Scooby-Doo (2002)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Raja Gosnell

Writers (WGA):

James Gunn (screenplay)
Craig Titley (story) ...

Release Date:

14 June 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Mystery

Tagline:

Zoinks!

Plot:

After an acrimonious break up, the Mystery Inc. gang are individually brought to an island resort to investigate strange goings on.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Resort | Amusement Park | Scooby Doo | Conquer The World

Awards:

3 wins & 7 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Freddie Prinze Jr.	...	Fred
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Daphne
Matthew Lillard	...	Shaggy
Linda Cardellini	...	Velma
Rowan Atkinson	...	Mondavarious
Isla Fisher	...	Mary Jane
Miguel A. Núñez Jr.	...	Voodoo Maestro (as Miguel A. Nunez Jr.)
Steven Grives	...	N' Goo Tuana
Charles Stan Frazier	...	Sugar Ray (as Stan Frazier)
Craig Bullock	...	Sugar Ray (as DJ Homicide)
Matthew Murphy Karges	...	Sugar Ray (as Murphy Karges)
Mark McGrath	...	Sugar Ray
Rodney Sheppard	...	Sugar Ray
Sam Greco	...	Zarkos
Charles Cousins	...	Velma's Friend

Also Known As:

Scooby Doo (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some rude humor, language and some scary action.

Runtime:

Argentina:88 min | Germany:86 min | Spain:89 min | USA:86 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS (8 channels) | DTS

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Malaysia:U | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Austria:10 | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:6 | India:U | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:8 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG (Approved No. 39055)

Filming Locations:

Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The director, Raja Gosnell wanted a real life couple to play Daphne and Fred. His first choice was Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Fred comes in the woods with Daphne's voice, he's carrying Daphne's handbag. When they see the voodoo man for the second time, Fred is no longer carrying the handbag.

Quotes:

[Scooby accidentally hits Shaggy in the face while displaying karate movements]
Shaggy: Hey, Hong Kong Fooey. Watch the fists of fury.

Movie Connections:

Remake of "Scooby Doo, Where Are You!" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Rock da Juice

Just like the cartoon

First...my qualifications: I have been watching Scooby now for over 20 years. I am afraid I'm not quite old enough to have been around when it first debuted. My friends say I am a fanatic and I keep enough Scooby paraphenalia around my desk that people say it's closer to a shrine.

The reason why it's important to remember all of this is because I write this review more than a little biased. However, I can say in all honesty that I LOVED the movie. I thought everyone involved did a pretty good job at keeping it true to its roots, and that's what I liked the most. Personally, I think that producing a Scooby-Doo movie puts someone at odds between making a movie that mimics a Scooby cartoon, or making a movie that will appeal to a wide audience. The two are just not the same.

If you look at what most people feel is 'classic' Scooby-Doo, you get cartoons are that corny, low-production, and have a very thin plot. They are for the most part, mindless romps into a world of men in masks, and teenagers with their talking dog, gallivanting across the world solving the same old mysteries. The locales and names may change, but it's pretty much the same old story. What we love about them, and why a 28 year old man still stops flipping channels when I find Scooby, is that simply put, we love that dog and his fellow cohorts. We like watching Scoob and Shag munch down an entire pizza in two seconds, or seeing Scooby steal the soda from the rest of the gang. And most importantly, we love Scooby for all the corniness, lame jokes and disguises. This is a dog everyone would love to own, just don't put your sandwich down in front of him.

That really doesn't translate to a Hollywood blockbuster. My most important consideration for the Scooby-Doo movie was whether or not they would keep that good, clean, wholesome image, and in all honesty, they do. There are a few adult jokes, but this is a family movie and if you put too much into adult themes, complex story lines, and character development, you would definitely disappoint the real Scooby fans, who will continue to watch the movies and cartoons long after this movie has had its run.

If I take out my bias of Scooby, I must admit that I don't think this movie would stand on its own. It's a fun eighty-seven minute flick, but it's kind of shallow and there are too many inside jokes to truly enjoy it. The bottom line is, if you like classic Scooby-Doo, you'll probably love the film, however if you didn't like the Scooby-Doo cartoon, you won't like the movie. It still gets a 10 in my book, but it's a 10 based on my interpretation of Scooby, without him, it's only about a 5.