So You’re New to Scooby Doo

     Last week in my article about Hellboy, I mentioned what a great addition the series would be to anyone’s annual Halloween Movie Marathon. Yes, I realize September has only just started today, and yes, it’s too soon to be talking about Halloween. But the moment I saw Kroger’s two-month-early decorations go up last week, I realized that, as I no longer live in a college dorm but an actual house, I may get trick-or-treaters this year. And doggone it if I ain’t excited to cover my front door in fake bats and candy-corn!

     So in the spirit of fangirling over Halloween a bit too early, I’m going to take a walk down memory lane and tell you about a cornerstone of old-fashioned ghost stories, which apparently not everyone grew up with! (Man, all these years and I’m still surprised when someone says they haven’t seen something classic… then again, I’m one to talk. I still haven’t gotten around to watching all of Braveheart or E.T. in one sitting) (Stop glaring at me through your screen like that).

     Allow me to give you a thorough, spoiler-free explanation of everyone’s favorite talking great dane, Scooby-Doo!

Hogwarts Scooby Doo, A History

     Everything started in 1969, when parents were beginning to complain to animation studios about the increasing amount of violence in children's television shows. Eager to please, the powers that be with Hanna-Barbera commissioned a show from two of their top animators, Joe Ruby and Ken Spears (who also created, among other shows, Alvin and the Chipmunks. Not the trashy modern movies, mind you, but the original show). Ruby and Spears originally played with the idea of a teen band with a bongo-playing dog, who solve mysteries between gigs. That concept eventually morphed into Scooby Doo — the 5th Greatest TV Cartoon of All Time, according to TV guide.

     The original show aired from 1969 to 1976, then went to ABC from 1976 until 1986 when it was canceled. It was so popular that it inspired an entire slew of mystery-and-animal-sidekick-based cartoons, like Josie and the Pussycats and Speed Buggy. As the show evolved, audiences were treated to chase scenes set to pop music; new characters like Scrappy-Doo and Scooby Dumm…

     …and fantastic guest stars like the Harlem Globetrotters, the Adams Family, and even Batman and Robin to name just a few!

     After that, the rights got passed between the CW, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, and eventually came to rest with Boomerang along with many other Hanna-Barbera shows. To this day, Cartoon Network and Boomerang still feature reruns of the original show.

     However, the show didn't manage to make its rounds among the networks without having countless shameful reboots created over those long years. Whereas most of the original series featured criminals masquerading as monsters, reboots like The All-New Scooby and Scrappy Show, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, and The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo featured mysteries that were caused by 'actual' monsters and ghosts.

     Despite the protests of many fans who preferred the mind-over-matter, no-such-thing-as-ghosts logic that the show first started with, these new sagas stuck around for quite some time… and even inspired a pair of [awful] live-action feature films, two direct-to-video films, some video games, and even a few stage plays.

     Most recently, rumors have been circling that Boomerang is preparing a reboot, entitled Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! to air in October of this year. So far, the only footage to be found looks like the original show was mixed with Gravity Falls, and I'm not sure what to think of it at the moment. On the one hand, leaving the more realistic Hanna-Barbera style is a bit painful… but perhaps this change means that the new show is going to have plots that are just as entertaining as Gravity Falls or Adventure Time…? Maaaaaybe…

The Plot

     The stories, originally set in the late 60s, always follow a gang of four teenagers: Fred (the athletic leader), Daphne (the beautiful damsel in distress), Velma (the near-sighted bookworm), and Shaggy (the wisecracking scaredy-cat) as they're going about their adolescent shenanigans together.

     With their talking dog, who is — of course — Scooby-Doo! (Just think "Astro" from The Jetsons.)

     However, more often than not, the gang will have to put their teenage-ing on hold whenever they run into some sort of mystery that needs solving — be it a haunted suit of armor, a mysterious kidnapping, or a case of stolen jewels! Luckily, they have the perfect vehicle for that sort of thing.

     In order to solve each mystery, these teenagers and their remarkable talking hound must often times go undercover or split up to look for clues (which of course results in some hilarious or frightening encounters with 'ghosts'.

