Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageScooby-Doo (2002)
Director: Raja Gosnell
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Although its breezy CGI ghosties and many fart jokes are clearly aimed at the junior audience, this live action update of Hanna-Barbera's early '70s animated TV series will be best appreciated by fans of the original. The film-makers have latched on to its mild scares, teenage sleuthing and food-obsessed canine anti-hero with unpretentious affection. While the jaunty computer-generated Scooby doesn't wholly convince, it's fun seeing humans meld into the cartoon roles. Vapid poster-boy Prinze is all too credible as cravat-sporting, self-proclaimed gangleader Fred; Gellar struggles to make flouncy Daphne more than a squealing damsel in distress; Cardellini plumbs unexpected depths of smart-girl resentment as bespectacled Velma; while Lillard is uncannily excellent as Shaggy, down to the quavery vocal inflections, dopey flower child sincerity and the telling instinct for pioneering sauce combinations. The plot? Well, you don't go to a Scooby-Doo movie for the plot. After an acrimonious split, the team reunite when they're summoned by magnate Emile Mondavarious (Atkinson, slippery but not quite sinister) to his Spooky Island resort, where dark forces are turning visitors into soulless zombies.Author: TJ
Cast & crew
Director: Raja Gosnell
Producer: Charles Roven, Richard Suckle
Cast: Freddie Prinze Jr, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Rowan Atkinson, Miguel A Nuñez Jr, Isla Fisher, Steven Grives full cast
Genre(s): Children's
Duration: 86 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Ang Lee talks 'Taking Woodstock'
Ang Lee talks to Tom Huddleston about his tale of the men behind history’s greatest music festival
Sheffield Doc/Fest round-up
Sheffield’s annual Doc/Fest is Britain’s largest documentary festival. Edward Lawrenson learnt a few new things by taking the train north.
Hippies who work for The Man
To celebrate George Clooney comedy 'The Men who Stare at Goats', we look back at six memorable onscreen hippies who fought the system from within
Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies
Ahead of the release of '2012', Roland Emmerich offers his ten tips on creating the perfect global catastrophe
Grant Heslov: interview
Grant Heslov, director of 'The Men who Stare at Goats' talks about his old pal George Clooney, his interest in the paranormal, and his fond memories of working on 'Happy Days'
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?
Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer
Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace
From Cannes to Munich to London, Dave Calhoun tours Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now