One of the most highly anticipated releases of 2002, the live-action version of 'Scooby Doo' was grilled by the critics, and perhaps unfairly so. Credit must go to the casting director who picked the perfect cast to portray Fred, Velma, Daphne, and especially Shaggy. Matthew Lillard's portrayal of Shaggy is dead-on, and he easily rescues any dull spots in the script. Linda Cardellini's Velma is also near perfect, and quite enjoyable as well as appealing. The computer generated Scooby-Doo is not half-bad, and the overall feeling of the movie is that great time and care was given to the special effects. Unfortunately, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze, Jr. fall flat as Daphne and Fred. Prinze, the king of bad movie choices, is particularly annoying. Their interpretations of the classic Hanna-Barbera characters are beefed up for this movie, and become tiresome. Sadly, British actor Rowan Atkinson (of 'Mr. Bean' fame) is totally wasted. His character never gets a chance to develop, which is a mystery within itself. While the plot could have been better, the film is executed very well. The Spooky Island atmosphere is eclectic and colorful, with an amazing amount of detail. While the script is not the greatest, the 86-minute flick does not let up for a minute. What makes the movie either appealing or pathetic is the fact that bathroom humor is sprinkled throughout the movie. It can be hysterically funny (Shaggy and Scooby-Doo's burping/farting contest is hysterical), but children who were expecting the cartoon humor will be caught offguard. Another plot screw-up is the idea of the five-some angrily splitting up in the beginning. The audience is fully aware that the group (dubbed 'Mystery, Inc.') will get back together to solve the mystery, so the first ten minutes of the movie is wasted as the viewer waits inpatiently for the group to reunite. If the movie bombed at the box office, is does not seem to matter, since 'Scooby-Doo 2' is due for a 2004 release. Hopefully, the writers will tie up some loose ends (and replace Prinze), and make the next installment of what looks to be an ongoing series, better than the first.
Review of Scooby-Doo
