Doctor Dolittle (1967) [Movie Review]

Upon learning that Eddie Murphy's Dr. Dolittle films were merely a remake (or maybe re-adaptation is a better term?) of a 1967 film, well I found that I needed to watch it. Netflix was slow in getting me the movie, but when I saw it sitting in my mailbox, I popped it in instantly. 

In the opening scene, it was made clear that this was a '60s movie. The film grain, the way everyone went about their acting, the singing (seriously, it seems like every movie in the '60s and '70s were musicals). This isn't a bad thing, merely an observation. 

For the first ~20 minutes, our title character, Dolittle, was nowhere to be found. He was mentioned, but the other characters were building to his to introduction. This was a great way to inform the viewer about the character. And when we do meet Dr. Dolittle, he is surrounded by animals. Throughout the course of the movie, the question of whether or not Dolittle is sane or not is brought up quite often. And without those tidbits, I doubt the film would have been as good. What's great about this incarnation of the character is the simple fact that he can speak the animals' languages, not simply understand what they say. It made for an easier viewing experience. 

The songs were all very well-done, and while much of the film made little sense, it was still a very interesting movie.

Rating: 7/10

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Discussion topic: If you could learn the language of one animal, which animal would you choose?