| Scooby-Doo | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Raja Gosnell |
| Screenplay by | James Gunn |
| Story by |
|
| Based on | |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | David Eggby |
| Edited by | Kent Beyda |
| Music by | David Newman |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $84 million[2] |
| Box office | $275.7 million[2] |
Scooby-Doo (also known asScooby-Doo: The Movie) is a 2002 Americanmysteryadventurecomedyhorror film[3] produced byMosaic Media Group and based onthe long-running animated franchise. The first installment in theScooby-Doo live-action film series, the film was directed byRaja Gosnell from a screenplay byJames Gunn, and starsFreddie Prinze Jr.,Sarah Michelle Gellar,Matthew Lillard,Linda Cardellini andRowan Atkinson.Neil Fanning provides the voice of the titular character. The plot revolves around Mystery Incorporated, a group of four young adults and a talkingGreat Dane who solve mysteries, who reunite after a two-year disbandment to investigate a mystery at a popular horror-themed tropical island resort.
Filmed in and aroundQueensland,Australia, on a budget of $84 million,[4]Scooby-Doo was released byWarner Bros. Pictures on June 14, 2002, and grossed $275 million worldwide.Reggae artistShaggy and rock groupMxPx performed different versions of theScooby-Doo, Where Are You! theme song. TheScooby-Doo Spooky Coaster, a ride based on the film, was built atWarner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Queensland, in 2002. The film received generally negative reviews from critics. A sequel,Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, was released on March 26, 2004.
AfterMystery, Inc. solves the mystery of the Luna Ghost at a toy factory, long-brewing friction betweenFred Jones, the self-obsessed glory hog,Daphne Blake, who has become tired of being the damsel in distress, andVelma Dinkley, from whom Fred regularly steals credit for her plans, causes the gang to break into a heated argument. Subsequently, they disband, abandoning a dismayedScooby-Doo andShaggy Rogers, and leaving them to care for the gang's van, the Mystery Machine.
Two years later, they are all invited to solve a mystery on a horror-themed tropical resort named "Spooky Island" at the behest of owner Emile Mondavarious, who believes the guests have fallen under a demonic curse. While Shaggy and Scooby hope this will bring the gang back together, Velma, Fred, and Daphne each intend to solve the mystery on their own. Velma attends a ritualistic performance given by actor N'Goo Tuana and his henchman, famousluchador Zarkos. N'Goo claims ancient demons once ruled the island, but have been plotting revenge ever since they were displaced by the resort. Meanwhile, Shaggy falls for a girl named Mary Jane, who isallergic to dogs, distancing himself from Scooby in the process.
The gang are led separately to the resort's haunted house ride, and they decide to get along for the time being; they split up and search for clues. Fred and Velma discover a film that educates inhuman creatures about human culture, while Daphne finds a pyramid-shaped artifact called the "Daemon Ritus". Later, at the resort's hotel, Fred, Velma, and Mondavarious are kidnapped and possessed by the island's demons. Mary Jane calls the Coast Guard for help, but the radio operators have been possessed. The next day, after Scooby tries and fails to tell Shaggy that Mary Jane is secretly possessed by a demon, the two have a falling-out that results in Scooby-Doo going missing as well; Zarkos steals back the Daemon Ritus from Daphne, who is also captured and possessed.
Shaggy searches for his friends underground and finds a vat ofprotoplasm containing the souls of all those possessed. He frees the souls of Daphne, Fred, and Velma, who quickly discover that sunlight destroys the demons. A local voodoo priest informs the gang the demons are to perform their "Darpokalypse" Ritual, which will see them rule the world for ten thousand years if a pure soul is sacrificed in the Daemon Ritus. The gang realizes that the pure soul is that of Scooby, whom Mondavarious was ultimately after. Finally realizing their mistake, Fred, Daphne, and Velma put aside their differences for good and team up with Shaggy to save Scooby and the world.
The gang infiltrates the ritual, where Mondavarious is foiled in sacrificing Scooby's soul by Shaggy. Mondavarious turns out to be a robot controlled by Scooby's estranged nephewScrappy-Doo, who has been plotting revenge on the gang for being abandoned long ago due to his increasingly power-hungry and egomaniacal nature. Absorbing the tourists' souls, Scrappy transforms into a giant monster and tries to kill the gang. Daphne knocks Zarkos into the vat, tipping it over and returning most of the other souls to their bodies, then reflects sunlight through a skull-shapeddisco ball, killing the released demons. Shaggy frees the rest of the souls, reversing Scrappy's transformation in the process, and finds the real Mondavarious, having been captured and replaced by Scrappy. Scrappy and his henchmen are arrested, and Mystery, Inc. reunites.
