I'm
probably going to take a beating for this, but I'm not going to bash Scooby-Do
like most of my fellow critics. Not completely anyway. Why? Because I feel there
is a valid reason to sit through the film, but I'll get to that in a second.
Scooby-Doo
is, of course, based on the cartoon of the same name. And while Scooby is pretty
well known, let's face it--this animated series never reached the same sort of
success as say, The Flinstones. No, Scooby was more of a cult treasure, but a
healthy run on the Cartoon network has given the pooch new-found success and this
has lead to a healthy, first weekend at the box office despite a royal beating
from the critic circuit.
Does
this adaptation capture the spirit of the cartoon? As a whole, I'd say no. Is
it lively and good for the kids? Aside from a couple of inside drug jokes and
an outrageously lame scene involving a farting contest, I'd say it's acceptable
for all ages.
The
plot revolves around a now estranged Mystery Machine gang reuniting to solve a
mystery at a theme park. It's all pretty basic and with exception of the identity
of the bad guy (a sly little wink at Scooby fans), the storyline really falls
flat.
Scooby-Doo
the movie isn't particularly memorable. It's not well written at all and director
Raja Gosnell (Big Mamma's House) does nothing to elevate the material. Freddie
Prinze Jr. is an absolute bore (what else is new) as Freddy and that bad dye job
does nothing to help matters. As Daphne, Sarah Michelle Gellar is no prize either.
She only seems to be here to attract fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Linda Cardellini
(from TV's Freaks and Geeks) is a decent Velma but other actresses could have
done the same thing. None of these actors seem to bring the essence of their characters
to life, and since that is the primary reason to see a cartoon turned movie, I
doubt if many will be terribly impressed.
Scooby
himself is another CGI effect but ten minutes into the movie, he sort of won me
over in the same way the original Scooby did. His voice sounds the same and his
spirit is in keeping with that of the character in the original series.
So
your probably wondering why the two and a half star rating. MATTHEW LILLARD, MATTHEW
LILLARD, MATTHEW LILLARD! Like Val Kilmer was Jim Morrison in The Doors, like
Will Smith was Ali in Ali, and like Dustin Hoffman was Lenny Bruce in Lenny, Matthew
Lillard is Shaggy in Scooby-Do. You probably think I'm going overboard with my
praise but I'm really not. While Lillard is hardly in the same league as the previously
mentioned actors, he is the only performer in this picture that really seems to
be making an effort. Of all the cartoons to make the transition to live action
films, Lillard embodies his character best. In fact, I would sit through this
seemingly forgettable film again just to watch his performance. Not only does
he have the energy and the mannerisms down but somehow he's managed to get Casey
Kasem's voice down perfect. I'm not accustomed to giving a movie two more stars
because of a performance, but with Scooby, I'm making an exception.
Thanks
to Lillard, Scooby-Doo was not the disaster I thought it was going to be.
