20 Years Later, Scooby-Doo Is Still a Clever, Subversive Take on the Mystery Inc. Gang

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en-US"> <head prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns# flixstertomatoes: http://ogp.me/ns/apps/flixstertomatoes#"> <meta name="CloudFront-Viewer-Country" content="" /> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />  <script src="https://cdn.cookielaw.org/consent/7e979733-6841-4fce-9182-515fac69187f/otSDKStub.js" type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" data-domain-script="7e979733-6841-4fce-9182-515fac69187f" integrity="sha384-TKdmlzVmoD70HzftTw4WtOzIBL5mNx8mXSRzEvwrWjpIJ7FZ/EuX758yMDWXtRUN" crossorigin="anonymous" > </script> <script type="text/javascript"> function OptanonWrapper() { } </script>   <script src="https://cdn.cookielaw.org/opt-out/otCCPAiab.js" type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" ccpa-opt-out-ids="USP" ccpa-opt-out-geo="US" ccpa-opt-out-lspa="false"> </script>  <meta property='og.description' content="Film critic Rendy Jones waxes nostalgic about the well-executed balance between satire and faithful homage and the all-around campy fun of the long-running cartoon's first live-action adaptation." /> <meta name='description' content="Film critic Rendy Jones waxes nostalgic about the well-executed balance between satire and faithful homage and the all-around campy fun of the long-running cartoon's first live-action adaptation." /> <meta property='og:title' content="20 Years Later, Scooby-Doo Is Still a Clever, Subversive Take on the Mystery Inc. Gang" /> <meta property='og:type' content="article" /> <meta property='og:image' content="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/17154039/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary-Rep.jpg" /> <meta property='og:url' content="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/" /> <meta name='editorialID' content="219837" /> <meta property='fb:app_id' content="326803741017" /> <meta property='twitter:card' content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@rottentomatoes" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="20 Years Later, Scooby-Doo Is Still a Clever, Subversive Take on the Mystery Inc. Gang" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Film critic Rendy Jones waxes nostalgic about the well-executed balance between satire and faithful homage and the all-around campy fun of the long-running cartoon's first live-action adaptation." /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/17154039/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary-Rep.jpg" /> <title> 20 Years Later, Scooby-Doo Is Still a Clever, Subversive Take on the Mystery Inc. Gang | Rotten Tomatoes</title> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <link rel="pingback" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/xmlrpc.php" /> <link href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/css/bootstrap.css?b=c9997d1d" rel="stylesheet"/> <link href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/css/redesign.css?b=c9997d1d" rel="stylesheet"/> <link href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/css/hub.css?b=c9997d1d" rel="stylesheet"/> <link href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/css/rtmobilenav.css?b=c9997d1d" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/css/shortcodes.css?b=c9997d1d" rel="stylesheet"/> <link href="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.11.3/themes/smoothness/jquery-ui.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/static/images/icons/favicon.ico"> <script> // Push column to dataLayer var dataLayer = dataLayer || []; dataLayer.push({ "post-url": "https:\/\/editorial.rottentomatoes.com\/article\/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang\/", "column": "37", "hub":"", "author": "rendy-jones", "related-tv-series-ids": [], "related-movie-ids": ["64f08ec5-f9d4-3293-94f0-d38d8d1157fb"], "publication-date": "06\/17\/2022", "related-celebrity-ids": [], "franchise": "", "tags": ["Family","Film","films","movie","movies"] }); </script> <script> var BK = {}; BK.PageName="https:\/\/editorial.rottentomatoes.com\/article\/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang\/"; BK.SiteSection="article"; BK.ArticleTags=["Family","Film","films","movie","movies"]; BK.RelatedMovieId=["64f08ec5-f9d4-3293-94f0-d38d8d1157fb"]; BK.RelatedTalentId=[]; BK.RelatedTVSeriesId=[]; var mpscall = mpscall || {}; mpscall = { "site":"rottentomatoes-web", "field[env]": "production", // execution environment "type": "article", "cat": "article|Hear-Us-Out" }; var mpsopts = { "host":"mps.nbcuni.com", "updatecorrelator":true } var mps=mps||{};mps._ext=mps._ext||{};mps._adsheld=[];mps._queue=mps._queue||{};mps._queue.mpsloaded=mps._queue.mpsloaded||[];mps._queue.mpsinit=mps._queue.mpsinit||[];mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[];mps._queue.adload=mps._queue.adload||[];mps._queue.adclone=mps._queue.adclone||[];mps._queue.adview=mps._queue.adview||[];mps._queue.refreshads=mps._queue.refreshads||[];mps.__timer=Date.now();mps.__intcode="v2";if(typeof mps.getAd!="function")mps.getAd=function(adunit){if(typeof adunit!="string")return false;var slotid="mps-getad-"+adunit.replace(/\W/g,"");if(!mps._ext||!mps._ext.loaded){mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function(){typeof mps._gptfirst=="function"&&mps._gptfirst(adunit,slotid);mps.cloneAd("#"+slotid,adunit)});mps._adsheld.push(adunit)}return'<div id="'+slotid+'" class="mps-wrapper" data-mps-fill-slot="'+adunit+'"></div>'};(function(){head=document.head||document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0],mpsload=document.createElement("script");mpsload.src="//"+mpsopts.host+"/fetch/ext/load-"+mpscall.site+".js?nowrite=2";mpsload.id="mps-load";head.insertBefore(mpsload,head.firstChild)})(); </script> <script type='text/javascript'> var RT = RT || {}; RT.buildHash = 'c9997d1d'; RT.rtUrl = 'https://www.rottentomatoes.com'; RT.rtApiUrl = 'https://static.rottentomatoes.com'; RT.rtStaticAssets = 'https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/static'; RT.themePath = '/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes'; RT.buildCache = function(path) { try { if (!RT.buildHash) return path; const glue = path.includes('?') ? '&' : '?'; return `${path}${glue}b=${RT.buildHash}`; } catch (err) { return path; } } var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; googletag.unitIds = []; </script> <script src="https://assets.adobedtm.com/77ca722dd820/8bfcb41d6bfe/launch-87da9747ac68.min.js"></script> <meta name='robots' content='max-image-preview:large' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s.w.org' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Rotten Tomatoes » 20 Years Later, Scooby-Doo Is Still a Clever, Subversive Take on the Mystery Inc. Gang Comments Feed" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/feed/" /> <script type="text/javascript"> window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.1.0\/72x72\/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.1.0\/svg\/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https:\/\/editorial.rottentomatoes.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=5.8.1"}}; !function(e,a,t){var n,r,o,i=a.createElement("canvas"),p=i.getContext&&i.getContext("2d");function s(e,t){var a=String.fromCharCode;p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,e),0,0);e=i.toDataURL();return p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,t),0,0),e===i.toDataURL()}function c(e){var t=a.createElement("script");t.src=e,t.defer=t.type="text/javascript",a.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(t)}for(o=Array("flag","emoji"),t.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},r=0;r<o.length;r++)t.supports[o[r]]=function(e){if(!p||!p.fillText)return!1;switch(p.textBaseline="top",p.font="600 32px Arial",e){case"flag":return s([127987,65039,8205,9895,65039],[127987,65039,8203,9895,65039])?!1:!s([55356,56826,55356,56819],[55356,56826,8203,55356,56819])&&!s([55356,57332,56128,56423,56128,56418,56128,56421,56128,56430,56128,56423,56128,56447],[55356,57332,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56418,8203,56128,56421,8203,56128,56430,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56447]);case"emoji":return!s([10084,65039,8205,55357,56613],[10084,65039,8203,55357,56613])}return!1}(o[r]),t.supports.everything=t.supports.everything&&t.supports[o[r]],"flag"!==o[r]&&(t.supports.everythingExceptFlag=t.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&t.supports[o[r]]);t.supports.everythingExceptFlag=t.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&!t.supports.flag,t.DOMReady=!1,t.readyCallback=function(){t.DOMReady=!0},t.supports.everything||(n=function(){t.readyCallback()},a.addEventListener?(a.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",n,!1),e.addEventListener("load",n,!1)):(e.attachEvent("onload",n),a.attachEvent("onreadystatechange",function(){"complete"===a.readyState&&t.readyCallback()})),(n=t.source||{}).concatemoji?c(n.concatemoji):n.wpemoji&&n.twemoji&&(c(n.twemoji),c(n.wpemoji)))}(window,document,window._wpemojiSettings); </script> <style type="text/css"> img.wp-smiley, img.emoji { display: inline !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; height: 1em !important; width: 1em !important; margin: 0 .07em !