Description

Zoinks! Two years after a clash of egos forced Mystery Inc. to close it's doors, Scooby-Doo and his clever crime-solving cohorts Fred (FREDDIE PRINZE JR.), Daphne (SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR), Shaggy (MATTHEW LILLARD) and Velma (LINDA CARDELLINI) are individually summoned to Spooky Island to investigate a series of paranormal incidents at the ultra-hip Spring Break hot spot. Concerned that his frightfully popular resort might truly be haunted, Spooky Island owner Emile Mondavarious (ROWAN ATKINSON) tries to reunite those notoriously meddling detectives to solve the mystery before his supernatural secret scares away the college crowds. Scooby and the gang will have to overcome their personal differences and forget everything they think they know about fake ghouls and phony creatures to crack the case, save themselves and possibly...the world! Ruh-roh! ... Read more

Reviews (295)

Zoinks!! Its Scooby Doo!!
This movie is based on the highly successful Hanna-Barbara cartoon series. It stars Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Linda Cardellini as Velma. The plot revolves around the group's mystery solving team, Mystery Inc. The group has split up after differences among the members surfaced. However, two years later, each receives a letter from the owner of Spooky Island, a hot spring break resort. Apparently, some supernatural forces have been at work on the island, and the group has been summoned to see if they can help. However, each does not know that anyone else has been invited, so its a shock when everyone arrives at the airport and discovers that they're all going to the same place. Will everyone be able to put their differences aside and solve the mystery?

I thought the acting in the movie was pretty good overall. However, I thought Fred's character was too preppy and self-involved. Sarah Michelle Gellar does a good job as Daphnie, and Linda Cardellini makes a perfect Velma, but this movie belongs to Matthew Lillard. His portyayal of Shaggy is top notch. He even sounds like the old Saturday morning character that we grew up with. His relationship with Scooby is just like I remember as a child. The computer animation is well done, and Scooby Doo seems almost life-like. This is a fun movie and brings back a lot of childhood memories.

Fun and Funny movie
Before I saw the movie, I was skeptical of the cast selections of Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michele Geller, but after seeing it, I think they did a great job. Linda Cardellini made Velma more than a brain and Matthew Lillard IS Shaggy. The entire cast did an incredible job of bringing to life some beloved cartoon characters.

The movie itself was like a longer, live-action, episode of the classic cartoons. Some people would say that some of the action was predictable, but when have you watched the cartoon and not known when the gang was going to split up, or Shaggy and Scooby were going to run away from a ghost, etc? The cartoons followed a formula, and the movie doesn't change it.

And it was funny. Though the kids and adults in the audience had different degrees of laughter at different jokes, they were all laughing.

A lot of people have made a big to-do about the "in jokes" of Scooby Doo. When I was a kid watching the show, the only thing I understood that was never said was that Fred and Daphne were boyfriend/girlfriend. And that's all I got from the movie. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, or I didn't want to see anything else. In any case, I'm glad the movie makers kept the spirit of the cartoons unchanged.

The only negative thing I can say about this movie is that I was somewhat disappointed by the ending. I won't give it away, and I'm sure some fans of the show will cheer at it, but I thought it was a little out of spirit.

When I was in elementary school, I knew a girl who had nightmares from the cartoon. I think the movie could have the same affect on littler kids. I would compare the scariness to the green minions in Anastasia (I thought those would be quite scary to a little kid, but I don't have kids so who knows what they think is scary these days).

So, to sum up, go see it, take your kids (if they don't scare easily), and be ready to laugh.

Okay at best, but it doesn't beat the original series
"Scooby-Doo" is okay. It's not that great of a film and it's not that bad. As much as I despise him, I have to say that Matthew Lillard does an excellent job as Shaggy. He's the best character in this flick. Linda Cardellini is good as Velma, but she has a couple of lines(ex. "Let's get jinky with it") that are just atrocious. Freddie Prinze, Jr. wasn't necessarily miscast as Fred, but the character was portrayed in a way that doesn't really reflect the character from the original show. Sarah Michelle Gellar was annoying as Daphne. Nevermind the fact that she pulled out the old kung-fu ala "Buffy," she's just not convincing enough in this role. The CGI Scooby was just that, a CGI Scooby. He looks fake, but dogs can't talk either, so I'm okay with that. His character is actually pretty good.

The best part of this film is the opening scene with the Luna ghost. It looked as if it were straight out of the old series. Everything heads south from there. The characters, excepting Shaggy and Scooby, are weightless. The nasties are just plain silly and the jokes resort to sophomoric humor. I'm sure every thirteen year-old boy in the crowd got a laugh from the farting contest between Shaggy and Scooby. A few cuss words were thrown around, and Daphne puts a whipping on a wrestler-type baddie.

Overall, this film works well with kids between the ages of eleven and sixteen. Younger kids MIGHT get scared by the bad guys, and the language can get a little rough for the really young'uns. For us older folks who grew up with the series, it's nice to see Scooby and the gang in a live-action format. However, I feel that this movie tries too hard to make itself appeal to all age groups. I also think that the director should have decided on whether he was making a nostalgic flick, a spoof, or an updated version using potty humor.

It's watchable and somewhat funny, but you might want to rent this one before laying any money down for it.

Scooby Dooby Doooooo!
After a classic Scooby Doo mystery being solved, Velma gets tired of Fred always taking the credit for her work and quits the gang. Fred and Daphne follow suite and the now lonely duo of Shaggy and Scooby go off on their own.

