Doctor Dolittle 3 (2006)

DVD

It is hard for a sequel to live up to the original, but Dr. Dolittle 3 takes a whole different route and focuses on Maya Dolittle. Maya is coming of age and struggling with accepting her gift to communicate with animals. So, Lisa, Maya's mom sends Maya to "Durango", a dude ranch to find herself and to hopefully help her accept herself. Maya resists but in the process uses her gift to organize the animals and save the dude ranch from being bought out by a neighboring, more upscale ranch. In the process, Maya finds time to catch the eye of a riding instructor, Bo (Walker Howard), a studly black cowboy.

Kyla Pratt, best known as Penny Proud in the Proud Family, reprises her role as Maya in this film and really holds the lead role fairly well. She is sweet and her character is very likable and easily relatable. Any woman who watches this film understands what we go through to try and fit in. Of course this is predictable plot wise and the film as expected wraps up with a happy ending (the teen years are just the opposite -- long and arduous). Oh and yes, Maya gets the guy. And the talking animals that make this type of film so funny are back getting into goofy situations. Norm MacDonald, and Gary Busey make cameo appearances as the voices of animals.

Commentary by Kyla Pratt and director Rich Thorne

The Making of Dr. Dolittle 3
This 16 minute featurette takes its time with interviews including each of the cast members and the Director. It also gives a spotlight to the animal trainer, Deb Cole a long with other. It also shows how they work and illustrates just how much order is necessary to get the animals to perform up to par.

Growing Up Dolittle
Kyla talks about what it was like getting a gig on the cast of Dr. Dolittle at age 9 when she had just started out in the business at 8. She remembers the experience of gratitude when she got the opportunity to work with actors she admired like John Amos, Ossie Davis and Eddie Murphy. She also talks about her experience growing up on the set of the first Do little and the second as well as the third and more.

This movie is just too funny. There are so many cute moments and it just proves what a great future Kyla Pratt has. She is certainly one to watch. My favorite scene is definitely where she is looking a fool as she teaches the rooster how to impress all of the chickens.

For those who are and of the first two will love this endearing coming of age flick with the littlest Dolittle and for those not so familiar with the previous two will still enjoy Maya Dolittle the lessons Maya learns while out on the dude ranch. It might even inspire you to send your kids to one to get more in touch with nature or rediscover your love of the farm life. Okay ... I know that is stretching it a bit, but hey you will enjoy the film. It is definitely worth checking out!