Dolittle

Parents need to know that Dolittle is a kid-friendly adventure comedy starring Robert Downey, Jr. as a doctor who can communicate with animals. It diverges from author Hugh Lofting's original book, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (as well as previous movie adaptations from 1967 and 1998) into its own story. Here, Doolittle is a hermit following the death of his wife, who was a brave explorer. While the overall story is told in the spirit of fun and adventure, the movie deals with themes of loss and abandonment, overcoming grief through helping others, and finding a family among friends. While communication, compassion, and teamwork are all on display, there's also more violence and peril than you might expect in a family film -- including knives, cannons, guns, poison, and animal attacks -- but much of it feels cartoonish. A hunting accident plays out with an anti-gun sentiment: A warm-hearted human character accidentally shoots a (hilariously dramatic) squirrel and then sets out to save its life. While there's some gently rude humor, like animal bottoms and farts, parents may be most shocked by a scene in which the doctor appears to unblock a creature's intestinal tract through its anus (gratefully, not on camera). One use of "damn."