MYSTERY INC FOREVER - THE REVIEW FOR YOU   September 9, 2005

Please, please, please, anyone reading any of the other reviews before reaching this one and are seriously reconsidering buying any of the Scooby movies -BUY THEM- I urge you, you will not be disapponted. Rhank you.


Scooby Doo - Live Action Movie   June 13, 2005
  2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This film cam in for a rare old mauling from the critics when it was released and looking at some of the other reviews here, it would seem that it didn't go down that well with the cinema going public. I think that's a real shame as all in all the film isn't that bad and although it's not brilliant by any stretch of the imagination, it's still entertaining and the kids will love it.

As with most of the bringing cartoons to life films, the plot is secondary to the actual fact of getting the previously 2 dimensional characters into real figures and certainly in this film the plot is a little suspect at times.

As for the actual characters themselves you have three outstanding performances in Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini as Shaggy and Velma respectively, who capture perfectly not only the actions of their characters but display two of the finest vocal impressions ever. The other outstanding performance is the CGI Scooby who is beautifully animated and fitted with the real life action. Sarah Michelle Gellar is limp and added for purely visual reasons, yes Daphne was the girly heroine of the gang, but she was never that wimpy! Worse of the bunch by a huge mile is Freddie Prinze Jnr who is simply awful as Fred. Not only has he recreated Fred's character into a posturing vain empty head, he doesn't even do it very well.

All in all this is a good fun film, and funnily enough all my children, who were never brought up on a Saturday morning TV diet of Scooby Doo as I was, love it immensely and return to it again and again.


Hmmm... it's okay   May 27, 2005
  1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This film could have been SO much better...
Think of how sharp, witty and watchable Monsters, Inc. was; why didn't the writers read the same script- writing guide as those guys? There are many jokes, they are just of the make- you- chuckle- once type, instead of raising a laugh again and again. The writers have gone for quantity of gags rather than quality. However, being of a childish bent I did laugh heartily at the farting contest. Probably because I'm British though...
Like many other reviewers, I agree that Matthew Lillard was seemingly born for the role as Shaggy, and is just voice- perfect. All of the main characters make an OK job of their parts, but I couldn't help thinking that Freddie Prinze Jr. just didn't sit right as the original idea of Fred from the cartoons.
My main problem is with Scooby; with the whole world of CGI at their fingertips, they came up with a rather amateurish- looking creation which didn't charm me at all. I was particularly irritated that the animators gave him 'pricked' ears; it made him look less lovable than the cartoon Scooby and this barbaric ear cutting practice is illegal in Britain. I know it's a cartoon dog but it just looked wrong and the thought that Scooby himself had been given 'pricked' ears made me rather sad! Anyway, I digress; if you have kids they'll love it, though if they are of a delicate constitution they might find the monsters a bit scary. My daughter adores both Scooby- Doo films; but hey, she IS three.


Failed.   June 8, 2004
  3 out of 6 found this review helpful

First of all, my apologies, as this review is based entirely on my personal hopes of what this movie was going to deliver. Other viewers may have found lots of their expectations realised on the screen, but sadly, mine weren't.

The makers of the Scooby Doo movie didn't really have to get a lot of things right to make this film a real laugh, yet they managed to do everything wrong. I was really looking forward to seeing my favourite cartoon come to life, but they messed up on all the basic rules of this classic show. First off, the main characters all only have one set of clothes, but the costume designers for the film couldn't even stick to the simple designs of the cartoon, instead they went for hopeless approximations that just look ill-fitting and careless. Worst offender is Daphne, done up in all sorts of lurid fashions and hairdos, looking nothing like the animated original. Same goes for poor Velma with that odd long lanky brown wig and shapeless sweater. Even Fred had several changes of costume and the wrong hairdo. Only Shaggy came across as the real deal, which is probably more of a tribute to Matthew Lillard's dedication rather than the designers.
Next rule: There must always be a chase down a never-ending hallway with the same scenery going past over and over again. I think there were some chases in the movie, but nothing that brought this much loved (and much lampooned in the past) feature to the forefront where it should have been (Unless it was during a sequence when I dozed off).
Next rule: The monsters must be dumb and easily fooled. Most monsters in the cartoon just went "Graaagghh!" and swiped their arms in thin air as Scooby and co. slipped away from them just in time. The movie monsters are actually quite frightening demons that fly through the air, taking possession of innocent holidaymakers. Frightening is good, but it doesn't belong in this context.

Another thing that spoils the mood is surrounding the characters with hundreds of extras and other actors. It just shows up the implausibility of the whole gang ever passing for real people. This could have worked hilariously as a parody (a device that worked beautifully for the Brady Bunch Movie), but here it just makes the characters look thoroughly underdeveloped. They can't possibly interact with naturalistic "real-life" characters, only with similarly 2-dimensional ciphers like cackling crones, disgruntled sherrifs or sinister butlers.
Next up, the characterisation. Again, Matthew Lillard steals the show as Shaggy, and truly breathes life into the part. Fred and Velma are boring and under developed, but that kind of reflects the cartoon, so no big deal there, although Velma could have been given more to get her teeth into. Worst of all, again, is Daphne, demonstrated by the insertion of the blatantly inappropriate "Daphne does martial arts" sequence. If Sarah Michelle Gellar can't stay away from playing Buffy, she shouldn't be considered for other movies. She certainly shouldn't bring the character with her. A huge mistake. Finally, Scooby Doo himself. Considering the possible options for bringing a talking dog to life, the movie version is actually quite successful. I thought the interplay between Scooby and the human mambers of the gang worked pretty well, and his character really came through. Shame that the animators decided to give him those bizarre big, bright, human style eyes which the cartoon version never sported. Weird and a bit creepy.

As the the plot, its just far too busy. Anything and everything is thrown in making it clear that the makers could not decide what angle they were going for. They dabble in playing it true to the cartoon (very, very briefly), playing it for modern (Animal House-type) laughs, playing it as a parody, and playing it as a "what if the characters went in this direction?" kind of update. Too many styles, no substance and no chance for the audience to engage with any one mood. A real mess.
As I said at the start, this is only my personal disappointment. I can't tell if other moviegoers had a similar experience, and lots of people seem to have found the film to be a riot. But as far as I'm concerned, it's a serious letdown and a huge wasted opportunity. I'm now waiting to see the second one to see if any of this gets put right...I really hope it does.


Scooby Dooby Boo Hoo   March 10, 2004
  2 out of 4 found this review helpful

I hated this film and I normally enjoy films like this. I found the character of Shaggy the sole entertaining thing in this movie. I think the casting director of this movie should have done better. Although Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michelle Gellar provide the star power, their acting left much to be desired as did the character of Velma. I remain unimpressed by the computer generated Scooby character although the plot twist at the end of the movie is a genuine surprise.