About a year or so later, they meet up again at the airport where, unbeknownst to them, they are all invited to the newly opened Spooky Island theme park to solve a mystery. Each person vows to solve the mystery on their own, but once they get to their destination, they realize that they must work together once again to solve the mystery of what is changing the vacationing college students from normal teenagers into zombie type strangers.

Shaggy meets a girl who becomes a sort of love interest and sort of casts Scooby off for his new interest. When Scooby realizes there is more to Shaggy's new friend than meets the eye, Shaggy refuses to listen and causes Scooby to become a willing, but unknown participant in the evil doer's plan to take over the world.

Loaded with great special effects, computer animation and a great cameo starring the puppy everyone loves to hate, Scrappy Doo, this movie is great. The characters all kept the same aspects that made the cartoon great. However, there are some things that kept me from giving this movie 5 stars. In the cartoon, Velma never seemed resentful of Fred always taking the credit, Daphne was more than a spoiled selfish brat, Fred did not act stupid even in the least.

If you enjoyed the old cartoon series, you will surly like this live action movie.

A Failure
First of all, my apologies, as this review is based entirely on my personal hopes of what this movie was going to deliver. Other viewers may have found lots of their expectations realised on the screen, but sadly, mine weren't.

The makers of the Scooby Doo movie didn't really have to get a lot of things right to make this film a real laugh, yet they managed to do everything wrong. I was really looking forward to seeing my favourite cartoon come to life, but they messed up on all the basic rules of this classic show. First off, the main characters all only have one set of clothes, but the costume designers for the film couldn't even stick to the simple designs of the cartoon, instead they went for hopeless approximations that just look ill-fitting and careless. Worst offender is Daphne, done up in all sorts of lurid fashions and hairdos, looking nothing like the animated original. Same goes for poor Velma with that odd long lanky brown wig and shapeless sweater. Even Fred had several changes of costume and the wrong hairdo. Only Shaggy came across as the real deal, which is probably more of a tribute to Matthew Lillard's dedication rather than the designers.
Next rule: There must always be a chase down a never-ending hallway with the same scenery going past over and over again. I think there were some chases in the movie, but nothing that brought this much loved (and much lampooned in the past) feature to the forefront where it should have been (Unless it was during a sequence when I dozed off).
Next rule: The monsters must be dumb and easily fooled. Most monsters in the cartoon just went "Graaagghh!" and swiped their arms in thin air as Scooby and co. slipped away from them just in time. The movie monsters are actually quite frightening demons that fly through the air, taking possession of innocent holidaymakers. Frightening is good, but it doesn't belong in this context.

Another thing that spoils the mood is surrounding the characters with hundreds of extras and other actors. It just shows up the implausibility of the whole gang ever passing for real people. This could have worked hilariously as a parody (a device that worked beautifully for the Brady Bunch Movie), but here it just makes the characters look thoroughly underdeveloped. They can't possibly interact with naturalistic "real-life" characters, only with similarly 2-dimensional ciphers like cackling crones, disgruntled sherrifs or sinister butlers.
Next up, the characterisation. Again, Matthew Lillard steals the show as Shaggy, and truly breathes life into the part. Fred and Velma are boring and under developed, but that kind of reflects the cartoon, so no big deal there, although Velma could have been given more to get her teeth into. Worst of all, again, is Daphne, demonstrated by the insertion of the blatantly inappropriate "Daphne does martial arts" sequence. If Sarah Michelle Gellar can't stay away from playing Buffy, she shouldn't be considered for other movies. She certainly shouldn't bring the character with her. A huge mistake. Finally, Scooby Doo himself. Considering the possible options for bringing a talking dog to life, the movie version is actually quite successful. I thought the interplay between Scooby and the human mambers of the gang worked pretty well, and his character really came through. Shame that the animators decided to give him those bizarre big, bright, human style eyes which the cartoon version never sported. Weird and a bit creepy.

As the the plot, its just far too busy. Anything and everything is thrown in making it clear that the makers could not decide what angle they were going for. They dabble in playing it true to the cartoon (very, very briefly), playing it for modern (Animal House-type) laughs, playing it as a parody, and playing it as a "what if the characters went in this direction?" kind of update. Too many styles, no substance and no chance for the audience to engage with any one mood. A real mess.
As I said at the start, this is only my personal disappointment. I can't tell if other moviegoers had a similar experience, and lots of people seem to have found the film to be a riot. But as far as I'm concerned, it's a serious letdown and a huge wasted opportunity. I'm now waiting to see the second one to see if any of this gets put right...I really hope it does. ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Can Scooby-Doo rebound?
Since I was a kid, I loved the 1970's "Scooby-Doo" animated series. Every entertaining episode had Fred, Daphne, Velma, and funny duo Shaggy and Scooby-Doo unmasking a villian. I loved that series.

As for the "Scooby-Doo" film, I was hugely dissapointed and mad. Where were the lovable characters I cherished? Aside from a enjoyable performance from Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, every cast member was either miscast or was a dead pan. Freddie Prinze, Jr. was terrible as Fred. Part of the reason he was cast was because his wife Sarah Michelle Gellar(Daphne) told the producers to cast him or she'll leave the role. The producers made a mistake. At least my family enjoyed it.

As for the computer animated Scooby-Doo, he was lukewarm at best. I just love the cartoon version dog who munched on scooby snacks.

Ok, so there's SCOOBY DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED. Hopefully something good will come out this blated and unexcusable sequel(and that's just made up). Wow, Seth Green is in this picture! I wait in line for the movie right now! (I was being sarcastic by the way.)