     Fortunately, the clues that the teenagers collect eventually help them to figure out that the spooky monsters aren't really monsters at all, but people trying to perform criminal acts and scare away nosy civilians. The gang will then use their wits and creativity to set elaborate traps (which sometimes work, and sometimes backfire) to catch the culprit(s) and prove that "there's no such thing as monsters."

Even the Vashta Nerada...

     Then the show always ends with the climactic un-masking of the villain, whom the teenagers have often already suspected thanks to the clues they've uncovered. However, some episodes are especially exciting because, even though they know the crime that's being covered up, the criminal isn't who they thought it would be.

The Appeal

     Scooby-Doo is a great family show because it (or at least its original series) shows that there's no such thing as monsters, and that there's a logical explanation for everything. It may not be the most intellectually challenging saga to hit the screen, but every now and then it will earn a giggle with its clever puns, celebrity impressions, or occasional slapstick cartoonery.

Just look at Scooby's face.
He totally knows that this isn't feasibly possible.

     The show's simplistic (read: cheap) animation style also appeals to a lot of viewers nowadays simply for its nostalgic feel. A lot of the frames are recycled over and over, and trapdoors or important artifacts are easy for kids to spot because they stand out from the elaborately-shaded backgrounds. This allows audiences to solve mysteries alongside the gang, which makes the show feel surprisingly interactive.

     Audiences also love Scooby because he and his friends fit a few very basic archetypes (one could argue stereotypes) that lead to some hilarious running gags. For example, Shaggy and Scooby are almost always ridiculously hungry…

     …and each often ends up cheating the other out of food. We all know that one person that we have to guard our plates around.

     The character Velma, while usually very smart, occasionally stumbles into some hilarious predicaments when her glasses are knocked off. (Those of us who are spectacularly-near-sighted know the struggle only too well.)

     Scooby and Shaggy are both practically allergic to danger, and will often try to get out of risky situations by faking illnesses or injuries.

     However, if offered a "Scooby-Snack" or two (the show's version of Popeye spinach), the pair will muster up every last ounce of courage to help their friends and at least pretend to be brave.

     Sometimes they may end up facing real danger, but usually they find out that there was actually very little to be afraid of in the first place.

The Rating

     If this show isn't a G, then frankly I don't know what is. The original Scooby Doo is all about visual gags and family-friendly humor.

     Violence: Other than a few frightening moments where characters might get kidnapped, dangle from a cliff, or face off against a scary monster (which turns out to be a person in a costume), there's very little to be afraid of here. The villains are all attempting to achieve their goals without the use of gun violence, which is what the show was originally inspired for. 

     Sex: None. I'm pretty sure there isn't so much as a single kiss shown anywhere, even between any married couples that the gang encounters.

No hanky-panky here!

     Language: Unless you count basic puns as an affront to the English language, there's nothing here.

"Hey - hey - guess how thick this fog is, guys!"

     A few characters (usually villains) do call others "cowardly" or "rotten," but the humor on this show is, without a doubt, as squeaky-clean as they come.

The Genre

     Scooby-Doo is a mix of kindergarten campfire stories with a twist of whodunnit detective work thrown in… Not to mention a ridiculously-overused laugh track.

     Some of the classic 60s "horror" music, mixed with the images of the monsters themselves — glowing scuba suits, emotionless robot masks, or green-faced Frankensteins — may be a little frightening for extremely young children.

     Or talking great danes, if you have any.

      Fortunately, it's hard to stay frightened of a 'ghost' when you find out that it was really just a person under a sheet.

     And other than the running gag of Scooby and Shaggy alternating between cowardice and courage, there are very few moral messages that the show handles. The police are always good, criminals are always bad, and there's a logical explanation for everything. Case closed.

     So is it worth it?

The Decision

     I'd say so. It may be a bit difficult to get your hands on much of the original seasons of Scooby-Doo unless you have access to Cartoon Network or Boomerang… but if you're not familiar with the show then you don't have to be worried about catching up. Each episode is entirely independent of the others, which means that you can watch them in any order that you want (and there are pa-lenty to choose from)!

     Trailers

     And if you’re still on the fence, just give it time. The best 'trailer' for the series is actually its original theme song, featuring a montage of monsters and hijinks!

