After his wildly successful run as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, actor Robert Downey Jr. tempted fate by bringing a beloved children’s book character back to the big screen.
Unfortunately, the return of author Hugh Lofting’s beloved doctor, who could talk to the animals, was critically lambasted and a bomb at the box office.
Looking for any level of redemption, Dolittle (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Rated PG-13, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 123 minutes, $45.99) arrives on ultra-high definition to allow sequestered families in desperate need of a dose of breezy entertainment to watch Mr. Downey Jr. as a manic Welshman.
Director Stephen Gaghan’s whimsical take offers a sick Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) looking for help from the reclusive Dr. John Doolittle.
In need of a rare antidote, he, new helper Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett) and a collection of anthropomorphic animals go on an adventure to find it on the legendary Eden Tree Island while battling rival Dr. Blair Mudfly (Michael Sheen) and discovering the real source of her majesty’s aliment.
Lots of cute talking animals voiced by familiar actors including a polar bear (John Cena), parrot (Emma Thompson), dog (Tom Holland), gorilla (Rami Malek) and duck (Octavia Spencer) and Dolittle giving a dragon a forced enema makes the live-action movie a welcomed fit for the 7-year-old in the household but a bit labored for parents.
Although, I’ll admit enjoying watching a gorilla playing chess using live mice as pieces and Antonio Banderas as pirate king Rassouli.
4K in action: Viewers get a glorious full-screen presentation, upscaled to 2160p from a 2K digital intermediate that both explodes with color and detail on compatible home theater screens.
An unusual but welcomed choice of opening animated sequence that cover the backstory of the death of Dolittle’s wife Lily leads the impressive way with a rotoscoped quality before diving into the live action.
Once in Dolittle’s living universe, clarity and vibrancy reign while exploring the blue and orange feathers on a parrot (with a pinch of green at the head and chipped beak); the skin shades of a pet squid in a fish tank; or the fine perspective of a dragonfly landing on the whisker of a lion.
Action scenes are equally impressive such as watching a polar bear and whale pulling a ship through the sea or the impressive digital creation of a ferocious tiger with gold upper canines in a battle with that same bear.
Best extras: Let the promotional fodder begin, led by a 5-minute introduction to the animals in the film by producer Susan Downey and an unfocused (like why am I here?) Mr. Downey Jr.
That’s followed by five short featurettes (roughly 15 minutes long in total) covering the doctor, his new assistant, his archrival and pirate king, and a look at Dolittle’s odd house.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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