This time around, more Scooby and less Doo
When the first Scooby-Doo came out, it was pleasant enough, but the film was hobbled under both the usual gross-out "humor" needed to attract the twentysomething crowd and the constant legends that have plagued the original series (Fred and Daphne always make out when the gang splits up, Velma's a lesbian, Scoooby and Shaggy are potheads, etc.). In this new outing, the screenwriters eschew this nonsense for a plotline that delves into the Scooby mythos, creating a situation that is classic Scooby-Doo: Mystery, Inc.'s hometown of Coolsville is threatened by an evil masked madman who steals the costumes of the classic monsters that MI have exposed as fakes from a recent museum exhibit, and used them to create REAL versions of same.

All the original cast has returned, and everyone shines in stellar performances, bringing their characters to life. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. make dynamic improvements in their roles as Daphne and Fred; Gellar brings a sweetness and kindliness to Daphne that she wasn't able to with Buffy, and Prinze gives Fred a sense of depth, humor and leadership.

(...)

Matthew Lillard returns with another explosive performance as Shaggy, channeling this character from somewhere deep within his psyche. Lillard has developed a reputation for intense performances (witness 13 Ghosts or SLC Punk), but with his portrayal of Shaggy, those performances are not so much eclipsed as erased. Eyes bugging, howling, screaming, limbs flailing, with the trademark cry of "[GHOST]!!!", at once terrified and RESIGNED TO the inevitable chase, Lillard nails Shaggy again and again throughout the film.

The CGI Scooby, voiced deftly by Neil Fanning, seems much improved, and this time it's a proper mix of cartoon and real canine that displays the lovability and goofiness of Scooby Doo. Much, much better.

The supporting cast includes a sympathetic Peter Boyle as former villain Old Man Wickles, and a devious Alicia Silverstone redeems her genre-film rep from the horror that was Batman And Robin as a two-faced TV reporter who seems to be out to deface the gang's track record. All in all, this second effort is well-made and worth the time spent. Four stars all round.

So Much Better Then The First!
As big of a fan as i was for the first one, i was excited to see this one. This one is so much better because it revisits some of the classic monsters from several of the shows. Such as the Pterodactyl Ghost, 10,000 Volt Ghost, Miner 49er, and the list goes on and on. If you were a fan of the first and even if you weren't give this one a try, it is definately one of the better sequels out there.

SCOOBY DOO 2
GREAT MOVIE. MY 4TH FAV. MOVIE. LOVED IT. MUCH BETTER TAN THE ORIGINAL. UNLIKE THE FIRST THIS KEYS TOGETHER THEMES FROM THEORIGINAL TV SHOW WHICH IS REALLY GOOD AND MAKES MUCH MORE ORIGINAL AND FUNNY. ITS ABOUT A MASKED FIGURE THAT BRINGS MOST OF THE MONSTERS THAT MYSTERY INC. HAS UNMASKED TO LIFE. ONCE THIS HAPPENS MYSTERY INC. IS BLAMED FOR ALL OF IT ANDF MUST FIND A WAY TO SAVE COOLSVILLE AND HAVE EVERYONE LIKING THEM AGAIN. YOU'LL LOVE IT.

scooby-doo 2:monsters unleashed-the best movie of all time!!
this movie is the best movie of all time.it's way better than the first one.sarah michelle gellar is the best actor in the film.freddie prinze jr.,matthew lillard,and linda cardellini were great as fred,shaggy,and velma.the people who made scooby(r&h)did a way better job than they did in the first.sarah m.gellar(s.m.g.)was the best actor though,she portrayed the role of daphne.alicia silverstone was faboulous,even though her character was the bad person,and she turned out to be a man in a mask.the film has a very good plot.all the monsters from the past come back because of shaggy & scooby-doo.so they have to make everything better again in coolsville.daphne,fred,& velma help them out a lot.this movie is the best i've ever seen.whenever this movie came out in theaters,the first few weekends it was out it was # 1 at the box office.but then that dang "hellboy" movie came out and knocked it down to # 2.at the end of may,scooby-doo 2 was down at #10,the lowest you can go.the movie did very well though.i saw it the day it came out.whenever it comes out to buy(september 14,2004)i'll buy it.this movie is fantastic.it should win an award.i am scooby's #1 fan & s.m.g.'s # 1 fan.well,GOODBYE!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Can Scooby-Doo rebound?
Since I was a kid, I loved the 1970's "Scooby-Doo" animated series. Every entertaining episode had Fred, Daphne, Velma, and funny duo Shaggy and Scooby-Doo unmasking a villian. I loved that series.

As for the "Scooby-Doo" film, I was hugely dissapointed and mad. Where were the lovable characters I cherished? Aside from a enjoyable performance from Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, every cast member was either miscast or was a dead pan. Freddie Prinze, Jr. was terrible as Fred. Part of the reason he was cast was because his wife Sarah Michelle Gellar(Daphne) told the producers to cast him or she'll leave the role. The producers made a mistake. At least my family enjoyed it.

As for the computer animated Scooby-Doo, he was lukewarm at best. I just love the cartoon version dog who munched on scooby snacks.

Ok, so there's SCOOBY DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED. Hopefully something good will come out this blated and unexcusable sequel(and that's just made up). Wow, Seth Green is in this picture! I wait in line for the movie right now! (I was being sarcastic by the way.)

