Scooby Doo
Review
by : Gareth Von Kallenbach
Starring:
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze
Jr , Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini
Directed by: Rajna Gossell
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During my youth, I was often entertained by the animated adventures
of Scooby Doo and his friends as they solved mysteries and
crimes wherever they went with humor and good cheer. As I
grew up, my Scooby watching was relegated to little more than
snippets of shows when I was channel surfing or the occasional
show when nothing else was on.
When I
heard that a live-action film was in the works my interest
was peaked, but I was unsure of the wisdom of a CGI Scooby,
and was less than thrilled with some of the casting choices.
My concerns grew as pictures from the set and early trailers
made the film look like an uninspired mess and a disaster
in the making. I went into the film screener this morning
with an open mind, but concerned that a favorite show of my
childhood was about to be massacred on the big screen. Thankfully,
the film is a faithful live action interpretation of the classic
show, which stays true to the characters of the show, and
adds a touch of modern styles and attitudes to make it fun
for all ages.
The film
starts at the end of a mystery where Daphne (Sarah Michelle
Gellar), has been taken hostage by a ghost monster in a toy
factory leaving the stylish but clueless Fred (Freddie Prinze
Jr.), and the nerdy but creative Velma (Linda Cardellini),
to put their trap into motion. As any fan of the show can
tell you, things rarely go as planned for the team, and naturally
Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), and his buddy Scoobby Doo disrupt
the original plan yet cause the mission to succeed through
blind luck and desperation brought on by fear. As the team
finishes a press conference where they unmask the villain
and explain how the mystery was solved, fighting amongst the
group arises. It seems that Fred, Daphne, and Velma are upset
over their importance to the group, and are upset that the
dull but charismatic Fred is the point person for all of the
media attention that the group receives, and want their talents
to be properly credited. The group splits up and goes their
separate ways, leaving Shaggy and Scooby to live in the Mystery
Machine by the beach. The film jumps two years into the future
where a messenger for Mondavarious (Rowan Atkinson), invites
Shaggy and Scooby to tour his new amusement park island resort,
and of course will compensate them accordingly. Shaggy is
not interested in the job or the money until the promise of
all you can eat is offered and before you can say buffet line,
they are at the airport. At the airport, Fred, Daphne, and
Velma are reunited as they have been invited to the island
unbeknownst to the others, rich girl Daphne plans to leave,
and it takes Shaggy's plea for an end to the bitterness and
Velma's secret crush on Fred to get them to come along. Each
member of the feuding trio thinks that the island will allow
them to solve the mystery, and will allow them to show their
true worth once and for all.
What follows
is a fun-filled romp as the group sets out to uncover the
mystery of the island, and why college students appear to
leave the island as brainwashed zombies. There are some good
laughs in the film, and it was obvious that Director Rajna
Gossell is a fan of the show, and the team of writers, (Credited
as WGA), were fans of the show as well. The film does not
rely on catchy FX, great acting, or a tight story to entertain,
it lets the characters do that, and the cast seems to be having
a blast making this film. Prinze and Gellar are great playing
the vapid and the spoiled without losing any of the audience,
as they are a likable if at times misguided pair. Cardellini
nails Thelma down to the crawling on the floor looking for
her glasses, and barely hiding her crush for Fred beneath
her high IQ, and creativity. The real star of the show is
Lillard who does a spot on Shaggy that is amazing. His voice,
walk, and mannerisms are exact replicas of the character,
and it is obvious that he has done a large amount of preparations
in his role. His character is also given the most to do, as
he is the one who is most often paired with the CGI Scooby
Doo, and who gets to deliver many good lines. Scott Innes
who has voiced the animated Scooby for many years is in fine
form as he brings the character to life with all of the humor,
charm and compassion of his animated counterpart. There are
some moments of the film that may not be ideal for younger
viewers, as there are drug references, flatulence jokes, as
well as some dog pee humor, however I saw many of the adults
at the screener laughing along with the children at the screener.
What the
film boils down to is a fun and faithful love action version
of the classic cartoon series. The characters have about as
much depth and diversity as the cartoon series, yet the film
is a very silly and enjoyable romp, and if you approach the
movie with the same expectations you have of the cartoon show,
then you might just have a good time.
Gareth
Von Kallenbach
Gareth@nwlink.com
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