A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Educational Value
very little
Kids might learn a bit about ranch life and rodeos, but mostly the movie intends to entertain, not educate.
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Positive Messages
some
The movie includes obvious messages about teamwork and self-respect, and a budding romance between teens is depicted as respectful and age appropriate. Multiple jokes are made at the expense of an overweight teen, though they're played for laughs and he even adds to them at times. Mild potty humor includes flatulence from animals.
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Positive Role Models
a lot
Maya struggles to fit in with her peers and early on makes a few iffy choices and shirks responsibility, but she has a good heart and she redeems herself as the movie progresses. The cast is multicultural, and most of the main characters are African American. The two prominent adult figures are patient and understanding with teens, helping them work out issues productively.
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Violence & Scariness
none
Dude ranch students wrestle cattle and pigs and try out bull-riding simulators, which toss them around a bit. A couple of characters are thrown from broncos, but there's no injury from the falls. One girl hurts her hand hitting a gate in frustration.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
none
Some female characters wear skimpy tops and short shorts. There's one very brief scene with a kiss, and the few instances of sexual innuendo relate to a rooster who's lost his groove with the ladies in the henhouse.
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Language
very little
"Oh my God" is as strong as it gets. Multiple jokes about the "fat kid."
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
A teen is shown holding a bottle of alcohol at a party and is blamed for spiking the punch (when in fact a mischievous monkey did it). Teens at a club drink something that looks like beer.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Dr. Dolittle 3 focuses on a teen struggling to fit in with the "cool kids" at her school, most of whom ridicule her because she can talk to animals. While tweens may not relate to her particular gifts, they could see similarities between her social struggles and theirs. The movie is filled with positive messages about appreciating your own abilities, respecting differences of character, and finding strength and support from the right friends. The lack of questionable subject matter (aside from a bunch of fat jokes) and the presence of a diverse group of characters combine to make this a great choice for tweens. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
In DR. DOLITTLE 3, Maya Dolittle (Kyla Pratt) wants what just about any 17-year-old girl wants: to fit in. She's finally on the verge of breaking through to the "A-list" of her high school's popularity gauge, and she couldn't be happier. With her sights set on a cute guy and her foot in the door to coolness, Maya feels she's finally on her way. But every time things seem to be falling into place, her genetics start working overtime against her. Since she inherited her veterinarian father's ability to communicate with animals, most people (including most of her peers) think she's off her rocker, and she's desperate to show them otherwise. When her mother (Kristen Wilson) ships her off to the Durango Ranch for a summer of cowgirl lessons to help her sort things out, Maya is determined to make a fresh start.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about friendship. How do you define friendship? What traits do you look for in friends? How can friendship be strained by the stresses of popularity? Who determines what defines the "in" crowd? How would you react if one of your friends was shunned by the cool kids? What if you were given the cold shoulder?
Families can also discuss how Dr. Dolittle 3 compares to the previous movies in the series. Which one do you like best?
What did you think about the fat jokes throughout the movie? Is it OK to make fun of someone's weight or body type? Why do people think it's funny to tease overweight people?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 25, 2006
- On DVD or streaming: April 25, 2006
- Cast: John Amos, Kristen Wilson, Kyla Pratt
- Director: Rich Thorne
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors
- Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Book Characters, Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Great Girl Role Models, High School, Horses and Farm Animals
- Run time: 98 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: some crude humor and language.
- Last updated: June 9, 2024
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