Maya Dolittle returns as the animal whisperer who discovers that being accepted into veterinary school isn't as easy as she expected. She certainly never expected that her "gift" would be a matter of national security. Just when she was feeling like a huge disappointment, the President of the United States asks Maya to use her special talents to work with the disobedient First Dog in order to help avert a major national crisis. With her important new assignment and lots of help from her loyal dog pal Lucky, Maya finally has a chance to impress the veterinary school acceptance committee...

If you weren't particularly struck on the first Dr. Doolittle movie, then you're really going to hate this latest in the franchise. Once again (as in the third in the franchise) Eddie Murphy is absent as Dr. Dolittle. In his place is Kyla Pratt once again playing Maya Dolittle, Dr. Dolittle's daughter, as she has in each movie.

It's not that any of the acting is particularly bad, it's just that we've been here a million times before with identical lacklustre, lowbrow comedies. This is a movie that is strictly for the very young, and it's certainly not a film that the parents can enjoy too.

Extras are pretty thin on the ground. We get Inside Look (3 min, 45 sec look at Horton Hear's a Who! - an ad in reality); Critter Casting Sessions (3 min, 53 sec look at the main animals used in the movie); Working with Actors of a Different Breed (5 min, 54 sec featurette that is really an extension of Critter Casting Sessions); and Goin' Wild (5 min, 37 sec look at the Mountain View Conservation Society, where some of the movie was shot).

The kids, who aren't already sick to death of talking animal movies, will no doubt lap this up. However, if you are an adult, of above average intelligence, this film will do little for you. (And that joke's better than all of the gags in the movie - believe me).

3

Pete Boomer