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Rating: 3.5/5
Review: "Dolittle 3D" (106 minutes)

"A simple story that is enhanced by the great realistic CGI animals and decent immersive 3D format."

To be frank, I didn't have any expectation for Dolittle because it's a January movie. We all know it's the month where studios like to dump their poorly-received movies. However with a hefty budget of US$175 million, it's really a surprise that Universal Pictures has little faith in it. With overwhelming negative reviews, it is indeed true.

So is it really that bad?

No, it's not if you are looking for harmless fun. Maybe it's better to watch it with a weekday ticket price instead of a weekend ticket price. Critics have complained that it is disjointed and it is clear why they said so. The movie is fast paced but for the wrong reason. Things come and go. I felt many scenes seem to be cut out. It's the same feeling I had with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. What Star Wars has to its advantage is its big scale action scenes. On the other hand, Dolittle has a massive budget but it feels surprisingly small. Sure, there is the grand adventure. But it feels that the PG rating limits the few action scenes. They were fun to watch but they are tame for an adventure movie. On top of that, it felt anticlimactic.

The story is also fairly simple. There are hardly any surprises. So if you take away the plot and the adventure, what you get are the actors who try to keep thing afloat. Robert Downey Jr tried his best to keep the movie alive by adding his wits and gruff voice. Nothing fantastic but it is not a bad try. The stars are definitely the beautifully animated animals. They are rendered realistically and do not feel hollow during the interactions with the humans. The voice acting is decent and entertaining enough. At least, some part of me feel like the budget is justified.

3D: I'm not sure if it is shot in 3D. By the looks of modern post-production, it seems like this is another big-budget movie to get a post-conversion. The technology has improved a lot from the past few years. Watching it in 3D is definitely immersive. There's a natural sense of extra dimension and depth. It is surprising that in Phnom Penh, there are more 3D time slots that 2D.

Overall: Should you watch this in cinema? It really depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a grand adventure, I suggest that this movie is not for you. However if you are looking for some harmless fun with cute animals, this is the one. Catch it in 3D if possible. Being immersed in Dolittle's world might distract you from all the negativity it faces.

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