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; background: none !important; padding: 0 !important; } </style> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-block-library-css' href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/css/dist/block-library/style.min.css?ver=5.8.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='mediaelement-css' href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/mediaelementplayer-legacy.min.css?ver=4.2.16' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-mediaelement-css' href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.min.css?ver=5.8.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='view_editor_gutenberg_frontend_assets-css' href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/toolset-blocks/public/css/views-frontend.css?ver=3.6.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <style id='view_editor_gutenberg_frontend_assets-inline-css' type='text/css'> .wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default > span.wpv-sort-list,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default .wpv-sort-list-item {border-color: #cdcdcd;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default .wpv-sort-list-item a {color: #444;background-color: #fff;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default a:hover,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default a:focus {color: #000;background-color: #eee;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default .wpv-sort-list-item.wpv-sort-list-current a {color: #000;background-color: #eee;} .wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default > span.wpv-sort-list,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default .wpv-sort-list-item {border-color: #cdcdcd;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default .wpv-sort-list-item a {color: #444;background-color: #fff;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default a:hover,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default a:focus {color: #000;background-color: #eee;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default .wpv-sort-list-item.wpv-sort-list-current a {color: #000;background-color: #eee;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey > span.wpv-sort-list,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey .wpv-sort-list-item {border-color: #cdcdcd;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey .wpv-sort-list-item a {color: #444;background-color: #eeeeee;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey a:hover,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey a:focus {color: #000;background-color: #e5e5e5;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey .wpv-sort-list-item.wpv-sort-list-current a {color: #000;background-color: #e5e5e5;} .wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default > span.wpv-sort-list,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default .wpv-sort-list-item {border-color: #cdcdcd;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default .wpv-sort-list-item a {color: #444;background-color: #fff;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default a:hover,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default a:focus {color: #000;background-color: #eee;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-default .wpv-sort-list-item.wpv-sort-list-current a {color: #000;background-color: #eee;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey > span.wpv-sort-list,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey .wpv-sort-list-item {border-color: #cdcdcd;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey .wpv-sort-list-item a {color: #444;background-color: #eeeeee;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey a:hover,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey a:focus {color: #000;background-color: #e5e5e5;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-grey .wpv-sort-list-item.wpv-sort-list-current a {color: #000;background-color: #e5e5e5;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-blue > span.wpv-sort-list,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-blue .wpv-sort-list-item {border-color: #0099cc;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-blue .wpv-sort-list-item a {color: #444;background-color: #cbddeb;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-blue a:hover,.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-blue a:focus {color: #000;background-color: #95bedd;}.wpv-sort-list-dropdown.wpv-sort-list-dropdown-style-blue .wpv-sort-list-item.wpv-sort-list-current a {color: #000;background-color: #95bedd;} </style> <link rel='stylesheet' id='media-credit-css' href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/media-credit/public/css/media-credit.min.css?ver=4.2.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='stylesheet-css' href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/style.css?ver=c9997d1d' type='text/css' media='all' /> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/toolset-blocks/vendor/toolset/common-es/public/toolset-common-es-frontend.js?ver=161000' id='toolset-common-es-frontend-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.min.js?ver=3.6.0' id='jquery-core-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery-migrate.min.js?ver=3.3.2' id='jquery-migrate-js'></script> <link rel="https://api.w.org/" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-json/" /><link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/xmlrpc.php?rsd" /> <link rel="wlwmanifest" type="application/wlwmanifest+xml" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/wlwmanifest.xml" /> <meta name="generator" content="WordPress 5.8.1" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/" /> <link rel='shortlink' href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/?p=219837' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/json+oembed" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.rottentomatoes.com%2Farticle%2F20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang%2F" /> <link rel="alternate" type="text/xml+oembed" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.rottentomatoes.com%2Farticle%2F20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang%2F&format=xml" /> <link rel='https://github.com/WP-API/WP-API' href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-json' /> <script> window.addEventListener("load",function(){ var c={script:false,link:false}; function ls(s) { if(!['script','link'].includes(s)||c[s]){return;}c[s]=true; var d=document,f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s); if(s==='script'){j.async=true;j.src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/toolset-blocks/vendor/toolset/blocks/public/js/frontend.js?v=1.6.0';}else{ j.rel='stylesheet';j.href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/toolset-blocks/vendor/toolset/blocks/public/css/style.css?v=1.6.0';} f.parentNode.insertBefore(j, f); }; function ex(){ls('script');ls('link')} window.addEventListener("scroll", ex, {once: true}); if (('IntersectionObserver' in window) && ('IntersectionObserverEntry' in window) && ('intersectionRatio' in window.IntersectionObserverEntry.prototype)) { var i = 0, fb = document.querySelectorAll("[class^='tb-']"), o = new IntersectionObserver(es => { es.forEach(e => { o.unobserve(e.target); if (e.intersectionRatio > 0) { ex();o.disconnect();}else{ i++;if(fb.length>i){o.observe(fb[i])}} }) }); if (fb.length) { o.observe(fb[i]) } } }) </script> <noscript> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/toolset-blocks/vendor/toolset/blocks/public/css/style.css"> </noscript><link rel="icon" href="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/09104817/favicon.png" sizes="32x32" /> <link rel="icon" href="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/09104817/favicon.png" sizes="192x192" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/09104817/favicon.png" /> <meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/09104817/favicon.png" /> <script>!function(a){var e="https://s.go-mpulse.net/boomerang/",t="addEventListener";if("False"=="True")a.BOOMR_config=a.BOOMR_config||{},a.BOOMR_config.PageParams=a.BOOMR_config.PageParams||{},a.BOOMR_config.PageParams.pci=!0,e="https://s2.go-mpulse.net/boomerang/";if(window.BOOMR_API_key="FY54K-R3QDX-VKS32-UEVJ8-QAXP2",function(){function n(e){a.BOOMR_onload=e&&e.timeStamp||(new Date).getTime()}if(!a.BOOMR||!a.BOOMR.version&&!a.BOOMR.snippetExecuted){a.BOOMR=a.BOOMR||{},a.BOOMR.snippetExecuted=!0;var i,_,o,r=document.createElement("iframe");if(a[t])a[t]("load",n,!1);else if(a.attachEvent)a.attachEvent("onload",n);r.src="javascript:void(0)",r.title="",r.role="presentation",(r.frameElement||r).style.cssText="width:0;height:0;border:0;display:none;",o=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0],o.parentNode.insertBefore(r,o);try{_=r.contentWindow.document}catch(O){i=document.domain,r.src="javascript:var d=document.open();d.domain='"+i+"';void(0);",_=r.contentWindow.document}_.open()._l=function(){var a=this.createElement("script");if(i)this.domain=i;a.id="boomr-if-as",a.src=e+"FY54K-R3QDX-VKS32-UEVJ8-QAXP2",BOOMR_lstart=(new Date).getTime(),this.body.appendChild(a)},_.write("<bo"+'dy onload="document._l();">'),_.close()}}(),"".length>0)if(a&&"performance"in a&&a.performance&&"function"==typeof a.performance.setResourceTimingBufferSize)a.performance.setResourceTimingBufferSize();!function(){if(BOOMR=a.BOOMR||{},BOOMR.plugins=BOOMR.plugins||{},!BOOMR.plugins.AK){var e=""=="true"?1:0,t="",n="bdpnbetiiwwyoz2iirvq-f-c7a700efd-clientnsv4-s.akamaihd.net",i="false"=="true"?2:1,_={"ak.v":"39","ak.cp":"899812","ak.ai":parseInt("576128",10),"ak.ol":"0","ak.cr":4,"ak.ipv":4,"ak.proto":"http/1.1","ak.rid":"1d14d27f","ak.r":47863,"ak.a2":e,"ak.m":"dscx","ak.n":"essl","ak.bpcip":"8.222.208.0","ak.cport":46180,"ak.gh":"23.54.158.77","ak.quicv":"","ak.tlsv":"tls1.2","ak.0rtt":"","ak.0rtt.ed":"","ak.csrc":"-","ak.acc":"reno","ak.t":"1732789355","ak.ak":"hOBiQwZUYzCg5VSAfCLimQ==YPjHjSprmPpbwAnhc8m8d5P6kcR8ZF7ZLnDfcOXXkuN1EtSWLdSAHJYtUttmdortCYrs+BG/Hd6TttjgqfIGxL+B5PhX7vmF+Uzeiq+mBzMof29AKL10DICWTDgAIi7kmxYPWBoy1yj1J8ex9L0GRdxZTebcT8O5TxsUPhKW9XBWukf358Hn35Vm8cbMxaJH0zYRqhoTjWNEueY02FyKGTUgH8WEoHuILBeXuN3bU8azNGb/oKcW1WdNE3G9Pl506wDtgrIwOss0UhKHLAXywlwSVo0xgkPhxfW2OClDXUd4m2u4a2jM1ZWm9kDvIG/WaIcKUVd2R6surbfup4/QTPgniv7vFw45C+WVIe9in4JbUvxdKdDJKzKowbaVKbKqnBR+6HvXX7UhZePoXtSPh9lEDpjrda3Yc1aJ/qx1OZU=","ak.pv":"8","ak.dpoabenc":"","ak.tf":i};if(""!