Scooby-Doo
Year: 2002
Directed by: Raja Gosnell
Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Linda Cardellini, Neil Fanning, Matthew Lillard, Sarah Michelle Gellar & Freddie Prinze Jr.
Runtime: 86 mins
BBFC: PG
Published: 08/04/21
Directed by: Raja Gosnell
Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Linda Cardellini, Neil Fanning, Matthew Lillard, Sarah Michelle Gellar & Freddie Prinze Jr.
Runtime: 86 mins
BBFC: PG
Published: 08/04/21
I sometimes look back at some of the films I used to enjoy as a child and cringe at the thought of ever enjoying such atrocious things. For a long time, the live action Scooby-Doo films were ones I looked back on and cringed. But more recently I’ve looked back on them extremely fondly and I feel like I may have misunderstood just how great they actually were. Grab your Scooby Snacks, because we’re going back to Spooky Island to reunite Mystery Inc. in what is probably their weirdest mystery to date.
Mystery Inc. have been solving mysteries for many years with Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar) being the damsel in distress, Velma (Linda Cardellini) being ignored, Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.) taking all the glory, and Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby (Neil Fanning) screwing everything up. Following another successful unmasking, Daphne and Velma have finally had it and resign, Fred (in typical Fred fashion) doesn’t like that he’s being upstaged and also quits.
Two years pass and the former members of Mystery Inc. have been invited to Spooky Island, an isolated tropical theme park that hosts parties for college students on spring break. The owner, Emile Mondavarious (Rowan Atkinson), has noticed that students who leave the island are behaving differently and are more aggressive than those arriving, and hopes that the gang will be able to get to the bottom of it.
As each member of Mystery Inc. goes their own way to solve the mystery first, they all begin to piece together the most complex and devious mystery they have ever had the challenge of solving, and this time it isn’t just a man in a mask.
Mystery Inc. have been solving mysteries for many years with Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar) being the damsel in distress, Velma (Linda Cardellini) being ignored, Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.) taking all the glory, and Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby (Neil Fanning) screwing everything up. Following another successful unmasking, Daphne and Velma have finally had it and resign, Fred (in typical Fred fashion) doesn’t like that he’s being upstaged and also quits.
Two years pass and the former members of Mystery Inc. have been invited to Spooky Island, an isolated tropical theme park that hosts parties for college students on spring break. The owner, Emile Mondavarious (Rowan Atkinson), has noticed that students who leave the island are behaving differently and are more aggressive than those arriving, and hopes that the gang will be able to get to the bottom of it.
As each member of Mystery Inc. goes their own way to solve the mystery first, they all begin to piece together the most complex and devious mystery they have ever had the challenge of solving, and this time it isn’t just a man in a mask.
I think it’s important to clarify that both Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed were written by James Gunn, well known more recently for directing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films. This is key to understanding why the live action Scooby-Doo films are so peculiar, because it’s not just the brand’s signature humour that makes it seem a bit weird. The first film was originally envisioned to be a mature comedy with a very dark premise. The members of Mystery Inc. had grown up and so had the original audience, it was supposed to be edgy, sexy, and probably a little gross too, which is Gunn’s trademark kind of humour. But Warner Bros and Hanna Barbera were understandably a little hesitant about allowing their beloved Scooby-Doo to be turned into a horny teen slasher comedy similar to the likes of Scream.
The film we got is actually relatively close to Gunn’s original vision, but considerably more family friendly. That being said, there’s still a whole load of adult humour crammed into Scooby-Doo, as well as the ever-present sexual tension between basically everyone.
By far the best part about Scooby-Doo is the cast, all of the choices for each character were spot on. When watching the film I don’t see Sarah Michelle Gellar or Freddie Prinze Jr., I see Daphne and Fred. Matthew Lillard was so incredible as Shaggy that he actually went on to be the voice of Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo cartoons.
I also love the subtle changes that have been made to each character to make them more believable in the real world. Daphne has taken it upon herself to become a martial arts expert because she’s sick of not being able to defend herself. Fred is a full-blown narcissist rather than the cocky pretty boy; his celebrity status has gone to his head and he simply sees everyone as beneath him. Velma intentionally makes herself stereotypically unattractive because she wants to be known only for her intelligence. Shaggy and Scooby…well they’re not all that different but they are unquestionably stoners now (in case there was any doubt in the show).
The film we got is actually relatively close to Gunn’s original vision, but considerably more family friendly. That being said, there’s still a whole load of adult humour crammed into Scooby-Doo, as well as the ever-present sexual tension between basically everyone.
By far the best part about Scooby-Doo is the cast, all of the choices for each character were spot on. When watching the film I don’t see Sarah Michelle Gellar or Freddie Prinze Jr., I see Daphne and Fred. Matthew Lillard was so incredible as Shaggy that he actually went on to be the voice of Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo cartoons.
I also love the subtle changes that have been made to each character to make them more believable in the real world. Daphne has taken it upon herself to become a martial arts expert because she’s sick of not being able to defend herself. Fred is a full-blown narcissist rather than the cocky pretty boy; his celebrity status has gone to his head and he simply sees everyone as beneath him. Velma intentionally makes herself stereotypically unattractive because she wants to be known only for her intelligence. Shaggy and Scooby…well they’re not all that different but they are unquestionably stoners now (in case there was any doubt in the show).
What doesn’t work so well is the CGI and the villain. Now whilst I have to talk about the CGI with the mindset of it being the early 2000’s that this film was released, there are plenty of examples of much better CGI work. I remember the CGI in this film always looking bad, and it’s very clear which actors haven’t done much green screen work before because they’re not even looking at or reacting to what’s happening at times.
The villain is much easier to criticize though, so if you don’t want spoilers for a twenty-year-old film then look away. The idea that Scrappy-Doo is the mastermind behind a world domination plot is actually quite funny considering the kind of character that Scrappy was in the TV series, and how loathed he was by almost all audiences. But his inclusion feels somewhat forced. His plan doesn’t make a lick of sense and although he pops up in a flashback earlier on the film, his reveal as the mastermind comes out of nowhere. Add to this that the climax to the film is over so quickly, you don’t even get to properly process what has happened before Scrappy’s being shipped off to some maximum-security kennel or something.
Scooby-Doo is a great film, but I feel like it will probably only be that way for my generation who grew up with the film. Maybe the rose-tinted glasses are affecting my vision too much, but having now revisited Spooky Island as an adult, I have to say that a lot of what Gunn was doing was really clever, and his influence on the franchise can still be felt today with modern iterations of the cartoon. I wonder if the second film will hold up as well.
The villain is much easier to criticize though, so if you don’t want spoilers for a twenty-year-old film then look away. The idea that Scrappy-Doo is the mastermind behind a world domination plot is actually quite funny considering the kind of character that Scrappy was in the TV series, and how loathed he was by almost all audiences. But his inclusion feels somewhat forced. His plan doesn’t make a lick of sense and although he pops up in a flashback earlier on the film, his reveal as the mastermind comes out of nowhere. Add to this that the climax to the film is over so quickly, you don’t even get to properly process what has happened before Scrappy’s being shipped off to some maximum-security kennel or something.
Scooby-Doo is a great film, but I feel like it will probably only be that way for my generation who grew up with the film. Maybe the rose-tinted glasses are affecting my vision too much, but having now revisited Spooky Island as an adult, I have to say that a lot of what Gunn was doing was really clever, and his influence on the franchise can still be felt today with modern iterations of the cartoon. I wonder if the second film will hold up as well.