     Or you can always just watch the gang interacting with Batman and Robin for a little while...

Conclusion

          In the end, I'd recommend you hunt around for a few episodes of Scooby-Doo to add to your Halloween Movie Marathon (or just your I-Survived-School-Today-And-Want-To-Rest-My-Brain Marathon). Scooby-Doo is a great show for the whole family, and it'll provide a few good laughs and impressive mysteries for you to solve along the way.

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Bourne to Be Awesome

     When someone says “spy movie,” chances are your mind immediately goes to the likes of James Bond, Mission Impossible, or maybe this weekend’s smash-hit The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (which I very highly recommend).

     But while the flashy casanovas and their gadgets have their place in the theatres, there are also quite a few political thrillers like The Fugitive and The Hunt for Red October that get overlooked. (Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll write an article to praise Tom Clancy's movies soon enough.) These films are just as full of undercover action, but they’re grittier and provide a more believable take on the age-old spy genre. However, of all the hyper-realistic espionage films I’ve encountered over the years, there is one saga that stands above the rest: the Bourne trilogy.

     For those of you who haven’t seen this series (or only know of it because The Bourne Legacy was the closest thing we got to a Hawkeye origin story), allow me to explain in my usual spoiler-free fashion why these decade-old movies are still worth your time today.

Hogwarts Jason Bourne, A History

     Like most good sagas, the tale of Jason Bourne started out as a book written by Robert Ludlum, beginning in 1980 with The Bourne Identity. The novel eventually gave way to a trilogy, featuring the additional books The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. Many readers and moviegoers actually consider the books to be one of the top spy series of all time, right alongside James Bond and all the rest.

     Warner Bros. made a television-movie of the first novel in 1988: it starred Richard Chamberlain and featured slightly more loyalty to the book’s original Cold War-era storyline. However, most fans tend to be more familiar and accepting of the film adaptation starring Matt Damon made by Universal Studios in 2002. Though the plot was altered and set in the modern world ("modern" meaning the turn of the century, so some of the computers already look obsolete now), the fascinating script and Damon’s exceptional performance paved the way for the other two books to be adapted in 2004 and 2007. They drifted further and further from the books as they went, but they formed their own new, coherent storyline that still satisfied viewers overall.

     Then, of course, Universal tried to bring the saga back by casting Jeremy Renner as a spy of Bourne’s caliber in the 2012 movie The Bourne Legacy (which was the first film that didn’t really have anything in common with its original novel besides the title).

     In Legacy's defense, it did a decent job of incorporating footage from the previous films to set up its story… but even so, most Bourne fans generally choose to ignore it. For one thing, it tried to introduce the idea of a Captain-America-esque "super-soldier" program that took away from the previous realism of the genre. And for another, since Matt Damon didn’t return to reprise his role at all, a lot of people passed it over. It’s a fair action movie, but since it doesn’t feature Jason Bourne, it simply doesn’t have the same emotional caliber as the other films.

The Plot

     The story begins when a half-drowned American is hauled out of the Mediterranean by a fishing boat, and when he wakes up he has no clue who he is or how he got there. The only clues he has to his identity are two bullet wounds in his back and the number for a bank account in Zurich that was implanted in his hip.

     Upon reaching Zurich, this man discovers that his name is Jason Bourne, and that his account holds an excessive amount of money… along with a handgun and multiple false passports with different names. As Jason crosses Europe trying to retrace his steps and figure out who he is, strange men keep trying to assassinate him, and he instinctively reacts with combat training and espionage tactics that he doesn’t remember learning.

     Along the way he ends up sharing his story with a young woman named Marie, who is willing to help him track down his true identity.

     But the deeper Jason and Marie go into Bourne’s past, the more government secrets they keep uncovering. Was he once a merciless assassin like the men that are hunting him? Was he brainwashed, or did he volunteer for all of it? Will he ever be able to leave that past behind forever? Will other spies like Aaron Cross (Renner in The Bourne Legacy) be sent onto different paths because of his actions?

The Appeal

     Fancy spy movies are all well and good on their own, but the problem with secret agents like Bond is that they’re more and more difficult to empathize with. With all those fancy fast cars and taylor-made tuxedos, the world of espionage seems a little further away every time a new movie is released. The genius element of the Bourne trilogy is that it brings the world of spies back down to earth and makes it much more tangible for everyday viewers.