==t)_["ak.ruds"]=t;var o={i:!1,av:function(e){var t="http.initiator";if(e&&(!e[t]||"spa_hard"===e[t]))_["ak.feo"]=void 0!==a.aFeoApplied?1:0,BOOMR.addVar(_)},rv:function(){var a=["ak.bpcip","ak.cport","ak.cr","ak.csrc","ak.gh","ak.ipv","ak.m","ak.n","ak.ol","ak.proto","ak.quicv","ak.tlsv","ak.0rtt","ak.0rtt.ed","ak.r","ak.acc","ak.t","ak.tf"];BOOMR.removeVar(a)}};BOOMR.plugins.AK={akVars:_,akDNSPreFetchDomain:n,init:function(){if(!o.i){var a=BOOMR.subscribe;a("before_beacon",o.av,null,null),a("onbeacon",o.rv,null,null),o.i=!0}return this},is_complete:function(){return!0}}}}()}(window);</script></head> <body class="body"> <div id="navMenu" class="modal fade" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="navMenu"> <div class="modal-dialog"> <div class="modal-content"> <div class="modal-body"> <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-label="Close"> <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-remove" /> </button> <div class="pull-left"> <ul class="list-inline social"> <li><a id="header-facebook-social-link" class="unstyled fontelloIcon icon-facebook-squared" href="https://www.facebook.com/rottentomatoes" target="_blank"></a></li> <li><a id="header-twitter-social-link" class="unstyled fontelloIcon icon-twitter" href="https://twitter.com/rottentomatoes" target="_blank"></a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="items"> <div class="item"> <a class="homeTab unstyled navLink fullLink" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/"> Home </a> </div> <div class="item"> <a class="boxofficeTab unstyled navLink fullLink" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/movies_in_theaters/"> Top Box Office </a> </div> <div class="item"> <a class="theatersTab unstyled navLink fullLink" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/theaters/"> Tickets & Showtimes </a> </div> <div class="item"> <a class="dvdTab unstyled navLink fullLink" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/movies_at_home/"> DVD & Streaming </a> </div> <div class="item"> <a class="tvTab unstyled navLink fullLink" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/tv_series_browse/"> TV </a> </div> <div class="item"> <a class="newsTab unstyled navLink fullLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com"> News </a> </div> </div> <div class="loginArea"> <a href="#signup" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#signup" class="signupLink login">SIGN UP</a> <a href="#login" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#login" class="loginLink login">LOG IN</a> <div class="userProfile" style="display:none"> <a class="userProfileLink"> <div class="media"> <div class="pull-left"> <img class="media-object" src="//graph.facebook.com/v2.2/100001988417196/picture"/> </div> <div class="pull-right"> <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-cog"/> </div> <div class="media-body"> <span class="name">Jester McGree</span> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="logoutRow" style="display:none"> <a class="logout" href="/logout/"> Logout </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="body_main container"> <div id="top_leaderboard_wrapper" class="leaderboard_wrapper"> <div class="leaderboard_helper"> <div id="leaderboard_top_ad"></div> <script> //--RESPONSIVE AD SWITCHING (DIFFERENT CONTAINERS) var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[]; mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function() { if (mps.getResponsiveSet() =='0') { //MOBILE mps.cloneAd('#leaderboard_top_ad','mbanner'); } else { //DESKTOP or TABLET mps.cloneAd('#leaderboard_top_ad','topbanner'); } }); </script> </div> </div> <div class="header_main container"> <div id="navbar" class="navbar navbar-rt" role="navigation"> <div class="navbar-header pull-right hidden-xs"> <div class="header_links"> <a id="header-whats-the-tomatometer" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/about/"><b>About Rotten Tomatoes®</b></a> <a id="header-top-bar-critics" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critics/"><b>Critics</b></a> </div> </div> <div id="header_brand_column" class="col-sm-13 col-full-xs"> <div class="hidden-xs desktopNav">  <div class="navbar-brand"> <a id="header-rt-logo" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/"> <img src="https://images.fandango.com/cms/assets/68ffa860-b30f-11ed-9d20-83ee649e98bd--rotten-logo-ko-322x100.png" /> </a> </div> <div id="rt_logo_ad" style="display:none;"></div> <script> var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[]; mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function() { if (mps.getResponsiveSet() !='0') { //DESKTOP or TABLET mps.rt.insertlogo('#rt_logo_ad', 'ploc=rtlogo;'); } }); </script>  <div id="desktop-search-root"> <form action="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/search" method="get"> <div class="navbar-searchbox main"> <div class="input-group"> <input name="search" type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Search movies, TV, actors, more..." name="srch-term" id="search-term"> <div class="input-group-btn"> <button type="submit" class="btn btn-default searchBtn"> <em class="glyphicon glyphicon-search"></em> </button> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </div> <div id="mobile-nav" class="visible-xs mobileNav"> <div> <a id="mobile-search-button" href="#"> <button class="pull-right navbar-button searchButton"> <em class="glyphicon glyphicon-search white"></em> </button> </a> </div> <div class="navbar-brand"> <a id="header-rt-logo" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/"> <img src="https://images.fandango.com/cms/assets/68ffa860-b30f-11ed-9d20-83ee649e98bd--rotten-logo-ko-322x100.png" /> </a> </div> <mobile-search action="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/search" hidden></mobile-search> <div class="mob-nav-bottom clearfix"> <ul id="nav-list" class="nav-list"> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com"><i class=" fontelloIcon icon-home"></i>Home</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/movies_in_theaters"><i class=" fontelloIcon icon-boxoffice"></i>Box Office</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/tv_series_browse"><i class=" fontelloIcon icon-tv2"></i>TV</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/movies_at_home"><i class=" fontelloIcon icon-redeem"></i>DVD</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a id="menu-btn" class="menu-btn" href="#"> <i class=" fontelloIcon icon-more"></i>MORE </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div id="mobile-nav-overlay" class="mobile-nav-overlay">  <ul class="mobile-menu-panel"> <li class="nav-item"><a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com">News</a></li> <li class="nav-item clearfix d-block"> <div class="social-media-box pull-right"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rottentomatoes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <i class="fontelloIcon icon-facebook-squared" aria-hidden="true"></i> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rottentomatoes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <i class="fontelloIcon icon-twitter" aria-hidden="true"></i> </a> </div> </li> </ul>  </div> </div>  </div> <div id="menu" class="navbar-nav col-sm-11 hidden-xs"> <div class="menu-container"> <div id="movieMenuTab" class="menuHeader center noSpacing"> <a id="movieMenu" class="h2" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/movies_in_theaters">Movies</a> </div> <div id="tvMenuTab" class="menuHeader center noSpacing"> <a id="tvMenu" class="h2" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browse/tv_series_browse">TV Shows</a> </div> <div id="newsMenuTab" class="menuHeader center noSpacing"> <a id="newsMenu" class="h2" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com">News</a> </div> <div class="menuHeader center noSpacing" style="border-radius: 5px" id="header-tickets-showtimes"> <a id="ticketingMenu" class="h2" href="https://www.fandango.com/movies-in-theaters?adid=nav_TS" class="menuHeader" target="_blank">Showtimes</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="trendingBar hidden-xs"> <ul class="list-inline trendingEl"> <li class="header">Trending on RT</li> </ul> <div class="list-inline fr"> <div id="trending_bar_ad" class="trending-bar-ad" style="display:none;"></div> <div