Neil Fanning voices the titular character,Scooby-Doo.Scott Innes reprises his role as the voice ofScrappy-Doo andJ. P. Manoux voices Scrappy Rex.Sam Greco portrays Zarkos; Steven Grieves portrays N'Goo Tuana;Kristian Schmid portrays Brad; andMichala Banas portrays Carol.
Additionally,Holly Brisley appears as a Training Video Woman.Frank Welker andJess Harnell voice the creatures.Sugar Ray,Pamela Anderson, andNicholas Hope appeared in cameo roles.
ProducerCharles Roven began developing a live-action treatment ofScooby-Doo in 1994. By the end of the decade, the combined popularity ofScooby-Doo, Where Are You!, along with the addition of the script and updated digital animation, led Warner Bros. to fast track production of the film.[5]Mike Myers was reported to be co-writing the screenplay withJay Kogan in July 1998, and was later on board to play Shaggy as well.[6][7] In October 2000, the film was officially given the green light.Variety reported that Raja Gosnell had been hired to direct the film.[8]
The film was shot on location in and around Queensland, Australia. Production was started on February 12, 2001, at theWarner Bros. Movie World theme park,[5][9] with over 400 cast and crew also taking overTangalooma Island Resort for six weeks to film all the scenes set on Spooky Island.[10] Production wrapped in June 2001. The film was originally set to have a much darker tone, essentially poking fun at the original series, much likeThe Brady Bunch Movie, and was set for a PG-13 rating. Shaggy was set to be a stoner, and there were many marijuana references.[11]
Several rumors about these aspects in the original cartoon series were passed around by fans of the original and were to be incorporated into the live-action film.[12] In March 2001, one month into filming, the first official cast picture was released.[13]
According toSarah Michelle Gellar, after the cast had signed on there was a change, and the film became more family-friendly, though some of the original adult jokes are still in the film. They are also included in deleted scenes on the home media releases.[14] Gellar said her character andLinda Cardellini's shared an onscreen kiss that did not make the final film. "It wasn't just, like, for fun," she said, explaining it took place in the body-switching scene. "Initially in the soul-swapping scene, Velma and Daphne couldn't seem to get their souls back together in the woods. And so the way they found was to kiss, and the souls went back into proper alignment."[15]
In 2017, the 15th anniversary of the release of the film,James Gunn, the film's screenwriter, revealed in aFacebook post that there was an R-rated cut ofScooby-Doo and that CGI was used to remove cleavage of the female cast members.[16][17][18][19]
ActorsFreddie Prinze Jr. andSarah Michelle Gellar, who both previously worked together inI Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and portray Fred and Daphne, are romantically involved in both the film and reality. This film marks the first time in the franchise's history where the characters are portrayed as a couple. The pair married shortly after the film was released. Prinze said of his character, "[He] always showed more arrogance than everyone else. So in the movie, I took the opportunity to make him as narcissistic and self-loving as possible."[20]
Jim Carrey was originally attached to play Shaggy, whileMike Myers also expressed interest in the role.[5][21][22]Lochlyn Munro also auditioned for the role.[23] The role was eventually given toMatthew Lillard. When asked about watching several cartoons before playing Shaggy, Lillard responded, "Everything I could get my hands on. If I ever have to see another episode ofScooby-Doo, it will be way too soon."[24] Lillard would continue voicing Shaggy in the rest of theScooby-Doo media starting in 2010, at the request of the character's original voice actorCasey Kasem, who had stepped down due to health issues; he would also poke fun at this appearance in the following year'sLooney Tunes: Back in Action, where an animated Shaggy and Scooby voice their grievances over Lillard's portrayal during a lunch in the Warner Bros. studio cafeteria and threaten him to portray the character better in the sequel.
