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| Scooby Doo
Description: Movie based on the cartoon
Year: 2002
Classification: Comedy
Directed:
- Raja Gosnell
Actors/Actresses:
- Linda Cardellini as Velma
- Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne
- Matthew Lillard as Shaggy
- Freddie Prinze Jr as Fred
- Rowan Atkinson
Scooby Doo, where are you?...oh, wait, there you are.
Growing up, Scooby Doo was my absolute, number one, all-time favourite television show. Four teenagers and their scaredy-cat great dane made up Mystery Inc, the crime fighting, mystery solving team that drove around the isolated countryside in the Mystery Machine (usually running out of petrol in front of haunted houses) where they ran into scary monsters, sinister characters, mysterious clues and hidden motives. Of course, the whole series went to the dogs when they introduced the severely annoying Scrappy-Doo (also known as ......-Doo) who ran around on his hind legs yelling 'Puppy Power!'
So now it's a life-action movie, and instead of a cartoon dog it's a CGI Scooby and instead of four cartoon teenagers we get Freddie Prinze Jr (Fred), Sarah Michelle Geller (Daphne) Matthew Lilliard (Shaggy) and Linda Cardellini (Velma). It begins just as the gang solve their latest mystery to the frustration of all - Daphne is sick of being the damsel in distress, Velma's sick of Fred getting all the credit, and Fred is keen on finding his own way to stardom. The group splits up, only to be reunited three years later when they are summoned to Spooky Island by Emile Mondavarious (Rowan Atkinson) who is concerned at the state of it's visitors: they come as rowdy, happy teenagers, but leave as brain-dead zombies. Struggling through their creative differences the group triumphs against all odds to solve the mystery and save the day.
Well, forget the plot - the trick to this movie is to NOT try to figure it out. It had something to do with world domination and monsters that die in the sunlight, but beyond that it just involves wandering around on the Gold Coast of Australia and through glow-in-the-dark sets. One thing is certain, it unfortunatly bears no resemblance whatsoever to the television series - no misty roads, run-down mansions or ghostly spectres here.
Matthew Lillard IS Shaggy - his appearance, his characteristics, his personality and especially his voice is EXACTLY that of the animated Shaggy. Bravo. Likewise, Linda Cardellini is a surperb Velma, with the nasal voice, large glasses, and habit of standing with her hands behind her back. Scooby (though the CGI was less than perfect) was adorable, loveable Scooby, like he's always been. <BR>However, I doubt Sarah Michelle Geller or Freddie Prinze have watched a single episode of Scooby Doo. In the series Fred was the level-headed, responsible leader of the gang, and Daphne (though she did get kidnapped an awful lot) was by no means without a brain. In the movie however, Fred is portrayed as an egotistical numbskull, and Daphne - to put it as nicely as possible - is a bimbo. The stereotypes placed upon them is very disappointing, as is the treatment of their romance. For as long as the cartoon has been running fans have wondered whether these two had something going on or not. I had hoped that this would be expanded on in the movie, giving the film-makers a chance to answer the age-old question, but no such luck. The two have almost nothing to do with each other until they inexplicedly fall into each others arms at the end of the movie.
What I'm trying to say is that this movie doesn't quite have an audience. Newcomers to Scooby-Doo will have no idea what's going on, and won't be able to get half of the in-jokes that are used in the movie. Only long-time fans will be able to appreciate Velma crawling on the ground moaning - 'my glasses...I can't find my glasses', Fred's decisions to split up whenever the gang find each other again, Daphne's frequent kidnappings, Old Man Smither's 'I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids!', and the very special surprise for all of those out there who despise Scrappy-Doo (which I think makes up 99.9% of us). And yet this movie didn't quite catch the spirit of the series, making the fans not-quite satisified. It's still worth a look for those raised on Scooby Doo, but it could have been a lot better.
Fun and Funny movie
Before I saw the movie, I was skeptical of the cast selections of Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michele Geller, but after seeing it, I think they did a great job. Linda Cardellini made Velma more than a brain and Matthew Lillard IS Shaggy. The entire cast did an incredible job of bringing to life some beloved cartoon characters.
The movie itself was like a longer, live-action, episode of the classic cartoons. Some people would say that some of the action was predictable, but when have you watched the cartoon and not known when the gang was going to split up, or Shaggy and Scooby were going to run away from a ghost, etc? The cartoons followed a formula, and the movie doesn't change it.
And it was funny. Though the kids and adults in the audience had different degrees of laughter at different jokes, they were all laughing.
A lot of people have made a big to-do about the "in jokes" of Scooby Doo. When I was a kid watching the show, the only thing I understood that was never said was that Fred and Daphne were boyfriend/girlfriend. And that's all I got from the movie. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, or I didn't want to see anything else. In any case, I'm glad the movie makers kept the spirit of the cartoons unchanged.