id="trending_bar_social" class="trending-bar_social" data-qa="trending-bar-social-list"> <a id="header-facebook-social-link" class="trending-bar__social-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/rottentomatoes" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Facebook" data-qa="trending-bar-social-facebook"> <rt-icon icon="facebook-official"></rt-icon> </a> <a id="header-twitter-social-link" class="trending-bar__social-link" href="https://twitter.com/rottentomatoes" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Twitter" data-qa="trending-bar-social-twitter"> <rt-icon icon="twitter-x"></rt-icon> </a> <a id="header-instagram-social-link" class="trending-bar__social-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/rottentomatoes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Instagram" data-qa="trending-bar-social-instagram"> <rt-icon icon="instagram"></rt-icon> </a> <a id="header-tiktok-social-link" class="trending-bar__social-link" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@rottentomatoes" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="TikTok" data-qa="trending-bar-social-tiktok"> <rt-icon icon="tiktok"></rt-icon> </a> <a id="header-youtube-social-link" class="trending-bar__social-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/rottentomatoes" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Youtube" data-qa="trending-bar-social-youtube"> <rt-icon icon="youtube-play"></rt-icon> </a> </div> </div> <script> var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[]; mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function() { if (mps.getResponsiveSet() !='0') { //DESKTOP or TABLET mps.cloneAd('#trending_bar_ad','trendinggraphic'); } }); </script> </div>  <div style="min-height: 528px; background: white;" class="container body_main"> <div id="article_main_body" class="col col-left-center col-full-xs article_body "> <div class="panel-rt panel-box article_body"> <h2 class="panel-heading"><a style="text-decoration:none; color:#1C1C1C;" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/hear-us-out/"/>Hear Us Out</a></h2> <div class="sponsorship_ad"> <div id="article_sponsorship_ad" class="page_ad" style="height:0px"></div> <script> var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[]; mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function() { mps.rt.insertlogo('#article_sponsorship_ad', 'ploc=articlesponsorship'); }); </script> </div> <div class="panel-body"> <h1>20 Years Later, <em>Scooby-Doo</em> Is Still a Clever, Subversive Take on the Mystery Inc. Gang</h1> <h2 class="subtext">Film critic Rendy Jones waxes nostalgic about the well-executed balance between satire and faithful homage and the all-around campy fun of the long-running cartoon's first live-action adaptation.</h2> <div class="small subtle">by <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/author/rendy-jones/" title="Posts by Rendy Jones" class="author url fn" rel="author">Rendy Jones</a> | June 17, 2022 | <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-comment commenticon"></span> <a href="#disqus_thread"> <span class="disqus-comment-count" data-disqus-url="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/">Comments</span> </a> </div> <hr> <div class="articleContentSocialNetworks"> <div class="social-share"> <button class="twitter-share js-twitter-share" aria-label="Share on Twitter"> <img src="/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/images/icons/social_twitter.png" class="twitter-share__image" alt=""> </button> <button class="facebook-share js-facebook-share" aria-label="Share on Facebook"> <img src="/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/images/icons/social_fb_share.png" class="facebook-share__image" alt=""> </button> <div class="fb-like" data-href="https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/" data-width="" data-layout="button" data-action="like" data-size="large" data-share="false"></div> </div> </div> <p class="articleContentSocialNetworks articleContentTags"> TAGGED AS: <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/tag/family/" rel="tag">Family</a>, <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/tag/film/" rel="tag">Film</a>, <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/tag/films/" rel="tag">films</a>, <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/tag/movie/" rel="tag">movie</a>, <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/tag/movies/" rel="tag">movies</a> </p> <div class="articleContentBody"> <div class="youtube-container"><iframe width="100%" height="auto" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o3dbeI0BU1k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <p>Out of the many long-running franchises in animation history, no show received as many iterations as <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/scooby_doo">Scooby-Doo</a>. Since 1969, <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/scooby-doo-where-are-you">the iconic Hanna-Barbera series</a> has been reincarnated more times than <em>Doctor Who</em> has regenerated. There was a Scooby-Doo that was prolific for each generation: Gen-Xers grew up with the first run of the series, <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/scooby-doo-where-are-you"><em>Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!</em></a>, and Millennials had <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/a_pup_named_scooby_doo"><em>A Pup Named Scooby-Doo</em></a> and <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/scoobydoo-on-zombie-island"><em>Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island</em></a>. Lucky for me, Gen-Z got one of the most iconic iterations to date: <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1112357-scoobydoo"><strong><em>Scooby-Doo</em></strong></a>, the 2002 live-action film adaptation. But <em>Scooby-Doo</em> wasn’t just a cultural reset smash hit that Gen-Z puts on a pedestal to this very day; it changed the trajectory of the franchise forever.</p> <p>With the movie celebrating its 20th anniversary this week (feel old yet?), it’s a perfect time to unmask that 31% Tomatometer score and make the case as to why the <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/raja_gosnell">Raja Gosnell</a>-directed and <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_gunn">James Gunn</a>-written classic is a clever and subversive take on the franchise’s history.</p> <hr /> <h2><strong>It Deconstructs the Archetypes and Has Fun Doing It</strong></h2> <img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-219886 size-full" src="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15190530/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary1.jpg" alt="Poster image for Scooby-Doo (2002)" width="700" height="380" srcset="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15190530/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary1.jpg 700w, https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15190530/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary1-300x163.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><p style="display: block;" class="media-credit image-text">(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)</p> <p>Anyone could have done a procedural copy-and-paste job to adapt <em>Scooby-Doo</em> for the big screen, but James Gunn attempted to deconstruct the series’ formula while staying true to it. His approach was meant to be in the same vein as <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shrek"><em>Shrek</em></a>, who was the hotshot cool kid in the classroom at the time. While it doesn’t hit the same mark <em>Shrek</em> did from a satirical standpoint, Gunn’s script was a valiant attempt at commenting on the archetypes of the characters and the mysteries they’ve experienced. It was Gunn’s first venture into the realm he’s known best for today: a found family ensemble with good chemistry who also can’t stand each other.</p> <p>It’s an enticing if not refreshing concept to disband the gang for most of the movie. The overall exhaustion of the gang’s status quo — Velma is always undervalued for her work, Fred is a showboat, Daphne is constantly kidnapped — warrants the break-up in the opening. The story establishes that they’ve been working together for many years, and the bubbling internal dysfunction between the mystery gang reaches its breaking point. It’s quickly paced, but you feel the weight of it all.</p> <img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-219887 size-full" src="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15191137/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary2.jpg" alt="Linda Cardellini and Freddie Prinze Jr. as Velma and Fred in Scooby-Doo (2002)" width="700" height="380" srcset="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15191137/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary2.jpg 700w, https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15191137/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary2-300x163.