Charming, I think, is the best word to describe this movie. But, make no mistake, this is a movie made to appeal to young children. The plot is simplistic and the action cartoonish.
You should rethink seeing this movie if you’re only in it for more Iron Man, but with a British accent. In truth, DoLittle’s character more closely resembles Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow.
If you do have young children, especially ones who love animals — I’m assuming those two sets do not have a one-to-one correspondence, but I’m probably wrong — then this will be a nice treat for them.
The World's Most Indispensable Movie App
The RunPee app tells you the best times to run & pee during a movie so you don't miss the best scenes.
Read more about the RunPee app.
The story circles around messages of nonviolence and forgiveness. However, if you haven’t taken your child to see Spies in Disguise yet, then I believe that movie has a more digestible message for children than does DoLittle.
My guess is by the time the kids get to the car all they’re going to remember are the funny talking animals.
Grade: C
About The Peetimes: None of the Peetimes have any of the funny antics and action that kids will really enjoy. I recommend the 2nd Peetime because it’s near the middle of the movie and it’s the longest.
There are extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of DoLittle. (What we mean by Anything Extra.)
Rated (PG) for some action, rude humor and brief language
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Family
Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Napoleon, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Marvels, and coming soon Godzilla: Minus One and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today's blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there's a new film out there, we've got your bladder covered.
Creator and developer of the RunPee app. When something doesn’t work right in the app it’s pretty much his fault. 🙂
Aspiring author. Would like to finish his “Zombie Revelations” trilogy if he could break away for working on RunPee and the cottage he’s building for RunPee Mom.
RunPee DanaSimone! Author
Oh wow! So in other words, DoLittle did little to entertain you?! LOL!
Dan Gardner Administrator
No, not entertained. But, on the bright side, it wasn’t torture. 🙂
Debra McKnight
Oh dear Dan you were overly generous in your review score of “C”. I almost always trust your score, but even Rotten Tomatoes only gave it a 19%. I wished I’d waited for the dvd so I could turn on the subtitles. Downey’s terrible Welsh accent made his dialog difficult to understand. I love animation and CGI but this was not the amazing new version of The Lion King.
Dan Gardner Administrator
Well, I was taking into account the target audience: children. I think young children will enjoy it, mainly for the animal antics.
I was going to mention DoLittle’s accent was hard to understand sometimes but forgot. Thanks for bringing it up.
Jill Florio Administrator
What is difficult for me: I don’t have kids. I want to know if a movie will be suitable for me. I think there are lots of sites that talk about whether kids will like a movie, but less about whether a grownup should spend $15 on a film. Like should I see Toy Story 4? Yes, definitely. Frozen 2 – maybe. But Spies in Disguise: I can’t tell. It’s competing with a lot of current movies and your review makes it sound like a good story, worth catching on the large screen.
Sooooo, is DoLittle worth seeing for un-child-laden adults? Did RDJ pull a polar bear out of his butt? Are the effects so enjoyable that it’s worth making an evening to catch it on the large screen instead of streaming?
Dan Gardner Administrator
I’d say it’s definitely not enjoyable for adults — your mileage may vary.
Harold Wood, Jr.
As a 70-year-old man without kids, I enjoyed this movie! I think that is largely because of the nostalgia factor! I enjoyed reading the books as a kid, so it is always fun and interesting to see the movie version. I thought this was more true to the books than any of the prior movies. Yes it is primarily meant for kids, so I just pretended to be 12 years old when I saw it and it was fine that way.
Dan Gardner Administrator
You’re right, having a connection to it would make it more meaningful. Regrettably, I wasn’t introduced to Dr. DoLittle when I was a kid. I’d heard the name, but knew nothing of the story.
Now excuse me, I have to go have a word with my mother about why she didn’t introduce this to me. 🙂