter, a logging magnate and head of Potter Wood Industries.
- Kevin Pollak as Jack Riley, Potter's lawyer.
- Raven-Symoné as Charisse Dolittle, the elder daughter of John who later learns to talk to animals.
- Kyla Pratt as Maya Dolittle, the younger daughter of John.
- Lil Zane as Eric, Charisse's boyfriend and pizza delivery man.
- James Avery as Eldon, Eric's father.
- Elayn J. Taylor as Eldon's wife
- Andy Richter as Eugene Wilson
- Mark Griffin as Logger
- Mark Griffin also voices the Nature Show Narrator
- Ken Hudson Campbell as Animal Control Officer
- Victor Raider-Wexler as Judge B. Duff, a judge who oversees the cases involving Dolittle and Potter.
- Steve Irwin as The Crocodile Hunter, John once went with him on one of his nature documentaries.
- Anne Stedman as Woman
- Googy Gress as Bear Announcer
- Trevor Denman as Horse Race Announcer
- Lawrence Pressman as Governor of California (uncredited)
Voice cast
edit| Actor | Role | Animal |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Zahn | Archie | Pacific western bear (fictional) Grizzly bear (portrayer) |
| Norm Macdonald[2] | Lucky Dolittle | Dog |
| Lisa Kudrow | Ava | Pacific western bear (fictional) Grizzly bear (portrayer) |
| Mike Epps (as Michael J. Epps) | Sonny | Kodiak bear |
| Jacob Vargas | Pepito | Chameleon |
| Richard C. Sarafian | God Beaver | |
| Michael Rapaport | Joey | Raccoon |
| Phil Proctor | Drunk Monkey | Capuchin monkey |
| Isaac Hayes | Possum | Opossum |
| Andy Dick | Mr. "Lennie" Weasel | |
| John Witherspoon | Old Zoo Bear | |
| Cedric the Entertainer | Young Zoo Bear | |
| Jamie Kennedy, David Cross & Bob Odenkirk | Dogs | |
| Maria Arcé & Melique Berger | Fish | |
| David DeLuise & Hal Sparks | School of Fish | |
| Reni Santoni | Rat #1 | |
| John Leguizamo | Rat #2 (uncredited) | |
| Kevin Pollak | Alligator | |
| Georgia Engel | Giraffe | |
| Joey Lauren Adams | Squirrel | |
| Mandy Moore | Girl Bear Cub | Pacific western bear (fictional) Grizzly bear (portrayer) |
| Frankie Muniz | Boy Bear Cub | Pacific western bear (fictional) Grizzly bear (portrayer) |
| Michael McKean & David L. Lander | Birds | |
| Tom Kenny | Male Tortoise | |
| Renée Taylor | Female Tortoise | |
| Jamie Kennedy | Bandit | Dog |
| Keone Young & Clyde Kusatsu | Bees | |
| Tara Mercurio | Deer | |
| John DiMaggio | Seeing-Eye Dog | |
| Wassup Fish | ||
| Mouse | ||
| Jamie Kennedy, David Cross, Ken Hudson Campbell & Bob Odenkirk | Animal Groupies | Hawk, Owl, Porcupine & Skunk |
| Ken Hudson Campbell, Jamie Kennedy & Bob Odenkirk | Forest Animals | Rabbit, Crow & Hawk |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | White wolf (uncredited) | |
Animal cast
edit- Tank the Bear as Archie
- Little Bart the Bear as Boy Bear Cub
- Honey-Bump Bear as Girl Bear Cub
- Crystal the Monkey as Drunk Monkey
Music
editSoundtrack
edit| Dr. Dolittle 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various artists | ||||
| Released | June 5, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop, R&B | |||
| Label | J Records | |||
| Dr. Dolittle soundtracks chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Dr. Dolittle 2 | ||||
| ||||
A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on June 5, 2001 by J Records. It peaked at 76 on the Billboard 200, 26 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and 10 on the Top Soundtracks. Five singles were spawned from the album, "Do U Wanna Roll (Dolittle Theme)", "Cluck Cluck", "Absolutely Not", "We Fit Together" and "Life Is Good". Allmusic rated this soundtrack four stars out of five.[3]
Information taken from Dr. Dolittle 2: Original Soundtrack liner notes:[4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cluck Cluck" (The Product G&B with Wyclef Jean) | Wyclef Jean, Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis, David McRae, Marvin L. Moore-Hough | Wyclef Jean and Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis | 3:59 |
| 2. | "Do U Wanna Roll (Dolittle Theme)" (R.L., Snoop Dogg and Lil' Kim) | Kevin Gilliam, R.L. Huggar, Calvin Broadus, Kimberly Jones, R. Troutman, L. Troutman | Battlecat for B.C. Pow-Da, Inc./Future Sound Entertainment | 4:33 |
| 3. | "Tameeka" (Fabolous with Mario) | Steve Estiverne, Jarret Washington, Carlos McKinney | Steve Estiverne | 3:42 |
| 4. | "Absolutely Not" (Deborah Cox) | Eric Johnson, D. Christopher Jennings, Deborah Cox, Ahmad Russel, Tiffany Palmer, Eric Jones, James Glasco | Eric "Donovan East" Johnson and D. Christopher "Dip Q" Jennings for Eristopher Entertainment/Furnace Music | 3:35 |
| 5. | "We Fit Together" (O-Town) | Remee, Mich Hansen, Joe Belmaati | Cutfather and Joe | 3:58 |
| 6. | "Two Steps" (Jimmy Cozier) | Carsten Shack, Kenneth Karlin, N. Butler, Harold Lilly, Jimmy Cozier | Soulshock and Karlin for Soulpower Productions | 4:17 |
| 7. | "What It Is (Part II)" (Flipmode Squad featuring Busta Rhymes with Kelis) | T. Smith, P. Williams, C. Hugo, R. Fisher, R. McNair, W. Lewis, L. Jones, R. Meyers, R. Walters | The Neptunes | 4:20 |