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><p style="display: block;" class="media-credit image-text">(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)</p> <p>Working individually on Spooky Island two years later, the new mystery allows them to slowly rekindle their relationships, and the gang learns what it’s like to be a team again. Gunn’s script explores different avenues and shifts the functionality of the team’s dynamic. While he didn’t get clearance to make Velma or Fred outrightly gay as he intended, he did get to make their relationship a strong one. One of the best examples is when Velma comments on how Daphne and Fred always split up together when they try investigating for clues and she’s left on her own. In a surprising twist, Fred lets Velma tag along with him and they work together throughout. It’s not commentary for the sake of being meta but for bettering the relationship of a group that has been on the rocks.</p> <p>Arguably, the best played-for-laughs aspect is Daphne’s arc, which back then was meant to be hilarious but today is empowering. During the team’s breakup, she spent her time training in martial arts so she can defend herself from being kidnapped, which often happened in the series. The climactic fight between her and Zarkos is well executed, and the script is never in your face about her gender like so many modern superhero films are; it lets her actions speak for themselves.</p> <hr /> <h2><strong>Its Sense of Humor Is Goofy, but It’s Timeless</strong></h2> <img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-219888 size-full" src="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15192231/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary3.jpg" alt="Mathew Lillard as Shaggy and Neil Fanning as the voice of Scooby-Doo in Scooby-Doo (2002)" width="700" height="380" srcset="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15192231/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary3.jpg 700w, https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15192231/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary3-300x163.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><p style="display: block;" class="media-credit image-text">(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)</p> <p><em>Scooby-Doo</em> remains true to formula without throwing in modern references. Gunn’s script largely avoids pop culture shout-outs to give the movie a timeless factor, unlike movies like <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1184827-alvin_and_the_chipmunks"><em>Alvin and the Chipmunks</em></a>, <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sonic_the_hedgehog_2020"><em>Sonic the Hedgehog</em></a>, or even 2020’s <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/scoob"><em>Scoob!</em></a>, all of which frontload their humor with pop culture references. Granted, <em>Scooby-Doo</em> did overdo it in the fart joke department, but outdated references expire fast, and fart jokes are forever.</p> <hr /> <h2><strong>It Was a Potent Shot of Early 2000s Nostalgia</strong></h2> <div class="youtube-container"><iframe width="100%" height="auto" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WC60ALoX_Nk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <p>Having stated the above, though, <em>Scooby-Doo</em> is also a compelling time capsule of its era. The tropical resort setting is straight out of MTV, complete with a cameo from Sugar Ray, and the Mystery Inc. gang’s modernized looks fit in seamlessly, despite calling back to their classic outfits.</p> <p>The cameo appearances aren’t unreasonably gratuitous, either; they provide a glimpse into the show’s identity, or they serve as legitimate plot details. Daphne, for example, realizes people are being possessed when she notices Mark McGrath’s eyes glow a demonic green as he sings to her. It’s subtle but effective, a combination that a lot of movies today have difficulty achieving.</p> <hr /> <h2><strong>It Boasts a Perfectly Cast Killer Ensemble</strong></h2> <img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-219987 size-full" src="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/17162116/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary4.jpg" alt="Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, Matthew Lillard, and Freddie Prinze Jr. as the Mystery, Inc. gang in Scooby-Doo (2002)" width="700" height="380" srcset="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/17162116/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary4.jpg 700w, https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/17162116/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary4-300x163.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><p style="display: block;" class="media-credit image-text">(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)</p> <p>Casting director Mary Vernieu deserves a Nobel Prize for assembling an ensemble of great actors who fit into their respective roles so perfectly. This was the first live-action adaptation of the series, and she knocked it out of the park with <em>Avengers</em>-level precision. Soon-to-be-married duo Freddy Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar (their wedding was just a few months after <em>Scooby-Doo</em> opened) were top-notch as Fred and Daphne; Gellar’s independent spunkiness and Prinze’s confident, self-centered attitude brought more life than the characters had in previous iterations. Linda Cardellini’s absolutely nailed Velma with her nasally, deadpan delivery. And then there was Matthew Lillard.</p> <p>What can one say about Matthew Lillard’s performance as Shaggy? Despite the film’s negative reviews, Lillard’s performance was universally praised, and he’s now the primary actor who portrays the character in all <em>Scooby-Doo</em>-related media to this very day. It was the role he was born to play, and he is now one with Shaggy.</p> <img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-219991 size-full" src="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/17164008/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary6.jpg" alt="Matthew Lillard as Shaggy in Scooby-Doo (2002)" width="700" height="380" srcset="https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/17164008/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary6.jpg 700w, https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/17164008/Scooby-Doo_Anniversary6-300x163.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><p style="display: block;" class="media-credit image-text">(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)</p> <p>All joking aside, though the narrative places all the characters at odds with one another, you can see the genuine chemistry between the cast, the shared camaraderie within the Mystery Inc. gang that matched the spirit of the source material. Sure, Scooby-Doo himself might suffer from CGI that looks dated even by 2002 standards (seriously, compare this to the other big family blockbuster of the time, <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stuart_little_2"><em>Stuart Little 2</em></a>), but the energy Lillard shares with that dog is more realistic than a lot of the schlock we see even today.</p> <p>We’re not saying <em>Scooby-Doo</em> is some gold standard of family entertainment, but it understands its source material and knows how to play off of it, which is more than a lot of other live-action adaptations can say. The casting is pitch-perfect, the balance between being faithful and satirical is fresh, and it’s just classic campy fun. It was a modernized <em>Scooby-Doo</em> without emphasizing how modernized it was, which, in today’s cinema landscape, is more welcome than ever.</p> <hr /> <p><strong><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1112357-scoobydoo"><em>Scooby-Doo</em></a> was released in theaters on June 14, 2002.</strong></p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/Tey6JRlfvQ4mnS2lJ9pyV7w?subscribe=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.</strong></em></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div id="wpv-view-layout-9432-TCPID219837CPID219837" class="js-wpv-view-layout js-wpv-layout-responsive js-wpv-view-layout-9432-TCPID219837CPID219837" data-viewnumber="9432-TCPID219837CPID219837" data-pagination="{"id":"9432","query":"normal","type":"disabled","effect":"fade","duration":500,"speed":5,"pause_on_hover":"disabled","stop_rollover":"false","cache_pages":"enabled","preload_images":"enabled","preload_pages":"enabled","preload_reach":1,"spinner":"builtin","spinner_image":"https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-views/res/img/ajax-loader.gif","callback_next":"","manage_history":"enabled","has_controls_in_form":"disabled","infinite_tolerance":"0","max_pages":1,"page":1,"base_permalink":"/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/?wpv_view_count=9432-TCPID219837CPID219837&wpv_paged=WPV_PAGE_NUM","loop":{"type":"","name":"","data":[],"id":0}}" data-permalink="/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/?wpv_view_count=9432-TCPID219837CPID219837"> <div class="panel-rt panel-box article-more"> <h2 class="panel-heading"><a style="text-decoration:none; color:#1C1C1C;" href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/more-related-content/?ref=219837&relatedmovieid=64f08ec5-f9d4-3293-94f0-d38d8d1157fb'>Related News</a></h2> <div class="panel-body"> <div class="row"> <div class="newsItem col-sm-8 col-full-xs"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/the-most-anticipated-movies-of-2025/"> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/25092340/LiloStitch_600.