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 I
never thought I'd say this, but the fact that I enjoyed "Scooby-Doo"
more than "Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones" speaks volumes
about how good it is. Or maybe it speaks volumes about how bad "Star
Wars" is.
Either way, it's a pleasant surprise, especially considering I'm
not even a fan of the classic cartoon series that inspired it. Sure,
I came across the adventures of the Mystery Machine when I was a
kid, but the only reason I ever watched them was because I thought
Daphne was a hottie. Yeah, I know she was a cartoon, but what can
I say, I was young.
Well, that was then, and this is now, and Daphne's not a cartoon
anymore. For that matter, neither are Fred, Velma and Shaggy, and
while the live-action version of "Scooby-Doo" is aimed squarely
at kids with an at-times-unhealthy dose of juvenile humor, there's
just enough fun, charm and heart to make this mercifully short movie
pass along like a pleasant summer breeze.
Zoinks! It's been two years since super sleuths Fred (Freddie Prinze
Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini),
Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby went their separate ways after
a bitter argument, but they are unwittingly brought back together
for their most dangerous case yet. The administrator of Spooky Island
fears that his resort may be haunted, so he summons the perceptive
detectives to get to the bottom of the case before he loses his
college customers for good. Can Scooby and the gang overcome their
differences in time to save the resort...and quite possibly the
world? Whew, it's enough to make you say "ruh-roh!"
"Scooby-Doo"
drags at times, but it still captures the campy, idealistic charm
of the cartoon series while building up on the personalities that
have been established over the years. Fred is just as arrogant and
self-centered as ever, while sexy Daphne is sick of being seen as
nothing more than a damsel in distress. Velma is still the resident
brainiac of the group, but she fails to get the recognition she
deserves because Fred steals her thunder all the time. Then of course,
there's Shaggy, the scaredy-cat with a never-ending case of the
munchies.
And let's not forget good ol' Scooby himself. The pup is completely
computer-generated for his big screen close-up, so as expected,
he bounces all over the screen and is even more animated than his
cartoon alter-ego. He definitely looks like a CGI character, but
for the most part, he still blends quite seamlessly with his real
life co-stars.
The film has its witty moments, but not enough of them to appeal
to the adults who grew up with fond memories of the precious pooch.
There are a few light touches, specifically where Shaggy's constant
craving for Scooby Snacks is concerned, but the film really misses
the boat with Velma. Since she has such a masculine demeanor, wouldn't
it have been funny if her longtime crush was on Daphne instead of
Fred?
Matthew Lillard really did his homework where Shaggy is concerned,
so to that extent, he gives the performance of his career (I can't
believe I just said that!). Linda Cardellini also seems to be having
a blast as the brainy, but surprisingly sexy Velma, while Sarah
Michelle Gellar borrows from her butt-kicking role on "Buffy" to
give Daphne a more physical edge. Only Freddie Prinze Jr. seems
to give the weakest performance of the four, but then again, he
is playing a dour, boring character.
At times, the characters of "Scooby-Doo" seem as out of place as
the Brady kids did in their movies, but by showing how important
long lasting friendships are, it's hard not to be won over by their
heartwarming brand of summer entertainment. That's good news coming
from someone who's not even a "Scooby" fan, but then again, we are
talking about someone who thinks that Daphne is still a hottie.
And come to think of it, Velma's looking pretty good too!
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