Robert Downey Jr.'s Dolittle Gets Hilariously Skewered by Critics: The Film Is a 'Crime Scene'
Critics are not loving Robert Downey Jr.‘s latest movie.
The Avengers actor follows up his impressive Marvel career with Dolittle, a comedy about the famous doctor who can talk to animals. The movie is set 19th-century England, with Dr. John Dolittle forced out of his recluse to save a young Queen Victoria after she falls ill.
But while the movie promises family fun for everyone, critics have left scathing reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes highlighting some of the worst — and giving it a 19% aggregate score out of 100.
RELATED: Watch Robert Downey Jr. Talk to Animals in New Dolittle Trailer
“Dolittle is not a film. Dolittle is a crime scene in need of forensic analysis. Something happened here. Something terrible. Something inexplicable,” Scott Tobias, NPR, wrote.
“Aside from a few broad bouts of animal humor, the whole exercise feels utterly lifeless, and a conspicuous waste of time and, given the special effects, what looks like a ridiculous amount of money,” Brian Lowry wrote for CNN.com.
“The humor is beyond juvenile from start to finish with corny puns, slapstick pratfalls, and low level potty humor full of farts and shots to the genitals,” Kyle Wilson, The Lamplight Review, echoed.
Still, not all critics had problems with it. Some enjoyed Downey Jr.’s performance and praised the film for keeping kids entertained.
“Sure, there were too many passing gas gags, and a certain amount of lazy, rude jokes expected to fly over the kids’ heads and entertain their folks, but the Iron Man megastar captures the zaniness of talking to animals as nutty as he is,” Thelma Adams, AARP Movies for Grownups, wrote.
Simply put, “Dolittle is cute and quirky,” wrote Josh Terry for Deseret News (Salt Lake City).
Dolittle is in theaters now.