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> The Most Anticipated Movies of 2025</p> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="newsItem col-sm-8 col-full-xs"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/moana-2-first-reviews-a-see-worthy-adventure-if-not-as-epic/"> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/26131742/Moana_2-600x314-1.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> <em>Moana 2</em> First Reviews: A See-Worthy Adventure, if Not as Epic</p> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="newsItem col-sm-8 col-full-xs"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/the-5-most-anticipated-movies-of-december-2024/"> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/25144454/Most_Anticipated_Movies_Dec2024-Rep.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> Poll: Vote for Your Most Anticipated Movie of December</p> </div> </div> </a> </div> </div> <div class="pull-right panel-link"><a class="unstyled articleLink" href='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/more-related-content/?ref=219837&relatedmovieid=64f08ec5-f9d4-3293-94f0-d38d8d1157fb'>More Related News <span class="fontelloIcon icon-angle-right"></span></a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="wpv-view-layout-9431-CATTR7a1c2168c23979f71c05ede6e3ee29a3TCPID219837" class="js-wpv-view-layout js-wpv-layout-responsive js-wpv-view-layout-9431-CATTR7a1c2168c23979f71c05ede6e3ee29a3TCPID219837" data-viewnumber="9431-CATTR7a1c2168c23979f71c05ede6e3ee29a3TCPID219837" data-pagination="{"id":"9431","query":"normal","type":"disabled","effect":"fade","duration":500,"speed":5,"pause_on_hover":"disabled","stop_rollover":"false","cache_pages":"enabled","preload_images":"enabled","preload_pages":"enabled","preload_reach":1,"spinner":"builtin","spinner_image":"https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-views/res/img/ajax-loader.gif","callback_next":"","manage_history":"enabled","has_controls_in_form":"disabled","infinite_tolerance":"0","max_pages":1,"page":1,"base_permalink":"/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/?wpv_view_count=9431-CATTR7a1c2168c23979f71c05ede6e3ee29a3TCPID219837&wpv_paged=WPV_PAGE_NUM","loop":{"type":"","name":"","data":[],"id":0}}" data-permalink="/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/?wpv_view_count=9431-CATTR7a1c2168c23979f71c05ede6e3ee29a3TCPID219837"> <div class="panel-rt panel-box article-more"> <h2 class="panel-heading"><a style="text-decoration:none; color:#1C1C1C;" href=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/hear-us-out/>More Hear Us Out</a></h2> <div class="panel-body"> <div class="row"> <div class="newsItem col-sm-8 col-full-xs"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/hear-us-out-ron-howards-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-is-a-modern-holiday-classic/"> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/16172753/HUO-How_Grinch_Stole_Christmas-Rep.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> Hear Us Out: Ron Howard’s <em>How the Grinch Stole Christmas</em> Is A Modern Holiday Classic</p> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="newsItem col-sm-8 col-full-xs"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/4-ways-house-of-the-dragon-honors-game-of-thrones-legacy-and-4-ways-it-doesnt/"> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/23132409/house-of-the-dragon-h4-600x314-1.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> 4 Ways <em>House of the Dragon</em> Honors <em>Game of Thrones</em>’ Legacy (and 4 Ways It Doesn’t)</p> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="newsItem col-sm-8 col-full-xs"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/hear-us-out-better-call-saul-is-a-better-show-than-breaking-bad/"> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/16150131/bb-bcs-split-600x314-1.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> Hear Us Out: <em>Better Call Saul</em> Is a Better Show Than <em>Breaking Bad</em></p> </div> </div> </a> </div> </div> <div class="pull-right panel-link"><a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/hear-us-out/">More Hear Us Out<span class="fontelloIcon icon-angle-right"></span></a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="disqus_thread" class="disqus-xray"></div> </div> <div class="col col-right col-full-xs"> <div style="padding-bottom:5px;"> <div id="medrec_top_ad" class="medrec_ad center"></div> <script> var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[]; mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function() { if (mps.getResponsiveSet() =='0') { //MOBILE mps.cloneAd('#medrec_top_ad','mboxadone'); } else { //Desktop and Tablet mps.cloneAd('#medrec_top_ad','topmulti'); } }); </script> <div style="margin-top:10px;" class="panel panel-rt panel-box otherNews"> <h2 class="panel-heading">Movie & TV News</h2> <div class="panel-body content_body"> <div id="wpv-view-layout-54857-TCPID219837" class="js-wpv-view-layout js-wpv-layout-responsive js-wpv-view-layout-54857-TCPID219837" data-viewnumber="54857-TCPID219837" data-pagination="{"id":"54857","query":"normal","type":"disabled","effect":"fade","duration":500,"speed":5,"pause_on_hover":"disabled","stop_rollover":"false","cache_pages":"enabled","preload_images":"enabled","preload_pages":"enabled","preload_reach":1,"spinner":"builtin","spinner_image":"https://editorialstaging.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-views/res/img/ajax-loader.gif","callback_next":"","manage_history":"enabled","has_controls_in_form":"disabled","infinite_tolerance":"0","max_pages":1,"page":1,"base_permalink":"/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/?wpv_view_count=54857-TCPID219837&wpv_paged=WPV_PAGE_NUM","loop":{"type":"","name":"","data":[],"id":0}}" data-permalink="/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/?wpv_view_count=54857-TCPID219837"> <h2>Featured on RT</h2> <div class="newsItem"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-thanksgiving-movies/" target=""> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/25135257/600CharlieBrownThanksgiving2.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> 61 Best Thanksgiving Movies: Your Holiday Movie Feast</p> <p class="noSpacing publication-date">November 27, 2024</p> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="newsItem"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-christmas-movies/" target=""> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/25194332/600NightmareBeforeChristmas.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> 100 Best Christmas Movies of All Time – Classic Christmas Films</p> <p class="noSpacing publication-date">November 27, 2024</p> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="newsItem"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-new-animated-movies/" target=""> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/27124027/600Moana22.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> 50 Best New Animated Movies</p> <p class="noSpacing publication-date">November 27, 2024</p> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="newsItem"> <a class="unstyled articleLink" href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/all-disney-animated-theatrical-movies-ranked-by-tomatometer/" target=""> <div class="editorialColumnPic"> <img src=https://prd-rteditorial.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/27123403/600Moana2.jpg class='attachment-full wp-post-image' alt='rteditorial_default'> </div> <div class="panel bannerCaption"> <div class="panel-body"> <p class="noSpacing title"> All 73 Disney Animated Movies Ranked</p> <p class="noSpacing publication-date">November 27, 2024</p> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div style="text-align: right;" class="panel-link"><a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/news/">More Featured on RT ></a></div> </div> <div id="wpv-view-layout-54858" class="js-wpv-view-layout js-wpv-layout-responsive js-wpv-view-layout-54858" data-viewnumber="54858" data-pagination="{"id":"54858","query":"normal","type":"disabled","effect":"fade","duration":500,"speed":5,"pause_on_hover":"disabled","stop_rollover":"false","cache_pages":"enabled","preload_images":"enabled","preload_pages":"enabled","preload_reach":1,"spinner":"builtin","spinner_image":"https://editorialstaging.