Dolittle

Seven years after his wife's death, the eccentric Dr. John Dolittle has withdrawn behind the walls of his English estate, where his only company is a collection of exotic animals. A renowned physician and veterinarian in Victorian England, he has given up his public life entirely. When the young Queen Victoria falls seriously ill, Dolittle is persuaded to abandon his seclusion and set out on a voyage to a legendary island in search of a cure. The journey brings him into conflict with old adversaries, introduces him to strange creatures, and gradually restores the wit and courage he had lost, with a would-be apprentice and his animal household accompanying him.

Stephen Gaghan directed and co-wrote the film with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. It is his fourth feature as director, following Abandon, Syriana and Gold, and it was produced by Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Susan Downey. Robert Downey Jr. plays the title role, heading a cast that includes Harry Collett, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Antonio Banderas and Rami Malek among the voice performers; 52 cast members and 296 crew are credited.

Released in January 2020, the film cost about 175 million dollars and took roughly 251 million dollars worldwide, a return well short of its production budget. Audiences were lukewarm: it holds 5.6 out of 10 on IMDb from around 79,000 votes and 6.6 out of 10 on TMDB from a much smaller sample. A critics' rating of 4 out of 10 from 241 reviews places it below even the modest audience scores.