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One of the biggest summer hits of 2002, Scooby-Doo: The Movie would seem to have hit the sweet spots of both young fans and nostalgic adults who grew up with the cowardly canine's TV adventures. Here they are in the flesh: self-promoting golden boy Fred (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), damsel in distress Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), brainy Velma (Linda Cardellini of the late, lamented Freaks and Geeks), snack-scarfing slacker Shaggy (an uncanny Matthew Lillard), and, of course, Scooby (albeit computer generated). The film's prologue has self-referential fun with those cartoons of yore, as the gang unmask an evildoer in time-honored slapstick fashion. But Fred's arrogant credit grabbing at last gets the best of the gang, and they disband. Two years later, they reluctantly reunite to investigate the mysterious goings-on at Spooky Island, an amusement park run by Emile Mondavarious. It would seem that Mondavarious, portrayed by the brilliant clown Rowan Atkinson, is behind a scheme that's turning party-hearty college kids into zombie-like Stepford youths. Scooby-Doo playfully spoofs its own iconography and mocks the already well known jokes that have arisen from it. At one point, suspicious smoke wafts from the Mystery mobile, while Shaggy enjoys some "primo stuff." Not to worry, he is only barbecuing veggie burgers. From '60s and '70s slapstick to a blockbuster hit, this bumbling Great Dane has come along way. Donald Liebenson

All Movie Guide

The long-running cartoon from William Hanna and Joseph Barbera that began life in 1969 as Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? becomes this live-action, tongue-in-cheek comedy-adventure featuring a computer-generated version of the easily frightened, mush-mouthed Great Dane. Freddie Prinze Jr. stars as Fred, the blonde, confident, ascot-sporting leader of Mystery Inc., a ghost-busting service that exposes phony supernatural phenomena as the work of shysters. Working with Fred are: his rich, beautiful girlfriend, Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who has a bad habit of getting kidnapped by villains; Velma (Linda Cardellini), the real brains of the group who pines secretly for Fred; cowardly slacker and dog's best friend Shaggy (Matthew Lillard); and the snack-gobbling pet pooch Scooby. However, after solving its latest case involving a beleaguered toy company owner (Pamela Anderson), the group fractures over Fred's habit of grabbing credit for everyone's hard work, despite the pleas of Shaggy and Scooby. Two years later, they are reunited at Spooky Island, a theme park and teen spring break destination that owner Emile Mondavarious (Rowan Atkinson) claims is plagued with ghosts. Suspicious as usual of any claims involving the paranormal, the Mystery Inc. clan is soon probing a scheme involving ancient rites, summoned spirits, and brainwashed college students, forcing the group members to resolve their differences and uncover the truth. Directed by Chris Columbus protégé Raja Gosnell, Scooby-Doo features the voice of Scott Innes as the title character. Karl Williams

Hollywood Reporter

It's absolutely spooky how Lillard channels the Shagster right down to the original Casey Kasem-furnished voice.

Product Details

• UPC: 085391115311
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Subtitled, Dubbed
• Time: 1:29:00
• Sales Rank: 18,318

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Scooby-Doo/Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
• Best of Blu-Ray: Family
• Scooby Doo/Scooby Doo 2

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