Doctor Doolittle

Richard Fleischer's 1967 musical adaptation of "Doctor Doolittle" is a quintessential example of Hollywood gone wrong. This is bloated nonsense disguised as extravagant spectacle, and much of the film's production background reflects this. The film notoriously underwent a nightmarish production process, consistently finding complications from shooting locations and difficulties with the real-life animals required to portray this iconic tale of the doctor who can speak to them.

The film exceeded its budget and barely made any money back, in addition to being critically ridiculed. But alas, as Hollywood has proved time and time again, a little bit of awards-mongering flattery can go a long way -- the film surprisingly managed to nab an Oscar nomination for Best Picture due to intense studio lobbying, while winning two awards for Best Original Song and Best Visual Effects.

"Doctor Doolittle" is a slog to get through. It's a flashy, yet minimally entertaining, musical that features an abundance of cute animals, but even the cutest dog isn't enough to justify this movie's grueling 151-minute runtime. I'd rather have that same cute dog chew on my arm for that length of time. At least, in that case, I'd feel something.

Fans of this film, however, do need to seek out the newest Blu-ray release from Twilight Time Movies. The HD transfer is quite attractive, with little to no grain, and the bonus features are a bit more generous than typical Twilight Time offerings. Bonus features include:

� Isolated Music Track
� Audio Commentary with Songwriter/Screenwriter Leslie Bricusse and Film Music Historian Mike Matessino
� Featurette: "Rex Harrison: The Man Who Would Be King"
� Original Theatrical Trailer

If anything, your kids will probably enjoy it.

"Doctor Doolittle"
Blu-ray
$29.95
https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/doctor-dolittle-blu-ray/