The movie's only endearing quality is a subplot about a Dolittle daughter who gets teased for her fascination with science and animals and learns that it's okay to follow one's own drummer. Murphy plays Dolittle as a people doctor who has repressed the memories of his childhood ability to talk with animals. Just when he and his partners are about to get rich merging with an HMO, his ability comes back and he finds himself dogged by furry and feathery creatures who need medical help. Animal lovers can always find something endearing in a movie full of critters, but little thought seems to have gone into anything except the special effects. The R rating covers occasionally strong profanity and bloody gunplay in the finale.
Characters also drink and talk about being high on marijuana.
Their mutual attraction generates much heat with little more than glances-and later on, an understated love scene in, by today's standards, a modest state of undress.