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-views/res/img/ajax-loader.gif","callback_next":"","manage_history":"enabled","has_controls_in_form":"disabled","infinite_tolerance":"0","max_pages":1,"page":1,"base_permalink":"/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/?wpv_view_count=54858&wpv_paged=WPV_PAGE_NUM","loop":{"type":"","name":"","data":[],"id":0}}" data-permalink="/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/?wpv_view_count=54858"> <h2>Top Headlines</h2> <ul class="redDot"> <li class="newslink"> <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-new-christmas-movies/">Best New Christmas Movies of 2024</a><br> <span class="subtle">– </span> </li> <li class="newslink"> <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-thanksgiving-movies/">61 Best Thanksgiving Movies: Your Holiday Movie Feast</a><br> <span class="subtle">– </span> </li> <li class="newslink"> <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/christmas-horror-movies-ranked-worst-to-best/">47 Christmas Horror Movies Ranked by Tomatometer</a><br> <span class="subtle">– </span> </li> <li class="newslink"> <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-christmas-movies/">100 Best Christmas Movies of All Time – Classic Christmas Films</a><br> <span class="subtle">– </span> </li> <li class="newslink"> <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-new-animated-movies/">50 Best New Animated Movies</a><br> <span class="subtle">– </span> </li> <li class="newslink"> <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/all-disney-animated-theatrical-movies-ranked-by-tomatometer/">All 73 Disney Animated Movies Ranked</a><br> <span class="subtle">– </span> </li> </ul> <div class="pull-right panel-link"><a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/publications/">More Top Headlines ></a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="medrec_bottom_ad" class="medrec_ad center"></div> <script> var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[]; mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function() { if (mps.getResponsiveSet() =='0') { //MOBILE mps.cloneAd('#medrec_bottom_ad','mboxadtwo'); } else { //Desktop and Tablet mps.cloneAd('#medrec_bottom_ad','boxadone'); } }); </script> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="sleaderboard_wrapper hidden-xs"> <div id="leaderboard_bottom_ad" style="display:block"></div> <script> var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[]; mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function() { if (mps.getResponsiveSet() !='0') { //DESKTOP or TABLET mps.cloneAd('#leaderboard_bottom_ad','bottombanner'); } }); </script> </div> <style>#skin_ad { height:0px !important; }</style> <div id="skin_ad"></div> <div id="interstitial_ad" style="height:0px;"></div> <div id="pixel_ad" style="display:none;"></div> <script> var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[]; mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function() { mps.cloneAd('#pixel_ad','pixel'); }); </script> <footer class="footer container"> <div id="foot" class="hidden-xs footer__content-desktop-block" data-qa="footer:section"> <div class="footer__content-group"> <ul class="unstyled footer__links-list"> <li class="footer__links-list-item"><a id="footer-help" class="unstyled trendingLink" data-qa="footer:link-helpdesk" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/help_desk/">Help</a></li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"><a id="footer-about" class="unstyled trendingLink" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/about/">About Rotten Tomatoes®</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="footer__content-group"> <ul class="footer__links-list"> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a id="footer-critics" class="unstyled trendingLink" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critics/criteria">Critic Submission</a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a id="footer-licensing" class="unstyled trendingLink" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/help_desk/licensing">Licensing</a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a id="footer-advertise" class="unstyled trendingLink" href="https://together.nbcuni.com/advertise/?utm_source=rotten_tomatoes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=property_ad_pages" target="_blank" rel="noopener" > Advertise </a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="//www.fandango.com/careers" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:link-careers">Careers</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="footer__content-group footer__social-block" data-qa="footer:social"> <p class="h3 footer__content-group-title h3-footer">Follow Us</p> <ul class="footer__links-list list-inline"> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rottentomatoes" aria-label="Facebook" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:social-fb"> <rt-icon icon="facebook-official"></rt-icon> </a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="https://twitter.com/rottentomatoes" aria-label="Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:social-twitter"> <rt-icon icon="twitter-x"></rt-icon> </a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rottentomatoes/" aria-label="Instagram" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:social-instagram"> <rt-icon icon="instagram"></rt-icon> </a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@rottentomatoes" aria-label="TikTok" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:social-tiktok"> <rt-icon icon="tiktok"></rt-icon> </a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/rottentomatoes" aria-label="YouTube" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:social-yt"> <rt-icon icon="youtube-play"></rt-icon> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="footer__copyright"> <p class="footer__copyright-legal" data-qa="footer:copyright">Copyright © Fandango. A Division of <a href="https://www.nbcuniversal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:link-nbcuniversal">NBCUniversal</a>. All rights reserved. <span class="version" data-qa="footer:version">V3.1</span></p> <ul class="footer__links-list list-inline list-inline--separator" data-qa="footer:links-list-privacy"> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="//www.nbcuniversal.com/fandango-privacy-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:link-privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="//www.rottentomatoes.com/policies/terms-and-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:link-terms-policies">Terms and Policies</a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <img src="https://images.fandango.com/cms/assets/266533e0-7afb-11ed-83f2-4f600722b564--privacyoptions.svg" class="footer__ccpa-icon" loading="lazy" alt="CCPA icon" />  <a href="#" id="ot-sdk-btn" class="ot-sdk-show-settings footerLinks">Cookie Settings</a>  </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="//www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy/california-consumer-privacy-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:california-notice">California Notice</a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="//www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy/cookies#accordionheader2" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-qa="footer:link-adChoices">Ad Choices</a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="/faq#accessibility" data-qa="footer:link-accessibility">Accessibility</a> </li> </ul> <div id="mobileFoot" class="visible-xs-block"> <div id="footer_text"> <div class="white">Copyright © Fandango. A Division of <a href="https://www.nbcuniversal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:link-nbcuniversal">NBCUniversal</a>. All rights reserved. </div> <div> <a class="footerLinks" href="http://www.fandango.com/terms" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Terms of Service</a> <a class="footerLinks" href="http://www.fandango.com/privacy" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Privacy Policy</a> <a class="footerLinks" href="https://www.fandango.com/donotsellmyinfo" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Do Not Sell My Info</a> <a class="footerLinks" href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/faq#accessibility">Accessibility</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="footer__content-mobile-block" data-qa="mfooter:section"> <div class="footer__content-group"> <p class="footer__copyright-legal" data-qa="mfooter:copyright">Copyright © Fandango. A Division of <a href="https://www.nbcuniversal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="footer:link-nbcuniversal">NBCUniversal</a>. All rights reserved. </p> <button class="js-cognito-join-newsletter button footer__newsletter-btn" data-qa="mfooter:newsletter-btn">Join Newsletter</button> <a href="https://optout.services.fandango.com/rottentomatoes" class="button footer__newsletter-btn hide" data-qa="mfooter:newsletter-btn-signed-in">Join Newsletter</a> <ul class="footer__links-list list-inline"> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="//www.nbcuniversal.com/fandango-privacy-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="mfooter:link-privacy-policy"> Privacy Policy </a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="//www.rottentomatoes.com/policies/terms-and-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="mfooter:link-terms-policies">Terms and Policies</a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <img src="https://images.fandango.com/cms/assets/266533e0-7afb-11ed-83f2-4f600722b564--privacyoptions.svg" class="footer__ccpa-icon" loading="lazy" alt="CCPA icon" />  <a href="#" id="ot-sdk-btn" class="ot-sdk-show-settings footerLinks" data-qa="mfooter:link-ccpa">Cookie Settings</a>  </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="//www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy/california-consumer-privacy-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="mfooter:california-notice">California Notice</a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="//www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy/cookies#accordionheader2" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-qa="mfooter:link-adChoices">Ad Choices</a> </li> <li class="footer__links-list-item"> <a