Dolittle (PG)

Robert Downey Jr’s first post-Avengers role sees him embody Hugh Lofting’s classic literary character that has been around for a century.

Dropping the ‘Dr’ from the title - because overly simplifying titles seems to be the ‘in’ thing - John Dolittle (Downey Jr, valiantly attempting something close to a Welsh accent) is a veterinarian who can talk to animals; having rejected his fellow humans after a tragic family death, the good doctor relies on his menagerie of animal companions. He is summoned to the bedside of Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley), who is gravely ill. Dolittle decrees that the cure comes from the fruit of the Eden tree on a remote island and so must voyage there with his animal pals in a Pirates-of the-Caribbean-y way and then voyage back, hoping that he is not too late.

It’s all very absurd but it’s paced for the attention span of a small child and so mostly resembles a live-action cartoon, bouncing from one chaotic set piece to the next, not to mention Emma Thompson voicing a parrot and Rami Malek as a gorilla. A bizarre, yet semi-enjoyable adventure. (Jack Whiting) And a great, easy favourite, against iffy reviews incl Jack’s luke warm. Come, you’ll love it.