This time around, more Scooby and less Doo
When the first Scooby-Doo came out, it was pleasant enough, but the film was hobbled under both the usual gross-out "humor" needed to attract the twentysomething crowd and the constant legends that have plagued the original series (Fred and Daphne always make out when the gang splits up, Velma's a lesbian, Scoooby and Shaggy are potheads, etc.). In this new outing, the screenwriters eschew this nonsense for a plotline that delves into the Scooby mythos, creating a situation that is classic Scooby-Doo: Mystery, Inc.'s hometown of Coolsville is threatened by an evil masked madman who steals the costumes of the classic monsters that MI have exposed as fakes from a recent museum exhibit, and used them to create REAL versions of same.

All the original cast has returned, and everyone shines in stellar performances, bringing their characters to life. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. make dynamic improvements in their roles as Daphne and Fred; Gellar brings a sweetness and kindliness to Daphne that she wasn't able to with Buffy, and Prinze gives Fred a sense of depth, humor and leadership.

(...)

Matthew Lillard returns with another explosive performance as Shaggy, channeling this character from somewhere deep within his psyche. Lillard has developed a reputation for intense performances (witness 13 Ghosts or SLC Punk), but with his portrayal of Shaggy, those performances are not so much eclipsed as erased. Eyes bugging, howling, screaming, limbs flailing, with the trademark cry of "[GHOST]!!!", at once terrified and RESIGNED TO the inevitable chase, Lillard nails Shaggy again and again throughout the film.

The CGI Scooby, voiced deftly by Neil Fanning, seems much improved, and this time it's a proper mix of cartoon and real canine that displays the lovability and goofiness of Scooby Doo. Much, much better.

The supporting cast includes a sympathetic Peter Boyle as former villain Old Man Wickles, and a devious Alicia Silverstone redeems her genre-film rep from the horror that was Batman And Robin as a two-faced TV reporter who seems to be out to deface the gang's track record. All in all, this second effort is well-made and worth the time spent. Four stars all round.

So Much Better Then The First!
As big of a fan as i was for the first one, i was excited to see this one. This one is so much better because it revisits some of the classic monsters from several of the shows. Such as the Pterodactyl Ghost, 10,000 Volt Ghost, Miner 49er, and the list goes on and on. If you were a fan of the first and even if you weren't give this one a try, it is definately one of the better sequels out there.

SCOOBY DOO 2
GREAT MOVIE. MY 4TH FAV. MOVIE. LOVED IT. MUCH BETTER TAN THE ORIGINAL. UNLIKE THE FIRST THIS KEYS TOGETHER THEMES FROM THEORIGINAL TV SHOW WHICH IS REALLY GOOD AND MAKES MUCH MORE ORIGINAL AND FUNNY. ITS ABOUT A MASKED FIGURE THAT BRINGS MOST OF THE MONSTERS THAT MYSTERY INC. HAS UNMASKED TO LIFE. ONCE THIS HAPPENS MYSTERY INC. IS BLAMED FOR ALL OF IT ANDF MUST FIND A WAY TO SAVE COOLSVILLE AND HAVE EVERYONE LIKING THEM AGAIN. YOU'LL LOVE IT.

scooby-doo 2:monsters unleashed-the best movie of all time!!
this movie is the best movie of all time.it's way better than the first one.sarah michelle gellar is the best actor in the film.freddie prinze jr.,matthew lillard,and linda cardellini were great as fred,shaggy,and velma.the people who made scooby(r&h)did a way better job than they did in the first.sarah m.gellar(s.m.g.)was the best actor though,she portrayed the role of daphne.alicia silverstone was faboulous,even though her character was the bad person,and she turned out to be a man in a mask.the film has a very good plot.all the monsters from the past come back because of shaggy & scooby-doo.so they have to make everything better again in coolsville.daphne,fred,& velma help them out a lot.this movie is the best i've ever seen.whenever this movie came out in theaters,the first few weekends it was out it was # 1 at the box office.but then that dang "hellboy" movie came out and knocked it down to # 2.at the end of may,scooby-doo 2 was down at #10,the lowest you can go.the movie did very well though.i saw it the day it came out.whenever it comes out to buy(september 14,2004)i'll buy it.this movie is fantastic.it should win an award.i am scooby's #1 fan & s.m.g.'s # 1 fan.well,GOODBYE!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Description

Zoinks! Two years after a clash of egos forced Mystery Inc. to close it's doors, Scooby-Doo and his clever crime-solving cohorts Fred (FREDDIE PRINZE JR.), Daphne (SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR), Shaggy (MATTHEW LILLARD) and Velma (LINDA CARDELLINI) are individually summoned to Spooky Island to investigate a series of paranormal incidents at the ultra-hip Spring Break hot spot. Concerned that his frightfully popular resort might truly be haunted, Spooky Island owner Emile Mondavarious (ROWAN ATKINSON) tries to reunite those notoriously meddling detectives to solve the mystery before his supernatural secret scares away the college crowds. Scooby and the gang will have to overcome their personal differences and forget everything they think they know about fake ghouls and phony creatures to crack the case, save themselves and possibly...the world! Ruh-roh! ... Read more

Reviews (295)

Zoinks!! Its Scooby Doo!!
This movie is based on the highly successful Hanna-Barbara cartoon series. It stars Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Linda Cardellini as Velma. The plot revolves around the group's mystery solving team, Mystery Inc. The group has split up after differences among the members surfaced. However, two years later, each receives a letter from the owner of Spooky Island, a hot spring break resort. Apparently, some supernatural forces have been at work on the island, and the group has been summoned to see if they can help. However, each does not know that anyone else has been invited, so its a shock when everyone arrives at the airport and discovers that they're all going to the same place. Will everyone be able to put their differences aside and solve the mystery?

