icking up where the first movie left off, Dr. Dolittle 2 is the continuing story of Dr. John Dolittle, a man who possesses the ability to communicate with animals. By this time, he's gained worldwide fame as a specialist in animal relations. Zoos consult him; animal experts esteem him. He even finds time to run a support group for stray dogs. All while continuing his busy medical practice.
Unfortunately, this leaves little time to spend with his own family. His 16-year-old daughter Cherrise is especially resentful of her father's gift and his tendency to attract four-legged guests at the most inappropriate times. To appease her, he promises a family vacation to Europe.
The vacation is postponed, however, when the doctor is contacted by a group of woodland animals who represent a Godfather-like figure known as The Beaver. They want his help to keep the forest from being decimated by a ruthless logging company. The only way to protect their home is to find an endangered species native to the area. It turns out there is one, a female Pacific Western bear named Eva (voiced by Lisa Kudrow). But it takes two bears--a mated pair--to qualify for the status of wildlife sanctuary.
The only hope for the forest is a performing bear named Archie (voiced by Steve Zahn). The problem is, no bear raised in captivity has ever been successfully reintroduced into the wild. It comes down to "Dolittle vs. Darwin," as he must help Archie discover his "inner bear" and become an acceptable mate for Eva in time to stop the destruction of the forest, all the while considering the needs of his own sometimes less than tolerant family members.
Eddie's ready to learn new tricks
Cashing in on the success of Dr. Dolittle, this film expands on what worked in the former (clever voice casting) and cuts down on what didn't (excessive bodily function humor). By these standards it could be considered a good sequel. But is it a necessary one? It's doubtful that the end of the first film left audiences begging for more. But the producers could not pass up an opportunity to exploit a big box office hit, so a sequel was inevitable.
Once again, Murphy plays the straight man to a menagerie of wise-cracking animals expertly voiced by a wide array of actors. Norm Macdonald is back as the voice of Lucky the dog, but he is one of the few voices to return. Not that the former cast is missed, as the new voices (including Michael Rappaport as a Mafia-like raccoon, Barry White as a possum and Andy Dick as a weasel) provide just as many laughs. In particular, Steve Zahn and Lisa Kudrow as the voices of Archie and Eva make for a cute bear-meets-bear love story.
This time around, Murphy does get some funny bits of his own as the overprotective father of a precocious 16-year-old, but it still feels like his comedic talent is wasted whenever there are talking animals on the screen. The subplot of the neglected family is not cohesive enough to be poignant, especially the resolution with the eldest daughter, which is predictable even as it seems to come out of nowhere.
Overall, the movie is light and entertaining, even if it doesn't stay with you. Kids will enjoy the antics of the animals, while parents who had to sit through the first one will undoubtedly appreciate the reduction in gross-out jokes as much as the ecological lesson to be learned.