Isla Fisher grew up watchingScooby-Doo in Australia, and said that the "best part of making this movie was being part of an institution, something that has been in people's childhoods and is something that means a lot to a lot of people."[24]Linda Cardellini was also a fan of theScooby-Doo series.[25]
Principal photography began on February 13, 2001, and wrapped on June 1, 2001.[26] Filming took place throughoutQueensland,Australia.[26] Spooky Island was filmed onTangalooma Island resort inMoreton Island.[27]
The film's score was composed byDavid Newman. A soundtrack was released on June 4, 2002, byAtlantic Records. It peaked at number 24 on theBillboard 200 and 49 on theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
On November 16, 2001, the first trailer ofScooby-Doo was released in theaters with the opening ofHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.[28] A second trailer debuted with the release ofIce Age andShowtime on March 15, 2002.[29]
A video game based upon the film was released forGame Boy Advance shortly before the film was released.[30] The game is played in third-person point of view and has multiple puzzle games and mini-games. The game's structure was similar to a board game.Metacritic rated it 64/100 based on five reviews, which they labeled as "mixed or average reviews".[31] Meanwhile,Dairy Queen began promoting the film with kids meal toys, frozen cakes and a limited edition Mystery Crunch Blizzard flavor.[32]
The film was released onVHS andDVD on October 11, 2002.[33] The release included deleted scenes, among them an alternate opening animated in the style of the original television series.[citation needed] It was later released onBlu-ray on January 16, 2007.[34] Said Blu-ray was given a double feature pack with its sequel,Monsters Unleashed, on November 9, 2010.[35][36]
Scooby-Doo debuted with $19.2 million on its opening day and $54.1 million over the weekend from 3,447 theaters, averaging about $15,711 per venue and ranking No. 1 at the box office aboveThe Bourne Identity.[37] At the time, it had the second-highest June opening weekend, behindAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.[38] During its theatrical run,Scooby-Doo also competed against another family-oriented film,Lilo & Stitch.[39] The film closed on October 31, 2002, with a final gross of $153 million in the United States and Canada. It made an additional $122 million in other territories, bringing the total worldwide gross to $275.7 million, making it the fifteenth most successful film worldwide of 2002.[40] The film was released in the United Kingdom on July 12, 2002, and topped the country's box office for the next two weekends, before being dethroned byAustin Powers in Goldmember.[41][42][43]
Scooby Doo received mostly negative reviews upon release.[44][45] Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 32% based on 147 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Though Lillard is uncannily spot-on as Shaggy,Scooby Doo is a tired live-action update, filled with lame jokes."[46] OnMetacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 35 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[47] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[48]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film one out of four stars, stating that the film "exists in a closed universe, and the rest of us are aliens. The Internet was invented so that you can find someone else's review ofScooby-Doo. Start surfing."[49]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone said, "Get out your pooper-scoopers.Doo happens June 14th, warn the ads forScooby-Doo. And they say there's no truth in Hollywood."[50] Chris Hewitt ofEmpire gave the film two out of five stars.[51]
Robin Rauzi of theLos Angeles Times called the film "entertainment more disposable than Hanna-Barbera's half-hour cartoons ever were."[52] Although Jay Boyar of theOrlando Sentinel said that children who liked the animated version ofScooby-Doo will "probably like" the film, he urged parents to "know that the violence is a bit harder-edged than in the cartoon version". He would later go on to say that adults who remember the cartoon version "may get caught up in what Scooby would call the 'rostalgia'", but said that "adults who do not fondly recall the Scooby-Doo cartoons are strongly advised to steer clear."[53] Robert K. Elder of theChicago Tribune gave the film 2 and 1/2 stars out of 4 and wrote, "Screenwriter James Gunn gets it mostly right, remaining fiercely faithful to Mystery Inc. mythology, from integrating Scooby's annoying nephew Scrappy-Doo to Velma's penchant for yelling 'jinkees!' Unlike the lead balloon adaptation 'Josie and the Pussycats,'Scooby-Doo knows when to take itself seriously and when to laugh at itself -- even if its audience isn't laughing along at every gag."[54]
Conversely, Hank Struever ofThe Washington Post gave the film a positive review, stating that "You don't want to love this, but you will. AlthoughScooby-Doo falls far short of becoming theBlazing Saddles of Generations X, Y and Z, it is hard to resist in its charms."[55] Meanwhile, Lillard's performance was universally praised.[45]
Gellar won theTeen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Comedy.[56] Prinze was nominated for theGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor (Razzie), but he lost toHayden Christensen forStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.[57] It was also nominated for another Razzie, Most Flatulent Teen-Targeted Movie, but lost againstJackass: The Movie. It won theKids' Choice Award for Favorite Fart in a Movie.
Following the retirement ofCasey Kasem as the voice of Shaggy, Lillard became the official voice of the character beginning withScooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated.[58][59][60] In the same series, Cardellini voiced the supporting character Hot Dog Water opposite Velma.
The film and its sequel have developed acult following since their release, mainly among enthusiasts of James Gunn's later work.[61][62]
A sequel,Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, was released in 2004. A third film was planned, but canceled after the poor critical and financial results of the second.[63]
In 2009 and 2010, twotelefilm Prequels,Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins andScooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, aired onCartoon Network. In 2018, a direct-to-video film titledDaphne & Velma, with no connection to the previousScooby-Doo films, was released.
the movie of the same name overcame an avalanche of negative reviews
Despite the film's negative reviews, Lillard's performance was universally praised
Here's a complete look at the field for the 23rd Annual Golden Raspberry Awards