I thought the acting in the movie was pretty good overall. However, I thought Fred's character was too preppy and self-involved. Sarah Michelle Gellar does a good job as Daphnie, and Linda Cardellini makes a perfect Velma, but this movie belongs to Matthew Lillard. His portyayal of Shaggy is top notch. He even sounds like the old Saturday morning character that we grew up with. His relationship with Scooby is just like I remember as a child. The computer animation is well done, and Scooby Doo seems almost life-like. This is a fun movie and brings back a lot of childhood memories.

Fun and Funny movie
Before I saw the movie, I was skeptical of the cast selections of Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michele Geller, but after seeing it, I think they did a great job. Linda Cardellini made Velma more than a brain and Matthew Lillard IS Shaggy. The entire cast did an incredible job of bringing to life some beloved cartoon characters.

The movie itself was like a longer, live-action, episode of the classic cartoons. Some people would say that some of the action was predictable, but when have you watched the cartoon and not known when the gang was going to split up, or Shaggy and Scooby were going to run away from a ghost, etc? The cartoons followed a formula, and the movie doesn't change it.

And it was funny. Though the kids and adults in the audience had different degrees of laughter at different jokes, they were all laughing.

A lot of people have made a big to-do about the "in jokes" of Scooby Doo. When I was a kid watching the show, the only thing I understood that was never said was that Fred and Daphne were boyfriend/girlfriend. And that's all I got from the movie. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, or I didn't want to see anything else. In any case, I'm glad the movie makers kept the spirit of the cartoons unchanged.

The only negative thing I can say about this movie is that I was somewhat disappointed by the ending. I won't give it away, and I'm sure some fans of the show will cheer at it, but I thought it was a little out of spirit.

When I was in elementary school, I knew a girl who had nightmares from the cartoon. I think the movie could have the same affect on littler kids. I would compare the scariness to the green minions in Anastasia (I thought those would be quite scary to a little kid, but I don't have kids so who knows what they think is scary these days).

So, to sum up, go see it, take your kids (if they don't scare easily), and be ready to laugh.

Okay at best, but it doesn't beat the original series
"Scooby-Doo" is okay. It's not that great of a film and it's not that bad. As much as I despise him, I have to say that Matthew Lillard does an excellent job as Shaggy. He's the best character in this flick. Linda Cardellini is good as Velma, but she has a couple of lines(ex. "Let's get jinky with it") that are just atrocious. Freddie Prinze, Jr. wasn't necessarily miscast as Fred, but the character was portrayed in a way that doesn't really reflect the character from the original show. Sarah Michelle Gellar was annoying as Daphne. Nevermind the fact that she pulled out the old kung-fu ala "Buffy," she's just not convincing enough in this role. The CGI Scooby was just that, a CGI Scooby. He looks fake, but dogs can't talk either, so I'm okay with that. His character is actually pretty good.

The best part of this film is the opening scene with the Luna ghost. It looked as if it were straight out of the old series. Everything heads south from there. The characters, excepting Shaggy and Scooby, are weightless. The nasties are just plain silly and the jokes resort to sophomoric humor. I'm sure every thirteen year-old boy in the crowd got a laugh from the farting contest between Shaggy and Scooby. A few cuss words were thrown around, and Daphne puts a whipping on a wrestler-type baddie.

Overall, this film works well with kids between the ages of eleven and sixteen. Younger kids MIGHT get scared by the bad guys, and the language can get a little rough for the really young'uns. For us older folks who grew up with the series, it's nice to see Scooby and the gang in a live-action format. However, I feel that this movie tries too hard to make itself appeal to all age groups. I also think that the director should have decided on whether he was making a nostalgic flick, a spoof, or an updated version using potty humor.

It's watchable and somewhat funny, but you might want to rent this one before laying any money down for it.

Scooby Dooby Doooooo!
After a classic Scooby Doo mystery being solved, Velma gets tired of Fred always taking the credit for her work and quits the gang. Fred and Daphne follow suite and the now lonely duo of Shaggy and Scooby go off on their own.

About a year or so later, they meet up again at the airport where, unbeknownst to them, they are all invited to the newly opened Spooky Island theme park to solve a mystery. Each person vows to solve the mystery on their own, but once they get to their destination, they realize that they must work together once again to solve the mystery of what is changing the vacationing college students from normal teenagers into zombie type strangers.

Shaggy meets a girl who becomes a sort of love interest and sort of casts Scooby off for his new interest. When Scooby realizes there is more to Shaggy's new friend than meets the eye, Shaggy refuses to listen and causes Scooby to become a willing, but unknown participant in the evil doer's plan to take over the world.

Loaded with great special effects, computer animation and a great cameo starring the puppy everyone loves to hate, Scrappy Doo, this movie is great. The characters all kept the same aspects that made the cartoon great. However, there are some things that kept me from giving this movie 5 stars. In the cartoon, Velma never seemed resentful of Fred always taking the credit, Daphne was more than a spoiled selfish brat, Fred did not act stupid even in the least.

If you enjoyed the old cartoon series, you will surly like this live action movie.

A Failure
First of all, my apologies, as this review is based entirely on my personal hopes of what this movie was going to deliver. Other viewers may have found lots of their expectations realised on the screen, but sadly, mine weren't.