href="/faq#accessibility" data-qa="mfooter:link-accessibility">Accessibility</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </footer> <script> const elsOneTrustLink = document.querySelectorAll('#ot-sdk-btn'); [...elsOneTrustLink].forEach(el => el.addEventListener('click', (e) => e.preventDefault())); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> const wpvViewHead = document.getElementsByTagName( "head" )[ 0 ]; const wpvViewExtraCss = document.createElement( "style" ); wpvViewExtraCss.textContent = ''; wpvViewHead.appendChild( wpvViewExtraCss ); </script> <script type='text/javascript' id='disqus_count-js-extra'> /* <![CDATA[ */ var countVars = {"disqusShortname":"rottentomatoes"}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/disqus-comment-system/public/js/comment_count.js?ver=3.0.22' id='disqus_count-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' id='disqus_embed-js-extra'> /* <![CDATA[ */ var embedVars = {"disqusConfig":{"integration":"wordpress 3.0.22"},"disqusIdentifier":"219837 https:\/\/editorialadmin.rottentomatoes.com\/?post_type=article&p=219837","disqusShortname":"rottentomatoes","disqusTitle":"20 Years Later, Scooby-Doo Is Still a Clever, Subversive Take on the Mystery Inc. Gang","disqusUrl":"https:\/\/editorial.rottentomatoes.com\/article\/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang\/","postId":"219837"}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/disqus-comment-system/public/js/comment_embed.js?ver=3.0.22' id='disqus_embed-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/js/bootstrap.js' id='theme-js-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/page-links-to/dist/new-tab.js?ver=3.3.5' id='page-links-to-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js?ver=5.8.1' id='wp-embed-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/ui/core.min.js?ver=1.12.1' id='jquery-ui-core-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/ui/datepicker.min.js?ver=1.12.1' id='jquery-ui-datepicker-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/ui/mouse.min.js?ver=1.12.1' id='jquery-ui-mouse-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/ui/slider.min.js?ver=1.12.1' id='jquery-ui-slider-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.ui.touch-punch.js?ver=0.2.2' id='jquery-touch-punch-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' id='mediaelement-core-js-before'> var mejsL10n = {"language":"en","strings":{"mejs.download-file":"Download File","mejs.install-flash":"You are using a browser that does not have Flash player enabled or installed. Please turn on your Flash player plugin or download the latest version from https:\/\/get.adobe.com\/flashplayer\/","mejs.fullscreen":"Fullscreen","mejs.play":"Play","mejs.pause":"Pause","mejs.time-slider":"Time Slider","mejs.time-help-text":"Use Left\/Right Arrow keys to advance one second, Up\/Down arrows to advance ten seconds.","mejs.live-broadcast":"Live Broadcast","mejs.volume-help-text":"Use Up\/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.","mejs.unmute":"Unmute","mejs.mute":"Mute","mejs.volume-slider":"Volume Slider","mejs.video-player":"Video Player","mejs.audio-player":"Audio Player","mejs.captions-subtitles":"Captions\/Subtitles","mejs.captions-chapters":"Chapters","mejs.none":"None","mejs.afrikaans":"Afrikaans","mejs.albanian":"Albanian","mejs.arabic":"Arabic","mejs.belarusian":"Belarusian","mejs.bulgarian":"Bulgarian","mejs.catalan":"Catalan","mejs.chinese":"Chinese","mejs.chinese-simplified":"Chinese (Simplified)","mejs.chinese-traditional":"Chinese (Traditional)","mejs.croatian":"Croatian","mejs.czech":"Czech","mejs.danish":"Danish","mejs.dutch":"Dutch","mejs.english":"English","mejs.estonian":"Estonian","mejs.filipino":"Filipino","mejs.finnish":"Finnish","mejs.french":"French","mejs.galician":"Galician","mejs.german":"German","mejs.greek":"Greek","mejs.haitian-creole":"Haitian Creole","mejs.hebrew":"Hebrew","mejs.hindi":"Hindi","mejs.hungarian":"Hungarian","mejs.icelandic":"Icelandic","mejs.indonesian":"Indonesian","mejs.irish":"Irish","mejs.italian":"Italian","mejs.japanese":"Japanese","mejs.korean":"Korean","mejs.latvian":"Latvian","mejs.lithuanian":"Lithuanian","mejs.macedonian":"Macedonian","mejs.malay":"Malay","mejs.maltese":"Maltese","mejs.norwegian":"Norwegian","mejs.persian":"Persian","mejs.polish":"Polish","mejs.portuguese":"Portuguese","mejs.romanian":"Romanian","mejs.russian":"Russian","mejs.serbian":"Serbian","mejs.slovak":"Slovak","mejs.slovenian":"Slovenian","mejs.spanish":"Spanish","mejs.swahili":"Swahili","mejs.swedish":"Swedish","mejs.tagalog":"Tagalog","mejs.thai":"Thai","mejs.turkish":"Turkish","mejs.ukrainian":"Ukrainian","mejs.vietnamese":"Vietnamese","mejs.welsh":"Welsh","mejs.yiddish":"Yiddish"}}; </script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/mediaelement-and-player.min.js?ver=4.2.16' id='mediaelement-core-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/mediaelement-migrate.min.js?ver=5.8.1' id='mediaelement-migrate-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' id='mediaelement-js-extra'> /* <![CDATA[ */ var _wpmejsSettings = {"pluginPath":"\/wp-includes\/js\/mediaelement\/","classPrefix":"mejs-","stretching":"responsive"}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.min.js?ver=5.8.1' id='wp-mediaelement-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/underscore.min.js?ver=1.13.1' id='underscore-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' id='wp-util-js-extra'> /* <![CDATA[ */ var _wpUtilSettings = {"ajax":{"url":"\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/wp-util.min.js?ver=5.8.1' id='wp-util-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/backbone.min.js?ver=1.4.0' id='backbone-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-playlist.min.js?ver=5.8.1' id='wp-playlist-js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' id='views-blocks-frontend-js-extra'> /* <![CDATA[ */ var wpv_pagination_local = {"front_ajaxurl":"https:\/\/editorial.rottentomatoes.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php","calendar_image":"https:\/\/editorial.rottentomatoes.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/toolset-blocks\/embedded\/res\/img\/calendar.gif","calendar_text":"Select date","datepicker_min_date":null,"datepicker_max_date":null,"datepicker_min_year":"1582","datepicker_max_year":"3000","resize_debounce_tolerance":"100","datepicker_style_url":"https:\/\/editorial.rottentomatoes.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/types\/vendor\/toolset\/toolset-common\/toolset-forms\/css\/wpt-jquery-ui\/jquery-ui-1.11.4.custom.css","wpmlLang":""}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/plugins/toolset-blocks/public/js/views-frontend.js?ver=3.6.1' id='views-blocks-frontend-js'></script> <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/require.js/2.1.14/require.js" data-main="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/js/rtmain.js?b=c9997d1d" ></script> <script> function endsWith(str, suffix) { return str.indexOf(suffix, str.length - suffix.length) !== -1; } //--Ad Unit Loaded (called for each ad loaded) var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.adload=mps._queue.adload||[]; mps._queue.adload.push(function(eo) { window.console && console.log('**** AD LOADED: '+eo._mps.adslot); if (!eo.isEmpty) { console.log('MPS Slot Rendered: ' + eo.slot.getAdUnitPath() + " - " + eo.size + ' Creative Id: ' + eo.creativeId + ' Line Item Id: ' + eo.lineItemId); if (eo._mps._slot == "topbanner") { var leaderboardHeight = eo.size[1]; if (leaderboardHeight > 50){ jQuery("#top_leaderboard_wrapper").animate({height:(leaderboardHeight+10)},1000); if (jQuery("#imageViewerModal").length > 0) { jQuery(".modalDialog").css("top", leaderboardHeight+10); } } } if (eo._mps._slot == "trendinggraphic") { //Hide Trending bar social section jQuery("#trending_bar_social").hide(); //Removing padding for trending bar ad jQuery(".trendingBar>.trendingEl").css("padding","0px"); jQuery("#trending_bar_ad").show(); } } }); var mps=mps||{}; mps._queue=mps._queue||{}; mps._queue.gptloaded=mps._queue.gptloaded||[]; mps._queue.gptloaded.push(function() { mps._setPageTargeting('hub',"219837"); mps._setPageTargeting('url',"/article/20-years-later-scooby-doo-is-still-a-clever-subversive-take-on-the-mystery-inc-gang/"); mps._setPageTargeting('franchiseid',""); }); </script> <script type='text/javascript'> var _chartbeat_detail = _chartbeat_detail || {}; /** CONFIGURATION START **/ _chartbeat_detail.sections ="article"; _chartbeat_detail.authors = "rendy-jones"; /** CONFIGURATION END **/ </script> <? /* BEGIN critical load order */ ?> <script src="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/csr_modules/@rt-components/component/Component.js?b=c9997d1d"></script> <? /* END critical load order */ ?> <script src="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/components/MobileSearch/MobileSearch.js?b=c9997d1d"></script> <script src="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/components/RtIcon/RtIcon.js?b=c9997d1d"></script> <script src="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/wp-content/themes/RottenTomatoes/components/RtscMediaRank/RtscMediaRank.js?b=c9997d1d"></script> <script>mps.writeFooter && mps.writeFooter();</script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

20 Years Later, Scooby-Doo Is Still a Clever, Subversive Take on the Mystery Inc. Gang | Rotten Tomatoes