Featuring a trove of Harry Potter film franchise stars as animal voices, the new Dolittle movie features Robert Downey, Jr., in the title role. I read the twelve books to my children before we met the Boy Who Lived and they loved them so much that they named every vehicle we owned then and in coming years — cars, vans, even a used RV — after favorite Dolittle animals. I don’t recall offhand anything like the adventure the Dr Downey-Dolittle film is about (he is searching for a cure to a disease Queen Victoria has) but the high seas moments evident in the trailer above are a Hugh Lofting signature.
I had to laugh when I saw that MuggleNet asked in its article about the film and its Potter connections, ‘Is Dr Dolittle a Magizoologist?‘ Louise Freeman, Hogwarts Professor and Dolittle authority, asked and answered that question back in 2016 in a brilliant piece called ‘Could Fantastic Beasts Be Dr Dolittle with a Wand?‘ I highly recommend it and look forward to Dr Freeman’s revisiting the subject in light of the new film.
I’ll admit I am curious as well. I can see a few flaws, starting with the fact that Dr. Dolitte is supposed to be dumpy and asexual, and he was opposed to keeping large carnivores (e.g. polar bears) in captivity, but at least he isn’t Eddie Murphy talking with sheep about how their butts hurt.