Review: Scooby-Doo (2002).

Scooby-Doo (2002) Dir. Raja Gosnell, Written by James Gunn.

[Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini.]

Of all the films I have and will review, Scooby-Doo (2002) may be unbeatable! This is a film for all occasions; something you can watch with the family, day or night, with a joint and a bowl of popcorn.

This is my first review of a classified adventure comedy and it would be criminal to take this review too seriously. I think we should have fun with it but, we will also take a thorough look at what makes Scooby-Doo such a successful staple of comfort movies.

Let’s go!

This casting is surely one for the ages! The cast shares a chemistry that is both palpable and provides a wide range of interactions and reactions when the characters experience interpersonal conflict.

There is a will-they-wont-they between Fred and Daphne. We can feel the confusion and longing on both ends. This chemistry is so strong because the director, Raja Gosnell, wanted Fred and Daphne to be played by a real-life couple. His first choice was Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr, who are still married with children today.

This is where we give a special shoutout to our King, Matthew Lillard. He committed so methodically to the role of Shaggy, unbelievably successful at creating a bond and believable back-and-forth with Scooby. Considering Scooby was actually a man bravely dressed in a green suit, it is even more impressive that Lillard was able to engage so naturally, executing such realism that it is easy to forget that Scooby is not real (shocker! I know.). Name ONE time Matthew Lillard breaks character… You cannot.

The storyline is playful but maintains a well-paced plot that has you hooked even before

the Gang arrives at Spooky Island. Instead of introducing us to the implied cohesiveness and success of Mystery Inc., the opening scene shatters this by exposing the struggles and disagreements that oft interfere with saving the day.

We are seeing Mystery Inc. at their wit's end, blaming one another for their lack of communication and their errors in accomplishing the task of capturing OlD mAn SmItHeRs!?

So, before we get the chance to experience Mystery Inc. in all its glory, we have to watch the Gang split up, literally going their separate ways… also, why did each member have their own car in the parking lot? Wouldn’t it have been easier to carpool?

Jumping two years forward, the Gang are still separated (if you’re interested in what they got up to during the break, there is a reel of deleted scenes, and I highly recommend taking a look here). For the lazier readers (I get it), some examples are Daphne becoming a black belt, Velma working for Nasa and attending group therapy, and Fred becoming the author of the number one best seller, ‘Fred on Fred: The Many Faces of Fred.’ It’s laughable, honestly.

The Gang is reunited after each individual receives an invitation to help solve a mystery on the vibey, popular spring-break location of Spooky Island (foreshadowing?). With great disappointment, Fred, Velma, and Daphne make it clear that the Gang is not getting back together. In fact, they intend to solve the mystery alone. Poor Shaggy and

Scooby don’t feel the same way as they have always believed in the power of Mystery Inc., easily seeing the positives and simply enjoying the comradery and friendship.

Arriving on the island, the Gang are greeted by the owner and oddity, Emil Mondavarious. (Rowan Atkinson.) who informs them that something strange has been happening to the college students. They are arriving at the island as boisterous party animals but leaving as reserved, well-behaved students- with literally glowing green eyes and superstrength, you guys.

Using their newfound skills, the Gang split up and attempt to get to the bottom of things. We soon learn that this period of separation has provided many opportunities for each member’s character development.

No, seriously. The overarching theme of Scooby-Doo (2002) is individuality and self-discovery and how vital these developments are to creating a successful group dynamic. Without each member embracing their importance within Mystery Inc., all hopes of a reunion will be slim-to-none.

Mystery Inc. has become a rumination of members who feel unworthy, disregarded and undermined by one another. Nobody feels secure or appreciated and there is no distinction between skills, zero praise, and a mirroring of insecurities and inner conflicts. This results in discourse.

Fred, most admired by the public, struggles with confronting his inflated ego. Fred’s desire to be the leader is overshadowed by his good looks and charisma, but he feels that Velma doesn’t take him seriously. On his own, Fred is challenged to stop combating his insecurities with falsified cockiness. Suddenly, he learns that sometimes his ideas aren't the best and it's okay to rely on and trust the other members to take the reins.

“Listen man, someone must have spiked my root beer last night. Talk me down man, talk me down.” – Fred to Shaggy.

Also, I have to note that like Daphne, Fred is a gay icon. In fact, Freddie Prinze Jr thought Fred was gay, a true ally. I think it’s because of the pretty face and the ascots. He is the original Ken from Barbie, just less lumo and fur.

Just as Fred feels his skills are being discarded by Velma, she feels the same about him. With the confirmation of the public loving and adoring Fred, she is less inclined to consider that his suggestions or plans may be successful. With the intensity of Fred’s ego, Velma doubles down on her stubbornness, anxious to prove that her own skills are just as important if not more than Fred’s.

“Kinda makes you nostalgic for the homicidal creatures, doesn't it?” – Velma.

Velma doesn’t vie for Fred’s affection but her insecurities and struggles with low self-esteem cause her to compare Fred’s interest in Daphne to his dismissal of her intelligence. To Velma, Daphne is less helpful and likely to be chosen by Fred as a partner, causing her to further question her self worth.

“Hey! Dorky chicks like you turn me on, too.” – Fred to Velma.

This resentment is actually just miscommunication and insecurity on both parts. Fred and Velma have strong personalities and opinions, something that could complement and take pressure off one another. This fixation on their skills being inadequate contributes to the insecurities of Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby.

By focusing on each other, Fred and Velma treat the rest of the Gang as secondary members. Often going as far as to reprimand Daphne for being a damsel in distress and Shaggy and Scooby for being too stupid to successfully complete a task. These become the biggest roadblocks in their self-esteem, so much so that Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby believe that they are nothing more than these stereotypes, often mentioning how useless, unhelpful, and what a hindrance they are.