| 8. | "Rear View Mirror" (Alicia Keys) | Alicia Keys, LeSean Daniels, Kerry Brothers, Fred Jerkins, Rodney Jerkins, Paul L. Green | Alicia Keys and K. Brothers for MBK Entertainment/KrucialKey Productions | 4:05 |
| 9. | "If I Was the One" (Luther Vandross) | Diane Warren | The Underdogs - Damon Thomas and Harvey Mason, Jr. | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Makin' Me Feel" (Angie Stone) | Raphael Saadiq, Angie Stone, Kelvon Wooten, Gleen Standridge, Robert C. Ozuna | Raphael Saadiq | 4:07 |
| 11. | "Life Is Good" (LFO with M.O.P.) | Rich Cronin, Sheppard, Kenny Gioia | Sheppard and Kenny Gioia for Sheppard Music, Inc. | 4:05 |
| 12. | "Lookin' for Love" (Next with Lil' Zane) | R.L. Huggar, Walter Millsap, Zane Copeland, Jr. | Walter "Little Walt" Millsap III for Conjunction Productions Inc., and R.L. for Uh Oh Productions, Inc. | 3:35 |
| 13. | "If I Knew" (Glenn Medeiros) | Gen Rubin, Giuliano Franco | Gen Rubin and Giuliano Franco | 4:27 |
- Sample credits
- "Do U Wanna Roll (Dolittle Theme)" contains an interpolation of "Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)" (R. Troutman, L. Troutman), performed by Zapp
- "What It Is (Part II)" contains replayed elements from "Children's Story" (R. Walters), performed by Slick Rick
- Notes
The song "Life Is Good" did not appear in the film.
Reception
editBox office
editOn its opening weekend, the film grossed $25,037,039 from 3,049 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #2 at the box office, behind The Fast and the Furious.[5] Like the first film, it was the best debut for a Fox film that week. By the end of its run, Dr. Dolittle 2 had grossed $112,952,899 domestically and $63,151,445 internationally, totaling $176,104,344 worldwide.[1]
Critical response
editLike the 1998 version, Dr Dolittle 2 received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 42% based on reviews from 107 critics, with an average rating of 5.00/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Although there are laughs to be had in Dr. Dolittle 2, its preoccupation with toilet humor and Murphy's restrained performance makes this a missed opportunity".[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100 based on reviews from 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[7] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B+" on scale of A to F.[8]
Joe Leydon of Variety said "the film has all the symptoms of a sure-fire smash hit", noting that it was more family-friendly than its predecessor, and that "Eddie Murphy [is] once again in fine form".[9] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 3 out of 4, calling it "cute, crude and good-hearted movie".[2] Rita Kempley of The Washington Post praised Eddie Murphy saying that after having been upstaged by the animals in the first film "brings bite as well as bark to the funnier sequel".[10] Desson Thomson also of The Washington Post did not find the film funny, called it forgettable and thought it should have gone straight to video.[11]
Home media
editDr. Dolittle 2 was released on VHS and DVD on October 23, 2001[12] and generated $7.32 million in its first week in stores.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)". Box Office Mojo. 2001-11-02. Archived from the original on 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ^ a b Ebert, Roger (June 22, 2001). "Dr. Dolittle 2". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Dr. Dolittle 2 at AllMusic
- ^ (2001) Album notes for Dr. Dolittle 2: Original Soundtrack. J Records LLC.
- ^ Reese, Lori (June 25, 2001). "The Fast and the Furious beats Dolittle 2". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on 2019-05-06. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
- ^ "Dr. Dolittle 2 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2018-02-25. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
- ^ "Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) B+". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on 2018-12-20.
- ^ Leydon, Joe (21 June 2001). "Dr. Dolittle 2". Variety. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- ^ Kempley, Rita (June 22, 2001). "'Dr. Dolittle 2': Gas Menagerie". The Washington Post.
- ^ Howe, Desson (June 22, 2001). "'Dr. Dolittle 2': Unbearable". The Washington Post.
- ^ Jimenez, John (September 14, 2001). "Dr. Dolittle 2' Will Benefit from PG Rating". Video Store Magazine. Archived from the original on November 1, 2001. Retrieved September 7, 2019 – via hive4media.com.
- ^ Saccone, Melinda (October 31, 2001). "HIVE EXCLUSIVE RESEARCH: 'Dr. Dolittle 2' Tops Video Rental Charts in Battle of the Sequels". Video Store Magazine. Archived from the original on November 27, 2001. Retrieved September 7, 2019 – via hive4media.com.
External links
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