Week of 1 December 2008
Dr Dolittle 4: Tail to the Chief * (Stars Kyla Pratt, Peter Coyote, Malcolm Stewart, Niall Matter, Elise Gatien, Norm MacDonald, Jennifer Coolidge, Richard Kind, Greg Ellis; UK cert PG) A third sequel to the so-so Eddie Murphy remake of the 1967 Rex Harrison original. And as you'd expect, Eddie Murphy himself is nowhere in sight. But that doesn't help to make this dog of a film any funnier. Pratt plays college student Maya Dolittle, who has inherited her father's ability to talk to animals. When the pet dog of the US president (Coyote) begins misbehaving, he calls in Maya to help. Cheaply made, badly acted and written by a chimp with a crayon, Tail to the Chief has absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever. Oh yes, actually, it does have just the one redeeming feature ... with a DVD, you can switch it off. And smash the disc with a hammer. If you really, really hate your kids, buy them this for Christmas. Extras: four behind-the-scenes featurettes. — Stuart O'Connor
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