Daphne is plagued with the fear that the Gang is right about her being merely a pretty face. Whenever she has attempted to be of further assistance, it usually goes haywire. This is partially because the Gang don’t take her seriously, they do not embrace her help and instead of creating a space for her skills, Daphne is left on her own- this is when she tends to get captured, tied up etc.

“Those creatures are taking over the world? That is so mean.” – Daphne.

Besides the fact that Daphne is a style icon and the creator of the colour purple, she uses her femininity and interest in ‘girly’ things like makeup and fashion to help the group out of sticky situations. Her sternness counters her ‘pretty face’ and demands that people take her seriously. Daphne sticks to her guns throughout the film and ambitiously proves her duality until the group are forced to see her in a new, appreciative light.

Shaggy and Scooby have branded themselves as the loveable, clumsy and often clueless duo. They keep the energy from getting too solemn but often find themselves distracted or stumbling into danger due to their lack of seriousness about solving the mystery. This is because they already feel useless within the dynamic even before entering the location.

“We don't go anywhere with 'scary', 'spooky', 'haunted', or 'forbidden' in the title.”

“Ror hydrochronic.”

“Right. Or hydrochloric, but that's for a whole different reason, man.” – Shaggy & Scooby.

Shaggy and Scooby refuse the invitation to Spooky Island, even after being offered $10,000. Literally, the only thing that convinces them is the promise of unlimited food. Legends! After sneaking Scooby onto the plane by dressing him as a grandma, Shaggy meets Mary-Jane, “Like, that’s my favourite name!” and this is the beginning of the unintentional rift of the duo.

Mary-Jane not only appreciates Shaggy but takes an interest in his fun, charismatic personality. She matches his energy and even loves Scooby Snax, proof that she is a certified queen. Even though Mary-Jane is just as kind to Scooby, her presence unintentionally distracts Shaggy and Scooby is often alone throughout the film.

But, this does give us a chance to see Shaggy outside the group dynamic. He is valiant and brave as he impresses and protects Mary-Jane and Scooby when the demon-thingys become a true threat. Without the fearlessness of the group, Shaggy is challenged to take the lead, discovering that he is more courageous than he thought and can offer more than just clumsy cowardice.

"Are you... Challenging me?" - Shaggy to Scooby.

Scooby is the first to witness the monsters in their true form but when he presents this information to Shaggy, he is dismissed and implied to be lying. With a combination of the offer of a bag of hamburgers, a tray of Scooby Snax and the promise of being a sacrifice to the Gods, Scooby and his innocent, trusting personality is kidnapped- none-the-wiser might I add.

“I’ve got a call for a Mister Doo.”

“Melvin Doo?”

“No, Scooby.”

It doesn’t take long for the Gang to individually gather some clues, leading them all to the same haunted castle. This goes awry and the entire house becomes a death zone. Giant spinning blades, swinging axes, strangling sausages and evil henchmen.

Unintentionally, the gang have to help one another to escape. They naturally fall back into the groove and cohesively gather remaining clues. But the Gang is still too stubborn to acknowledge the success of escaping and only blame each other and stray further.

There is this sense that if a mystery becomes dangerous and messy, whether it is a success or not, the Gang is incapable of being satisfied with its survival. Instead of celebrating success, they point fingers at things not going smoothly. In reality, solving mysteries will never be a clean job. They are facing monsters (or people pretending to be) and things will certainly get messy. This doesn’t take away from the fact that they always solve the mystery and save the day.

Shaggy is thrown in the deep end when the monsters are unleashed and capture Fred, Velma, Daphne, Scooby, and Mary-Jane. Their essences are removed from their bodies, I cannot make this shit up.

Instead of cowering away, Shaggy goes full throttle and does his damnedest to help his friends. Shaggy proves that he lives by the philosophy of ‘friends don’t quit’. This mantra is something the others lack, rendering Shaggy the most successful member of the team.

With the aid of Shaggy, the Gang- mar Scooby- is freed and decides to unite as a team once more, coming up with a plan to save Scooby. (Btw, Scooby was chosen to be a sacrifice by Mondavarious- the revealed villain- purely because Scooby has the purest soul on earth. Honestly.)

The climax of this film is epic. The stakes are high, the Gang’s plan falls apart early on, each member is forced to rely on one another more than ever, and there is an incredible dance scene to top it all off. We finally get to see Mystery Inc. at its finest: trusting both their own skills and the skills of the other members, working with cohesion and determination.

And then, right when we think we’ve seen it all, we are gifted with the greatest plot twist since The Emperor Strikes Back. It turns out that Mondavarious isn’t who we say he is. Instead, he is the notorious, hot-headed and honestly demonic little Great Dane….. Scrappy Dappy Doo.

“He wasn’t even a puppy. He had a gland disorder.” – Velma about Scrappy Doo.

In true Mystery Inc. fashion, through many mishaps, injuries, and dumb luck, the Gang

successfully defeat Scrappy Doo, save Scooby and in turn, free the visitors of Spooky Island. Instead of arguing over the parts that went wrong, the Gang celebrate the success that is simply saving the day.

When Fred is asked how he solved the case he turns to Velma and asks her to take the lead. The Gang is better than they were before, proving that self-discovery and self-assurance are vital for Mystery Inc.'s Gang to succeed.

This movie had me laughing, laughing harder, and wondering how much a ticket to Spooky Island costs… monsters included.

“Friends don’t quit, Scoob.”