Talk to Me
Dolittle
Review by Ross Anthony

Despite the dismal reviews, I quite enjoyed this charming adventure film. It has an old-fashioned fairytale feel, warm likeable characters, mysterious islands, lost loves, new loves, and a sense of good purpose. Taking a break from the mile-a-minute pace of contemporary children's animated features, Dolittle revels in adventure guided by a good heart. Sure, the plot isn't bursting with originality, but the dialogue is consistently charming and peppered with humor.

The graphics are amazing. You'll believe the animals are real and that they can talk. What I didn't believe, ironically, was that Robert Downey Jr. was talking. Clearly, he was dubbed. There's nothing wrong with recording dialogue after the shoot and integrating it in post. This practice is common. Many respectable films take advantage of this work flow. But, there's something quite amiss here with RDJ's voice. I could not reconcile the image with the voice. It felt like two different people. And even if Robert was experimenting with a unique accent, the voice simply didn't merge. Every other creature in the film had a voice that matched – only RDJ's voice felt out of place. A bit annoying? Yes. Nonetheless, I had a delightful time and enjoyed the film.

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  • Dolittle. Copyright © 2020.
  • Starring Robert Downey Jr. Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Harry Collett, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, Jessie Buckley, Jim Broadbent. Directed by Stephen Gaghan. Universal.

Grade..........................B+ (2.5/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Friday, 14-Feb-2020 09:24:05 PST