The makers of the Scooby Doo movie didn't really have to get a lot of things right to make this film a real laugh, yet they managed to do everything wrong. I was really looking forward to seeing my favourite cartoon come to life, but they messed up on all the basic rules of this classic show. First off, the main characters all only have one set of clothes, but the costume designers for the film couldn't even stick to the simple designs of the cartoon, instead they went for hopeless approximations that just look ill-fitting and careless. Worst offender is Daphne, done up in all sorts of lurid fashions and hairdos, looking nothing like the animated original. Same goes for poor Velma with that odd long lanky brown wig and shapeless sweater. Even Fred had several changes of costume and the wrong hairdo. Only Shaggy came across as the real deal, which is probably more of a tribute to Matthew Lillard's dedication rather than the designers.
Next rule: There must always be a chase down a never-ending hallway with the same scenery going past over and over again. I think there were some chases in the movie, but nothing that brought this much loved (and much lampooned in the past) feature to the forefront where it should have been (Unless it was during a sequence when I dozed off).
Next rule: The monsters must be dumb and easily fooled. Most monsters in the cartoon just went "Graaagghh!" and swiped their arms in thin air as Scooby and co. slipped away from them just in time. The movie monsters are actually quite frightening demons that fly through the air, taking possession of innocent holidaymakers. Frightening is good, but it doesn't belong in this context.

Another thing that spoils the mood is surrounding the characters with hundreds of extras and other actors. It just shows up the implausibility of the whole gang ever passing for real people. This could have worked hilariously as a parody (a device that worked beautifully for the Brady Bunch Movie), but here it just makes the characters look thoroughly underdeveloped. They can't possibly interact with naturalistic "real-life" characters, only with similarly 2-dimensional ciphers like cackling crones, disgruntled sherrifs or sinister butlers.
Next up, the characterisation. Again, Matthew Lillard steals the show as Shaggy, and truly breathes life into the part. Fred and Velma are boring and under developed, but that kind of reflects the cartoon, so no big deal there, although Velma could have been given more to get her teeth into. Worst of all, again, is Daphne, demonstrated by the insertion of the blatantly inappropriate "Daphne does martial arts" sequence. If Sarah Michelle Gellar can't stay away from playing Buffy, she shouldn't be considered for other movies. She certainly shouldn't bring the character with her. A huge mistake. Finally, Scooby Doo himself. Considering the possible options for bringing a talking dog to life, the movie version is actually quite successful. I thought the interplay between Scooby and the human mambers of the gang worked pretty well, and his character really came through. Shame that the animators decided to give him those bizarre big, bright, human style eyes which the cartoon version never sported. Weird and a bit creepy.

As the the plot, its just far too busy. Anything and everything is thrown in making it clear that the makers could not decide what angle they were going for. They dabble in playing it true to the cartoon (very, very briefly), playing it for modern (Animal House-type) laughs, playing it as a parody, and playing it as a "what if the characters went in this direction?" kind of update. Too many styles, no substance and no chance for the audience to engage with any one mood. A real mess.
As I said at the start, this is only my personal disappointment. I can't tell if other moviegoers had a similar experience, and lots of people seem to have found the film to be a riot. But as far as I'm concerned, it's a serious letdown and a huge wasted opportunity. I'm now waiting to see the second one to see if any of this gets put right...I really hope it does. ... Read more

Reviews (208)

More teen cliches
Considering the number of 5 star reviews here, and the standard throwaway "Best movie I've ever seen in my life! " outbursts, I know not to rent a movie based on most of the stuff written here. In fairness, I'm sure alot the reviews here were written by teens, and I might have liked Never Been Kissed if I was a teen myself. But I'm in my late 20's now and seeing the same old teen cliches is tiresome. The dialogue in this movie was clunky, with rarely a funny sentence spoken by any of the characters. I've always liked Drew Barrymore, her sweetness comes across as genuine, and she was pretty likeable in this movie and fun to watch as well. But the intended message in this movie was this, if you're born ugly you're not worth a damn because did you notice how better-looking Drew became as the movie progressed? This coincided with her growing popularity with the other students. In real life, Drew isn't ugly, and neither was her outcasted "geeky" friend who was supposed to be unattractive as well. Other cliches: the young good-looking heartthrob teacher, the dumb jock, the three inseperable shallow bimbos who get what they deserve in the end (shocking), aren't these same three girls in every teen movie? The black guy with nothing but bad one-liners, and of course the embarrasing final scene where the "positive message" speech which is spooned down your throat like barium before a stomach x-ray. I happened to see Carrie on TV a few days after this, and it's shocking how much better that movie is. (similar elements but obviously more effective).

Wonderful!!
First of all, I must say that I was shocked and appalled when I read the official Amazon review for this movie. Never Been Kissed is one of my all time favorite movies, and I cannot imagine anyone saying such nonsense about such a great movie. I thought Drew Barrymore was excellent as Josie Gellar and totally believable as a geeky copy editor whose first real assignment as a reporter is to go back to high school. Once there, Josie quickly realizes that her second high school experience is not going much better than the first. However, she is helped on her quest to popularity by her brother, Rob, convincingly played by David Arquette. Once she has finally been accepted by the "cool" crowd, Josie realizes that there are more important things than being popular, such as her totally hot English teacher, played by Michael Vartan, whom she has fallen in love with. I must say that if I had an English teacher that looked like that when I went to high school, I might have made it to class more! All in all, Never Been Kissed is a wonderful movie about a woman finding success, love and happiness. Excellent!!

Drew Barrymore is hilarious
Never Been Kissed is a classic in film romantic comedies. Drew Barrymore rocks! Simply put: NBK rules!

