Yikes!
Woody Allen seems to have taken inspiration from a 1976 episode of Scooby-Doo and, with a few alterations (few being the operative word), made a 90 minute movie supposedly for intelligent adults. Woody is Shaggy - only irritating in the extreme; Scarlet is a Velma/Daphne morph ("I can't find my glaaaassses"); Hugh J plays the aristocratic "is it him" villain ("if it weren't for those pesky kids"), and Ian McShane the requisite clue-leading "ghost" element. The only thing missing was an affable cowardly dog (I wish there had been) and the Mystery Bus (although it would have been redundant if it were).
And Scooby-Doo I'm afraid is the quality (or rather, weakness) of this script; the truly hammy characters and acting / direction; the banal / irritating / tedious attempt at humour; and (non) cleverness / twist of plot. Don't get me wrong - I used to enjoy Scooby-Doo. When I was 7.
Woody Allen seems to have taken inspiration from a 1976 episode of Scooby-Doo and, with a few alterations (few being the operative word), made a 90 minute movie supposedly for intelligent adults. Woody is Shaggy - only irritating in the extreme; Scarlet is a Velma/Daphne morph ("I can't find my glaaaassses"); Hugh J plays the aristocratic "is it him" villain ("if it weren't for those pesky kids"), and Ian McShane the requisite clue-leading "ghost" element. The only thing missing was an affable cowardly dog (I wish there had been) and the Mystery Bus (although it would have been redundant if it were).
And Scooby-Doo I'm afraid is the quality (or rather, weakness) of this script; the truly hammy characters and acting / direction; the banal / irritating / tedious attempt at humour; and (non) cleverness / twist of plot. Don't get me wrong - I used to enjoy Scooby-Doo. When I was 7.