Dr. Dolittle 2

Right now you can watch Dr. Dolittle 2 in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 1,773 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch it for Eddie Murphy — stay for everyone else around them. Available now on Disney Plus — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Dr. Dolittle 2 arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Dr. Dolittle 2 gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. A group of beavers ask Dr. Dolittle to save their habitat from loggers. The only hope is to get the forest preserved because it's the home of a protected bear, but there's a problem: the bear's the only bear in the forest, so she can't reproduce. Eddie Murphy and Kristen Wilson lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2001. What keeps Dr. Dolittle 2 from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Dr. Dolittle 2 is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Eddie Murphy's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.