I love it!!!
I loved this movie! (And its not just because I related Barymore's character.) I found it funny and touching at the same time. The plot was pretty original, the humor was great, and it left me feeling good. And, even though I can predict how almost all movies will end, they managed to throw in bit of temporary doubt at the last momment. Before this movie "Drew Barrymore" was just a name I had heard somewhere, afterward I not only knew who she was but came to respect her as an actress.

an okay movie at best
sure this movie was cute, but it must have been one of the dumbest films I've ever seen. David Arquette is the best thing about it. that's a little sad. Wow the cool kids and the uncool nerds...there are more people in the school than those types of people. The ending was sort of dumb too, it just seemed unethical...the actors do try however and at times this movie can be funny but at most times it is cheesy. ... Read more

Reviews (74)

This Movie Rules!!!!!
When I was 6, I was hoping there would be a Home Alone 3, and now here it is. It's just as cool as the first 2. But this time, it's Alex Pruitt, not Kevin McAllister, who defends his home. Also, instead of being left home by accident while his family's vacationing, Alex's father is on a business trip, his mother's at work, and his brother and sister have after-school sports. Also, instead of being robbed by Harry Lyme and Marv Murchen, 4 new crooks, Petr Beaupre, Earl Unger, Burton Jernigan, and Alice Ribbons take on the house trying to find a computer chip worth 10 grand. If you liked the first 2 Home Alones, buy this one!!!!!!!!!!

This one just ruined the whole entire series
the series would have been fine if they wouldn't have made this one. it's not even close to what 1 and 2 were! and what now? they made a 4th one?! i don't know about you guys but i thought the movie sucked big time. they could have put Macaulay Culkin in this one! he only would have been about 11 or 12 if he would have played in it.

This was the worst movie I've ever seen
No offense Alex but you will never be as good as Macualay Culkin is. He has that special kind of touch on people that you will never have. Actually there was no point in making this movie some things you just need to leave alone and Home Alone Is one of them. I own both 1 and 2 of this well saga now. And there was no point to make Home Alone 4 either. Macualay Culkin is a classic and there will never be another boy with his touch.

Home Alone 3 is better than 1 and 2
I was little sceptical in watching Home Alone 3. Because the reviews and ratings at amazon.com were not as good in comparison to the previous two movies.

However, I enjoyed it even more than the earlier ones.

It moves at a fast pace. It is fresh. New kid. New villains. High tech Gadgets. What is common is that the villains have a tough time here too.

If you have liked the previous two movies, there is no reason why you should not like this one.

HORRIBLE!! TERRIBLE!!
This has got to be the biggest rip-off ever. There are two words to describe this.....HORRIFIC and DESCUSTING! They can't just throw any garbage out like this!!! Home Alone one and two are the best movies EVER in my book!! Don't waist your money!! There will never be another Macaulay Culkin!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (74)

The Best Movie of 2000!
There were ALOT of good movies in 2000(Shanghai Noon, MI2, Unbreakable,Gladiator, etc.), but this movie was truly the best. If you though Robin Williams was funny in Mrs. Doughtfire, you a'int seen nothing yet. This movie is a WHOLE lot different from that movie, so if you didn't like Mrs.Doughtfire, don't skip this movie just because of that. Martin Lawrence is one of the funniest actors around, next to Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey. He adds his own certain brilliance to the film only he can provide. There were so many laugh out loud scenes in this film your belly will be aching like crazy. The DVD makes it even better, with extra features up the wa-zoo. Deleted scenes, bloopers, music videos, making of, trailers and TV spots, and even a Me,Myself, & Irene trailer. The acting is one of a kind, and if you miss out on this movie, you miss out on alot, trust me.

Not that good.
You've seen them: Mrs. Doubtfire, Some Like It Hot, and now Big Momma. Of course, there's tons of others where the whole movie is revolved around morons dressing up as women. Morons being men.

Big Momma's House is that kind of movie with a Martin Lawrence twist on it. Only it's more to protect a fine woman from being killed by her criminal ex. She has a son as well.

This movie has lots of loopholes in it, and just the stupidity of it. No woman would go for someone who dressed up as their mother and thought she was a theif, and then she would make love to that person in a church.

Of course, there's too many crotch, giant butt, or giant breast in the face jokes, but it's still a little funny. Blue Streak was funnier, though. That's the Martin Lawrence movie.

This is the mindless, tasteless entertainment people manage to enjoy. This is fluff for a good time, if there's nothing else to really see at the theatre. Most of it is repeated material, too. Not badly directed, though. Recommended for mindless entertainment.

BIG MOMMAS HOUSE DVD-MARTIN LAWRENCE
A FUNNY MOVIE, ONLY BEACAUSE MARTIN LAWRENCE IS SO GOOD WHEN IN CHARACTER.LIKE IN HIS TV SHOW MARTIN(WHY ISNT THAT TV SHOW ON DVD? EVERYTHING ELSE IS)WHEN HE PORTRAYS HIS MOMMA OR SHENAYNAY OR OTIS.AN OK MOVIE TO CHECK OUT. BRING MARTINS TV SHOW TO DVD!!!! HE WAS BRILLIANT ON THAT SHOW.

MARTIN LAWRENCE IS GREAT
Loved this movie's comedy, the jokes, and the story line to match.