The only negative thing I can say about this movie is that I was somewhat disappointed by the ending. I won't give it away, and I'm sure some fans of the show will cheer at it, but I thought it was a little out of spirit.
When I was in elementary school, I knew a girl who had nightmares from the cartoon. I think the movie could have the same affect on littler kids. I would compare the scariness to the green minions in Anastasia (I thought those would be quite scary to a little kid, but I don't have kids so who knows what they think is scary these days).
So, to sum up, go see it, take your kids (if they don't scare easily), and be ready to laugh.
A great movie for this long-time Scooby fan!
Scooby-Doo, the live-action movie, opens with the original gang solving one of their typical mysteries, the case of the Luna Ghost. Daphne has been kidnapped, Velma has a plan, Fred is giving orders, and Scooby and Shaggy are playing the fall guys. It's all very familiar, and hilarious to see in live-action, with all the physical gags of the cartoon! But when the case is solved and Fred takes the credit again, everyone (except Scooby and Shaggy) realizes how totally tired they are of the parts they play in Mysteries, Inc. Velma is tired of not getting any credit or attention, Daphne is tired of being the damsel in distress, and Fred is looking to expand his horizons on his favorite subject, himself. So, despite Scooby and Shaggy's protests, the group finally splits up after all these years. <BR> One year later, the gang finds themselves bumping into each other at an airport on their way to an amusement park resort called Spooky Island. It seems they've all been invited by the owner, Mr. Mondavarious, to investigate the strange behavior of the college kids who visit and work there. At first, Velma, Freddie, and Daphne are frustrated about running into their old friends, each one determined to solve this mystery on their own, but in time those old feelings of friendship return as they work together as a team to do what they do best. And Shaggy and Scooby couldn't be happier at the reunion, though Shaggy's attentions are divided as he channels most of his energy into wooing a young lady named Mary Jane. Together, the gang overcomes many obstacles to discover the truth behind the strange goings on at Spooky Island, and what they discover in the end is something few would ever have suspected!<BR> Scooby-Doo is a great movie! I've watched Scooby cartoons all my life, and found this movie to be tons of fun! But it's not for everyone! There are those certain Scooby fans who can't stand it when the supernatural events in a Scooby story turn out to be real instead of just a man in a mask. Well, if you're that type, you may not like this film, but then, maybe you will. See, in this movie the Mystery involves both the Supernatural, AND the villain in a mask routine! Then, believe it or not, there are those out there who are loyal fans of Scrappy-Doo! Well, if you love Scrappy, you will probably hate this movie, as it involves a lot of extreme Scrappy bashing. Yes, he's in this movie, and yes, he plays a major role (though with minimum screen time), but Scrappy is depicted in a very negative light. This was done mostly because so many fans hate Scrappy, but as I said, some people do love him. As for me, I like him okay, loved him as a kid, but I can go both ways on the subject now, and I can easily take a little Scrappy bashing so it didn't bother me. Now, the sets in this film are amazing! Very spooky and funny at the same time! As for the casting; perfect Shaggy, great (though much more attractive than the cartoon) Velma, gorgeous as always Sarah Michelle Gellar makes a perfect Daphne, and her new hubby (grrrr) Freddie Prince, Jr. does a sufficient job with Fred, a character that was never that great to begin with. I probably wouldn't have cast Freddie P. as Fred, since the voice isn't right and he doesn't look that much like him either, but he doesn't hurt the film at all. It's not like Rosie O'Donnel trying to convince us she's Betty Rubble, ruining what otherwise was a great Flintstone movie (oh, and the kids were too old in that one, but that's a whole other review). As for the CGI Scooby and Scrappy-Doo, well, they're obviously CGI, but they're still pretty good once you adjust your eyes and your mind to ignore that aspect. They just needed some better light and shadow work in a lot of their scenes. A lot of fans didn't like the look Scooby had, but I thought it was a great interpretation of Scooby as a "real" dog. I mean, that's a tricky thing to have to do. Overall, this is a FUN movie, that's the key word. Even my dad sat and watched all of this one, which was surprising. Of course, some people will just watch to see Sarah Michelle Gellar I suppose. I should also point out that Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) plays Mr. Mondavarious, and gives one of his usual hilarious performances! The DVD is great by the way, with some nice behind the scenes stuff, and a great CAST commentary! Definitely a must own for fans of Scooby-Doo or cartoon movies in general (By the way, if you like this one be sure to get the Josie and the Pussycats live-action movie)! The deleted scenes on the Scooby-Doo DVD are really great, and most, if not all of them, would have been great to see in the actual film! Especially the wonderful animated opening! They truly should have left that one in! As for the sequels that were talked about so much on the commentary, I'm looking forward to them, but I better see Scooby-Dum in one of them, and please, no Scooby-Dum bashing! I love that guy! Dum dum dum duuummmmmm!
Buy Scooby Doo at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
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