Considering all the old TV shows that have been remade for the big screen ("The Addams Family", "The Brady Bunch Movie", "The Flinstones", etc.), it was only a matter of time before Scooby and the gang were featured in a big budget film. Unfortunately, the end product is little more than a routine episode of Scooby-Doo (in live action), except it is 86 minutes long and cost over $80 million to make. I have always been a fan of most of the Scooby-Doo series (not a hardcore fanatic, mind you, but a casual fan). Even today, I find most of the episodes (excluding those featuring the ANNOYING Scrappy-Doo) to be enjoyable in a mindless sort of way. However, as I watched "Scooby-Doo" the movie, I knew there was something missing. It had all the basic elements of Scooby-Doo, but none of the innocent charm that made the original series so fun to watch. I guess I shouldn't have been too disappointed about this movie (considering how difficult it must have been to remake a 33-year-old cartoon show as a major Hollywood film), but so much more could have been done.
Some other notes about "Scooby-Doo":
-the best part of the movie was easily Matthew Lillard. His impression of Shaggy was dead-on, from the look of the character to the voice and mannerisms. I'll bet he made Casey Kasem (voice of the original Shaggy) proud.
-the visual effects were impressive, as well as the special effects. Then again, the film (with no real A-list stars) cost $84 million to make, so it should have looked good.
-I thought the CGI Scooby looked very good, considerng there was nothing else the producers could have done to make him look realistic in a non-animated film (Large animatronic puppet? Person in an oversized Scooby suit? No way). I only wish that Don Messick had lived long enough to provide Scooby's voice for this movie. Messick was *THE* voice of Scooby-Doo, and he cannot be replaced by anyone.
-was the farting contest between Scooby and Shaggy really necessary? I know little kids (the target audience for this movie) would find it really funny, and the use of gross-out humor (a la "American Pie") is widespread in comedies today. But I thought this was a little bit too much.
-I don't understand why Freddie Prinze Jr. is so popular (true, he is young and good-looking, but there are so many other actors who fit in those two categories). Honestly, Prinze is a wooden, charmless actor who has no real onscreen presence. Only Prinze could screw up in the role of Fred (who is SUPPOSED to be bland and superficial), and just hearing him speak in this movie irritated me. Note to Freddie: your career may be red hot right now, but once your youthful looks disappear...
-Linda Cardellini is hot. That is all.
Overall, "Scooby-Doo" is not a horrible film, but watching three episodes of the original "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" would be more entertaining than watching this one movie.
Some other notes about "Scooby-Doo":
-the best part of the movie was easily Matthew Lillard. His impression of Shaggy was dead-on, from the look of the character to the voice and mannerisms. I'll bet he made Casey Kasem (voice of the original Shaggy) proud.
-the visual effects were impressive, as well as the special effects. Then again, the film (with no real A-list stars) cost $84 million to make, so it should have looked good.
-I thought the CGI Scooby looked very good, considerng there was nothing else the producers could have done to make him look realistic in a non-animated film (Large animatronic puppet? Person in an oversized Scooby suit? No way). I only wish that Don Messick had lived long enough to provide Scooby's voice for this movie. Messick was *THE* voice of Scooby-Doo, and he cannot be replaced by anyone.
-was the farting contest between Scooby and Shaggy really necessary? I know little kids (the target audience for this movie) would find it really funny, and the use of gross-out humor (a la "American Pie") is widespread in comedies today. But I thought this was a little bit too much.
-I don't understand why Freddie Prinze Jr. is so popular (true, he is young and good-looking, but there are so many other actors who fit in those two categories). Honestly, Prinze is a wooden, charmless actor who has no real onscreen presence. Only Prinze could screw up in the role of Fred (who is SUPPOSED to be bland and superficial), and just hearing him speak in this movie irritated me. Note to Freddie: your career may be red hot right now, but once your youthful looks disappear...
-Linda Cardellini is hot. That is all.
Overall, "Scooby-Doo" is not a horrible film, but watching three episodes of the original "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" would be more entertaining than watching this one movie.