Laughing Good time
I love this movie. I laugh time and time again. It is funny comedy. ... Read more

Reviews (74)

The Best Movie of 2000!
There were ALOT of good movies in 2000(Shanghai Noon, MI2, Unbreakable,Gladiator, etc.), but this movie was truly the best. If you though Robin Williams was funny in Mrs. Doughtfire, you a'int seen nothing yet. This movie is a WHOLE lot different from that movie, so if you didn't like Mrs.Doughtfire, don't skip this movie just because of that. Martin Lawrence is one of the funniest actors around, next to Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey. He adds his own certain brilliance to the film only he can provide. There were so many laugh out loud scenes in this film your belly will be aching like crazy. The DVD makes it even better, with extra features up the wa-zoo. Deleted scenes, bloopers, music videos, making of, trailers and TV spots, and even a Me,Myself, & Irene trailer. The acting is one of a kind, and if you miss out on this movie, you miss out on alot, trust me.

Not that good.
You've seen them: Mrs. Doubtfire, Some Like It Hot, and now Big Momma. Of course, there's tons of others where the whole movie is revolved around morons dressing up as women. Morons being men.

Big Momma's House is that kind of movie with a Martin Lawrence twist on it. Only it's more to protect a fine woman from being killed by her criminal ex. She has a son as well.

This movie has lots of loopholes in it, and just the stupidity of it. No woman would go for someone who dressed up as their mother and thought she was a theif, and then she would make love to that person in a church.

Of course, there's too many crotch, giant butt, or giant breast in the face jokes, but it's still a little funny. Blue Streak was funnier, though. That's the Martin Lawrence movie.

This is the mindless, tasteless entertainment people manage to enjoy. This is fluff for a good time, if there's nothing else to really see at the theatre. Most of it is repeated material, too. Not badly directed, though. Recommended for mindless entertainment.

BIG MOMMAS HOUSE DVD-MARTIN LAWRENCE
A FUNNY MOVIE, ONLY BEACAUSE MARTIN LAWRENCE IS SO GOOD WHEN IN CHARACTER.LIKE IN HIS TV SHOW MARTIN(WHY ISNT THAT TV SHOW ON DVD? EVERYTHING ELSE IS)WHEN HE PORTRAYS HIS MOMMA OR SHENAYNAY OR OTIS.AN OK MOVIE TO CHECK OUT. BRING MARTINS TV SHOW TO DVD!!!! HE WAS BRILLIANT ON THAT SHOW.

MARTIN LAWRENCE IS GREAT
Loved this movie's comedy, the jokes, and the story line to match.

Laughing Good time
I love this movie. I laugh time and time again. It is funny comedy. ... Read more

Reviews (208)

More teen cliches
Considering the number of 5 star reviews here, and the standard throwaway "Best movie I've ever seen in my life! " outbursts, I know not to rent a movie based on most of the stuff written here. In fairness, I'm sure alot the reviews here were written by teens, and I might have liked Never Been Kissed if I was a teen myself. But I'm in my late 20's now and seeing the same old teen cliches is tiresome. The dialogue in this movie was clunky, with rarely a funny sentence spoken by any of the characters. I've always liked Drew Barrymore, her sweetness comes across as genuine, and she was pretty likeable in this movie and fun to watch as well. But the intended message in this movie was this, if you're born ugly you're not worth a damn because did you notice how better-looking Drew became as the movie progressed? This coincided with her growing popularity with the other students. In real life, Drew isn't ugly, and neither was her outcasted "geeky" friend who was supposed to be unattractive as well. Other cliches: the young good-looking heartthrob teacher, the dumb jock, the three inseperable shallow bimbos who get what they deserve in the end (shocking), aren't these same three girls in every teen movie? The black guy with nothing but bad one-liners, and of course the embarrasing final scene where the "positive message" speech which is spooned down your throat like barium before a stomach x-ray. I happened to see Carrie on TV a few days after this, and it's shocking how much better that movie is. (similar elements but obviously more effective).

Wonderful!!
First of all, I must say that I was shocked and appalled when I read the official Amazon review for this movie. Never Been Kissed is one of my all time favorite movies, and I cannot imagine anyone saying such nonsense about such a great movie. I thought Drew Barrymore was excellent as Josie Gellar and totally believable as a geeky copy editor whose first real assignment as a reporter is to go back to high school. Once there, Josie quickly realizes that her second high school experience is not going much better than the first. However, she is helped on her quest to popularity by her brother, Rob, convincingly played by David Arquette. Once she has finally been accepted by the "cool" crowd, Josie realizes that there are more important things than being popular, such as her totally hot English teacher, played by Michael Vartan, whom she has fallen in love with. I must say that if I had an English teacher that looked like that when I went to high school, I might have made it to class more! All in all, Never Been Kissed is a wonderful movie about a woman finding success, love and happiness. Excellent!!

Drew Barrymore is hilarious
Never Been Kissed is a classic in film romantic comedies. Drew Barrymore rocks! Simply put: NBK rules!

I love it!!!
I loved this movie! (And its not just because I related Barymore's character.) I found it funny and touching at the same time. The plot was pretty original, the humor was great, and it left me feeling good. And, even though I can predict how almost all movies will end, they managed to throw in bit of temporary doubt at the last momment. Before this movie "Drew Barrymore" was just a name I had heard somewhere, afterward I not only knew who she was but came to respect her as an actress.

an okay movie at best
sure this movie was cute, but it must have been one of the dumbest films I've ever seen. David Arquette is the best thing about it. that's a little sad. Wow the cool kids and the uncool nerds...there are more people in the school than those types of people. The ending was sort of dumb too, it just seemed unethical...the actors do try however and at times this movie can be funny but at most times it is cheesy. ... Read more