Dr. Dolittle 2 Parent Guide
Parent Movie Review
In Dr. Dolittle 2, a substantially more restrained Eddie Murphy revives his role as the gifted physician who can talk to the animals. Called into service by the local wildlife when a nasty lumber company threatens to destroy their homes, Dr. John Dolittle figures the mating of two endangered Pacific Western bears may be the perfect prescription for the problem.
Given a one-month environmental reprieve from the loggers, Dolittle attempts to reintroduce a dancing circus bear named Archie (voice by Steve Zahn) into the wild, and turn him into an engaging and savvy suitor for Ava the woodland bear. Unfortunately, Ava (voiced by Lisa Kudrow) isn’t charmed by the wimpy and whiney former performer.
Meanwhile, Dolittle’s hectic medical schedule and preoccupation with the work-related romance is putting a crimp in his personal life. But packing the family up for a much-needed vacation in the Californian forest backfires when his daughter’s (Raven-Symone) amorous boyfriend (rapper Lil’ Zane) shows up for a visit. Keeping a tether on the teenaged couple while resuscitating his own matrimonial flame keeps this good doctor running between ailments.
Although Murphy keeps a relative check on the profanities and earns this film a PG rating, there are still scads of sexual innuendos regarding human and animal encounters alike, including plenty of animal discussion about virginity, mating practices, and interspecies relations. Known for his vulgar sense of comedy, most of the one-liners in this movie—aside from the sexual gags—reek of bathroom humor with one scene showing a distraught doctor stuck in a diner bathroom with a flatulent bear.
Murphy does give a surprisingly positive depiction of a caring, albeit over-worked, father and husband, and pulls off some witty quips with his human co-stars. But even that combined with lots of cute animals won’t save this film from itself. Concerned parents will likely find Dr. Do is a don’t.
Starring Eddie Murphy, Raven-Symone. Running time: 87 minutes. Theatrical release June 22, 2001. Updated July 17, 2017
Dr. Dolittle 2
Rating & Content Info
Why is Dr. Dolittle 2 rated PG? Dr. Dolittle 2 is rated PG by the MPAA for language and crude humor.
Overall: C
A medical doctor uses his ability to talk with animals to help the creatures save their forest homes from destruction by encouraging the mating of two endangered bears.
Violence: B-
Man attacked by a crocodile, heard but not seen, men have argument on the phone including name calling, parent and teen have disagreement, rats jump out of a cake served at a party, rats are dropped several stories into a garbage bin, animals discuss the destruction of their homes by loggers, animal falls backwards down some stairs, man accidentally drops woman on floor, bear falls when tree branch breaks, man yells at animal, wolf intimidates dog, man pokes at a bear who responds by knocking him down, bear shown precariously perched on a log suspended high above ground, man is attacked and stung by bees, bear is shot with a tranquilizer gun, reference to man being bit in genitals, chickens throw eggs at a farmer, man squeezed by bear.
Sexual Content: D+
Reference to man almost being accidentally neutered, turtles are given pills by doctor to improve sex drive, turtle discusses desires as he approaches another turtle, man gives woman a seductive gift which is talked about but we never see it, girl dancing suggestively alone in bedroom and father makes comments about it, boy makes comment that he knows how to take care of his girl, giraffe comments on man’s open zipper, man shows bear pictures of another bear and sexual comments are made, dog makes comments about marking his territory and makes advances on a wolf, bunnies talk about fooling around, male animal makes comment about female bear with sexual connotations, comments made about interspecies sexual relations, reference made to French kissing, animal worried about dying a virgin, reference made to raging teenaged hormones, bear makes several comments about being in heat, animal rubs his backside, reference to man being bit in genitals, we hear bears discussing sexual relations in a cave but do not see anything, dog comments on its sexual relations with a wolf, monkey sings song with references to naked monkeys in it, human relations consists of an attempted kiss between teens, and a couple of kisses between a husband and wife.
Language: C+
At least: 23 mild profanities, 3 moderate profanities and 5 terms of Deity used as exclamations.
Alcohol / Drug Use: C+
Intoxicated monkey comments on drinking throughout the movie (one scene depicts it drinking to excess), turtles are given pills to improve sexual drive, men drink in social gathering and at an office, implied wine consumption by man and woman, monkey opens a bottle of champagne.
Page last updated July 17, 2017
Dr. Dolittle 2 Parents' Guide
In the beginning of the movie, Charisse is embarrassed by her father’s ability to talk to the animals but she develops a new respect for his talent. Does her appreciation help improve the father/daughter relationship? What worries her about her father’s ability?
Ava and Archie come from very different backgrounds. How important is it to have common interests and values in a long-term relationship? How did their differences enhance or hinder their relationship?
Home Video
Related home video titles:
Dr. Dolittle has been the subject of other screen productions. Check our review of the first Eddie Murphy Dr. Dolittle, or the more family friendly 1967 musical Doctor Dolittle starring Rex Harrison as an English physician who prefers treating animal patients to the human kind.
Other family films about animal heroes are Paulie, Babe, and Chicken Run—cute animals without the same dose of language and crude humor.
And don’t forget to check your local library for the stories of Hugh Lofting who created the classic doctor upon whom these films are loosely based.