School's out. It's summer time. The gang gets jobs with Daphne's uncle who is opening a country club on the shores of Lake Erie. There is a local legend of a lake monster. The bigger news is that Daphne and Fred have started dating while Shaggy has a growing crush on Velma.
This franchise is never going to be something artistically exceptional. This live-action version is a step down from the 2002 version. The quality is lower but it's not unexpected. The biggest change is exploring the sexual chemistry among the group. It's still very high school but they are dipping their toes into the waters. They are still best as friends. I like these actors and I'm even willing to accept Robbie Amell's non-blonde Fred. Shaggy is adorable in his clueless puppy love. The cartoon Scooby is very cartoonish. The story is as thin as ever. It's short and it's even shorter considering a prolong music montage to pad its running time. The investigation runs out of steam and the romancing peters out.
This franchise is never going to be something artistically exceptional. This live-action version is a step down from the 2002 version. The quality is lower but it's not unexpected. The biggest change is exploring the sexual chemistry among the group. It's still very high school but they are dipping their toes into the waters. They are still best as friends. I like these actors and I'm even willing to accept Robbie Amell's non-blonde Fred. Shaggy is adorable in his clueless puppy love. The cartoon Scooby is very cartoonish. The story is as thin as ever. It's short and it's even shorter considering a prolong music montage to pad its running time. The investigation runs out of steam and the romancing peters out.