DVD Review: Dr. Doolittle: Tail To The Chief

By June L. Apr 7, 2008, 13:08 GMT

Maya Dolittle (Kyla Pratt) is back in a heartwarming adventure of presidential proportions! Maya\'s dream of going to vet school is put on hold when she gets a call from the president of the United States. It seems the First Dog is out of control, and the president needs Maya\'s help. It\'s up to Maya and her own dog, Lucky, to stop a canine catastrophe from becoming a national crisis!. ...more

We are always on the lookout for films that can be viewed by the whole family, and that will spark interesting discussions.  Dr. Doolittle:  Tail to the Chief is just one of those rare films combining a lot of humor and education without ever being preposterous enough to be off-putting or dull. 

Certainly it is a fantasy, but it helps bring home the idea of the disappearance of animal species from our world and offers suggestions of ways to help prevent these losses.

The story begins with Maya Doolittle applying to San Francisco University, as she wishes to follow in her famous father’s footsteps and become a veterinarian.  The audience learns that Maya has let her grades slip during the past year, focusing on “social skills” rather than academics. 

She is hoping that her interview will show the Admissions office that she is good veterinarian material.  Maya has inherited her father’s gift of being able to converse with animals, and she relies a little too much on that getting her through.  Her interview is a mess, and she is told by the committee that she has four weeks to impress them, or she will need to look for an alternate choice. 

Enter the USA Secret Service.  They have come to ask Dr. Doolittle to assist the President with a problem of International importance.  Dr. Doolittle is away on a research venture and cannot be contacted in time.  Maya offers her services, and after convincing the agents that she can talk to the animals, is on her way to the White House.

At first it seems as though the biggest challenge will be the “First Dog” Daisy, a normally sweet and well-behaved King Charles spaniel, who has recently gone on a rip and tear spree throughout the White House.  Maya can’t help but notice that “First Daughter” Courtney Sterling is having some rebellious moments as well. 

President Sterling (Peter Coyote) moves everyone to Sterling Ranch, where a State Dinner will soon be held.  The Prince and his daughter from a country that has one of the last natural rain forests are the guests of honor.  They want to meet “Daisy” and the President is hoping this goodwill visit will include a signed agreement to protect rather than cut down the rain forest. 

Maya is impressed by the fact that the President has taken such a personal interest in preserving and protecting endangered species, as he shows her around the Ranch.  The actual Mountain View Conservation Society facility doubles as Sterling Ranch in this movie, and viewers are able to see endangered and rare species that are being helped by this group. 

“Lenore” the red ruffed lemur is one such endangered animal, and the whole family will be intrigued by her exotic beauty and story, and like us will want to know more about lemurs.

Dr. Doolittle: Tail to the Chief is presented on a single disc in widescreen with English, French and Spanish language audio available.  There are also English and Spanish subtitles.  There are some excellent special features included that we enjoyed as much as the film. 

The first is “Critter Casting Sessions” which show the animals used in the film and their trainers explaining how they get the critters to perform.  This is followed by “Working with Actors of a Different Breed,” which explains a little how the filming process occurs when animals are involved. 

“Goin’ Wild” features the Mountain View Conservation Society facility and the people in charge there, explaining their mission towards these animals.  Finally there is an interactive section to learn more about endangered species such as the red ruffed lemur. 

This is a good DVD to have in any family’s collection, it teaches responsibility for your actions on a personal and global level.  Also included are good lessons on believing in your dreams and developing confidence in you abilities. 

The President makes the statement to Maya “Failure is a part of life, even for successful people.  The question is, what are you going to do about it?”  

Dr. Doolittle: Tail To The Chief is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.