Rich On Scooby

Rich On Reception goes to the movies

Somebody once said that you know you've grown up when you're better than your Dad at most things. Now I experienced this at the age of six so I've needed to find another way to gauge my manhood.

Was it the day I left school? The day I passed my driving test? The day I first found out what my special purpose was? It was none of these things really.

I failed all the important exams, I regularly crash my car and, indeed, my girlfriend left me.

I do think however, I realised I had grown up when I went to watch a kids' film at the cinema and realised it was clearly not aimed at me anymore. After that I wasn't interested in going to see anything that was rated below a 12.

Crossing the divide

Every now and then a film comes along that will try and cross the parent/ child divide, sometimes successfully (Toy Story) but, more often than not, unsuccessfully (Cats And Dogs). If it works, then it's a goldmine so they keep on trying. With Scooby-Doo, though, they had no choice.

The cartoon was at its peak in popularity back when my generation were kids, and these day Pokemon and Japanese manga artwork seems to be saturating the cartoon schedules. So pleasing the older element of the audience is essential this time and, for a few fleeting moments, the people who have brought us the latest cartoon-to-big-screen transfer managed to do just that.

We join 'the gang' in the middle of what would ordinarily be the end of any episode of the cartoon series. Having caught a ghost and unmasked him, 'the gang' have a bust-up, quit the team and go their separate ways. Soon enough however, they re-team to solve a mystery on a theme park island where monsters are apparently brain-washing the teenage visitors.

Classic Scooby premise

It's a classic Scooby premise, but getting it to last over the course of 90 minutes is a tall order so we are treated to a bit of character development, something obviously never attempted in the cartoons.

Now I personally don't think it works like that. I mean, Daphne was always fit, second only to Betty Rubble, but she wasn't stupid. Velma was never really aware that she was the least attractive cartoon character this side of Venger in Dungeons and Dragons.

So when we discover just 10 minutes in, that Fred is cool, calm and collected but lacking his cartoon intelligence, it's obvious the two-dimensional drawings and characterisations of the good old days are too simple for a Hollywood movie.

Credit, though, to the writers, because the story is there and they made a decision to amplify the characters and they stuck to it. Only Rowan Atkinson's Park Owner lacks any real thought, which is a shame because there's a man who can make anybody of any age laugh if he tries, as opposed to when he's thinking about the moment the pay cheque drops through the letter box.

Shaggy brilliant

Now the simplistic story and character clashes give the film its base, but it really only makes it through the day thanks to the two characters who ran the cartoons.

Matthew Lillard's turn as Shaggy is ridiculously brilliant. The voice is borderline genius, and the physical actions couldn't have been closer to the mark. The CGI Scooby is perfect too. The voice is right, the look is right and, most importantly, the humour is right.

While Fred, Daphne and Velma slug it out in the slapstick stakes, Scooby and Shaggy are referencing drugs and generally keeping the adults and kids entertained alike. The reason the rest of the cast probably didn't nail their characters to the extent of Shaggy is down to the fact that the film characters are not a great deal like the cartoon anyway, although Gellar looked amazing and Prinze Jr was convincing as Fred.

Velma fanciable

The main error with Velma was that at one point, I fancied her. And you're really not supposed to fancy Velma.

As a film outside of the whole cartoon thing, there's a lot to complain about. Following the trend of popcorn movies, none of the scenes last particularly long and conversations are ridiculously short. And quite why there is a host of cameos throughout is beyond me. It certainly didn't make the film any better, and came across as a desperate attempt to fill the running time.

I was laughing at most of the Shaggy/ Scooby jokes but that was about it - unlike the majority of the audience, who saw the funny side of the more obvious stuff. Especially the girl three rows behind who was laughing at everything. I could tell I needed my sidearm when she creased up at the bit before the film where they ask you to turn your mobiles off.

Childhood memories

Maybe she was planted there by the studio, and sits in every performance laughing maniacally in order to convince us the film really is that funny.

In terms of recommending it, I'd say you should see it only if you're predetermined to enjoy it. It's basic and instantly forgettable with the odd moment of comic genius. The main problem being that it's torn between adult and child humour without ever really being one or the other.

Go and see it for the sake of childhood memories and Shaggy's touching relationship with a CGI dog but remember that as much as it really needs to cross that divide, Scooby Don't.

Rich
Sky Unit 2 Reception
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