What if you could talk with the animals? Such is the question poised by the Doctor Dolittle series of films. Based on the children’s novels by English-American author Hugh Lofting, the stories follow the titular character, an eccentric doctor who can speak with animals.
To call the films a franchise feels disingenuous, at best. What the films encapsulate is no fewer than three attempts at making the property into a film franchise. One technically worked, though the returns diminished into oblivion as it went on. If you want to experience the totality of Doctor Dolittle on film to date, look no further than our list of every Doctor Dolittle movie and where you can find them on streaming.
Doctor Dolittle (1967)
The first film, Doctor Dolittle, hit theaters in 1967. Starring Rex Harrison (then best known for appearing in the film adaptation of My Fair Lady), the movie adapts elements from multiple original Doctor Dolittle novels and follows the eccentric Dolittle as he attempts to prove his ability to talk to animals and clear his name after being accused of stealing a horse. Though the film’s reception was poor at the time, it became beloved in later years. The film never got a sequel but an animated series, The Further Adventures of Doctor Dolittle, made its way to television in 1970.
Dr. Dolittle (1998)
Eddie Murphy was on something of a hot streak in the ‘90s when he dipped his toes into family-friendly films. While he still starred in more mature affairs, like Metro and Life, Murphy began featuring in all-ages properties, rebooting The Nutty Professor and lending his voice to Mulan. That same year came 1998’s Dr. Dolittle, which reimagined Dolittle as a medical doctor who had repressed his ability to speak to animals. Also starring Raven-Symoné and Kyla Pratt as Dolittle’s daughters, the film was Murphy’s biggest opening weekend until 2000’s Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. Despite the box office, though, the film received a somewhat middling reception from critics.
Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)
Given the success of the first film and Murphy’s hot streak with The Nutty Professor and its sequel, Dr. Dolittle 2 seemed to be an inevitability. For the sequel, Dolittle, now a renowned veterinarian thanks to his power to speak to animals, is trying to save a forest from being destroyed by a corporation by repopulating it with an endangered species. Like the first film, it also starred a cavalcade of big-name stars as animal voices, including Norm Macdonald, Steve Zahn, and Lisa Kudrow. Dr. Dolittle 2 was a modest success with a strong reception, though it failed to conquer that year’s most surprising hit, The Fast and The Furious.
Dr. Dolittle 3 (2006)
Murphy would find himself tied to the Shrek franchise following Dr. Dolittle 2, and the property would be dormant for a few years. By 2006, the decision was made to revisit the property with a series of direct-to-DVD sequels. Neither Murphy or Raven-Symoné would reprise their roles for Dr. Dolittle 3, with the plot instead shifting to focus on Dolittle’s youngest daughter, Maya. For the film, Maya and her dog are sent to a ranch, where they use their ability to speak to animals to save it from being taken over. Like most direct-to-DVD cash-grab sequels of the era, this didn’t generate much of a reaction.
Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief (2008)
While Dr. Dolittle 3 may not have had a huge reception, it still warranted a sequel. Logically, there’s only one place left for the franchise to go at this point: politics! Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief brought Kyla Pratt back as Maya Dolittle, this time attempting to get into college. In the process, she winds up recruited by the President to both help find out why his dog is attacking dignitaries after one such incident jeopardized efforts to save a rain forest. The film did not make a huge impact when it landed on DVD in 2008, but reviews were more gentle, with most giving it middling reviews and regarding it as serviceable all-ages fare.
Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts (2009)
Obviously, after helping the President and saving a rainforest, the next logical step is to become a movie star. Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts is the last iteration of this franchise, bring Kyla Pratt back for a final outing. This time around, Maya, wanting to skip the tedious process of going to college and getting an education, finds herself starring on a reality show under the pretense of helping animals. Million Dollar Mutts marks the end of this iteration of the Dr. Dolittle franchise, and it would be over a decade before an attempt at a new Dolittle film would find its way into theaters.
Dolittle (2020)
For his first big outing after the MCU and Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame, Robert Downey Jr. made his way to a big-budget reimagining of the Dolittle franchise. Released in 2020, Dolittle returns to the original source material and tries to lean very hard into the fantastical nature and whimsy of being able to speak with animals. Unfortunately, all the whimsy in the world couldn’t stir interest in the film. Dolittle was a box office flop, losing somewhere between $50 and $100 million dollars. Critics were even harsher, with the film ending up with an abysmal 14% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Where To Watch All Doctor Dolittle Movies Online
To discover more about TV shows and movies currently streaming in the US, check out the JustWatch streaming guide! You can filter your search by streaming service, genre, price, age rating, and score. Be sure to build your watchlist and receive helpful notifications on what to watch next based on your preferences!
