"Scooby-Doo: The Movie," hated by most, loved by me. It’s been 15 years since the horribly received movie came out and there is no real reason to still be talking about it, but I feel compelled to give this gem of a movie (dare I say, film) some of the credit it deserves.
Once you look into this movie (just past the somewhat hectic plot), there is a wealth of ironic casting and production choices that make it hard to believe that this movie is even real. It wasn’t meant to find critical acclaim, it was meant to be appreciated by the corny and goofy. It was meant to remind people what it was like to be a kid again (I would even argue that the some of the jokes in this movie are actually funny for today’s adults too, but I won’t push it).
So without further ado, here are the 10 reasons "Scooby-Doo: The Movie" (2002) is underrated.1. FREDdie Prinze Jr.
That’s right, our favorite ascot-wearing leader of the Mystery Inc., Fred, is played by Freddie Prinze Jr. Now, having a similar name may not seem that exciting, but I am 100% sure this casting was done intentionally (you’ll see as I continue), so this is really just the tip of the ironic casting iceberg.
2. Fred and Daphne really love each other.
Who’s Fred without Daphne? Daphne, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, is married to Freddie Prinze Jr. making this infamous on-screen couple, a reality.
3. Velma is played by a real nerd.
Linda Cardellini who was the lead role in the short-run, but very loved show "Freaks and Geeks," played Velma, one of the most famous geeks of all time.
4. Matthew Lillard plays Shaggy.
Shaggy, one of the most thinly veiled stoner characters ever is played by none other than Matthew Lillard who gained fame in the “stoner classic” film series, "Scream."
5. Shaggy falls in love with Mary Jane.
Shaggy’s love interest in the film is a character named Mary Jane (oddly enough played by the lovely Isla Fisher). When she introduces herself to Shaggy he says, “That’s like, my favorite name.” C’mon.
6. Double the Shaggy.
The writers and producers of this movie left no ironic stone unturned. The soundtrack features a version of the “What’s New Scooby-Doo?” theme song by none other than the "It Wasn't Me" artist Shaggy.
7. The cameos.
Is that Sugar Ray? Oh, yes it is! Sugar Ray has an on-screen cameo which in 2002 was a pretty big deal (it was a different time back then — Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears were still together, Yu-Gi-Oh was popular, and people were still playing the first "Sims" game). There are also appearances by Mr. Bean himself, Rowan Atkinson and Pamela Anderson.
8. Outkast is featured on the soundtrack.
The musical masterminds behind "Hey Ya!" and "Ms. Jackson," Outkast, wrote an original song, “Land of a Million Drums” for this movie, that is a 100% banger. It is the first and only non-album track the group has ever done.
9. A Knowles family stamp of approval.
The soundtrack also includes a song titles, "Thinking About You" by Solange Knowles that was written and produced by Queen Bey herself. That's right, even Beyonce knows that this movie deserves more credit.
10. Scrappy-Doo was the villain.
I would say spoiler alert, but this movie has almost been out for two decades so I think the window for spoiling the ending has closed. Now, who didn’t hate that little punk Scrappy-Doo? He was always up to no good and causing trouble which just wasn’t conducive to the Mystery Inc. brand. Additionally, it’s a little-known fact (I’m not sure why I even know this fact) that Scrappy has not made an appearance on any other Scooby-Doo programs since this movie.
