Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- gentle
- colorful
- family movie night
- classic musical marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film visually beautiful, charming, tuneful, and intermittently funny, but criticized its slow pace, lack of surprise, weak musical impact, and failure to capture the source stories' charm.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dolittle's medical practice centers on speaking with animals, freeing a captive seal, and organizing his life around their welfare.
Dolittle is unjustly confined to an insane asylum after freeing a lovesick seal because his animal-centered conduct is judged irrational.
The 151-minute production uses expansive sets, photography, songs, and a sea voyage to create a large-scale fantasy presentation.
Dolittle, Matthew Mugg, Tommy Stubbins, and Emma Fairfax travel by boat in search of the elusive Great Pink Sea Snail.
Films like Doctor Dolittle, and why
Mary Poppins
whimsical family fantasy, talking animals, lavish musical spectacle, and child-friendly adventure
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
classic family musical with fantastical encounters, memorable songs, and an expansive studio production
The Jungle Book
animal-centered family fantasy with adventure, comedy, and a quest structure
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
large-scale children's musical fantasy adapted from literary source material
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Fleischer
- Release Date
- 1967-12-05
- Runtime
- 151 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (208)
Cast
- Rex Harrison
- Samantha Eggar
- Anthony Newley
- Richard Attenborough
- Peter Bull
- Muriel Landers
- William Dix
- Geoffrey Holder
- Portia Nelson
- Norma Varden
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Doctor Dolittle about?
- A compassionate Victorian doctor who speaks with animals becomes an unlikely fugitive and seafaring adventurer in pursuit of a legendary creature.
- What is Doctor Dolittle like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Doctor Dolittle as slow, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Doctor Dolittle violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Doctor Dolittle.
- What did critics think of Doctor Dolittle?
- Critics generally found the film visually beautiful, charming, tuneful, and intermittently funny, but criticized its slow pace, lack of surprise, weak musical impact, and failure to capture the source stories' charm.
- Which films are like Doctor Dolittle?
- Films with a similar feel include Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Jungle Book, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
- How long is Doctor Dolittle?
- Doctor Dolittle runs 151 minutes.
- Where can I watch Doctor Dolittle?
- In United States, Doctor Dolittle is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