     Jason’s amnesia makes him a blank slate that everyone can immediately relate to; he assumes in the beginning that he’s a relatively normal guy (despite the two bullets in his back).

     He and Marie don’t go looking for trouble, but the trouble comes to them — and that makes the trauma of being attacked all the more real.

     They’re not going undercover with fancy clothes or high-tech gadgets. They’re not given the chance to procure a sports car for the high-speed chase. They may not even be holding actual weapons when the bullets start flying. They have to trust their instincts, use whatever’s close to hand, and hope for a miracle… which is what will have you on the edge of your seat every time.

     Another powerful element in the movies is Matt Damon himself. He did do a lot of the stunts himself (a la Tom Cruise), including the wild krav maga and high-speed driving. But the real reason why he was (thankfully) cast instead of stars like Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, and even Sylvester Stallone… is because Bourne isn’t just an action hero: he’s an emotive person.

     Damon’s investment in the psychology of the character is what makes the movies so powerful, and that’s what will have fans coming back to them time and time again no matter how old they get.

The Rating

     Book violence differs from movie violence, but the films are a solid PG-13.

     Violence: Most of the saga’s rating comes from this department; Bourne encounters all sorts of assassins, and they fight many bloody battles with whatever’s near to hand. Bones are broken; limbs are impaled; bodies are riddled with bullets or thrown from tall buildings; prisoners are tortured; innocent people are slain. Even though a lot of that may sound par for the course in a Bond movie, Bourne handles every incident with the gravity it deserves, which makes the violence all the more serious even if you are just watching it from the sofa.

     Sex: The audience doesn’t see much more than a few passionate kisses, but the majority of the plot isn’t centered around romance. There’s not much room for dating when you’re running for your life.

     I will say, though, to the series’ credit, that its female characters are solid and independent. They’re not deadly ninja assassins like Black Widow, but they’re still credible people, and that’s what makes the story feel much more real. (Because, frankly, the ridiculous “strong women” that action movies always try to feature nowadays are pretty unrealistic role models. There are just some of us ladies who are too short, too slow, and/or too lightweight to ever prove our worth by besting men in combat. So it’s nice that the Bourne trilogy caters to our demographic a little bit.)

     Language: There are a few adult expletives scattered here and there, but they’re not used with reckless abandon, and that gives them a little more [respectable?] weight when they are used. Furthermore, the words themselves are just scarce enough to allow the films their PG-13 label.

The Genre

     The Bourne movies are a nitty-gritty take on spy thrillers, where assassins must survive by their wits and the skin of their teeth rather than on any fancy technology or helicopter-parent organization.

     There may be one or two small stunts that are a bit excessive, but for the most part there was an incredible effort made to keep everything as realistic as possible, from ricocheting shrapnel to Bourne's ability to speak other languages without an accent. The action-packed productions were often filmed with indie-style handheld cameras, which makes many of the chase scenes shaky and hard to follow unless you’re extremely focused. (Some viewers dislike the technique, but it definitely adds an element of chaos for audience-members so that they can’t feel in-control of the situation… just as Jason often doesn’t feel in-control, either.)

     As Bourne encounters more and more enemies, he and Marie must often come face-to-face with the moral dilemmas of murder and self-defense. They’re not able to walk away from the corpses and straighten their cuff-links like James Bond, nor should they. And once Bourne’s past is revealed piece by piece, it is his (and our) duty to wonder just how far a government should really go in the name of national security.

     There’s no telling how real Bourne’s story could actually be, for all we know, and that’s what makes these films so compelling and impossible to forget.

     So is it worth it?

The Decision

     If you at all consider James Bond movies to be enjoyable, then this series definitely is worth your time. It’s a much more realistic (and respectful) adventure for anyone, male or female, looking for an adrenaline rush.

     There’s really no way to watch it except to start with The Bourne Identity and go straight through all three films… or all four, if any of your friends think Legacy might be worth watching. (I just prefer to think of it as the Clint Barton movie we never had.)

     Trailers

     And if you’re still on the fence, just give it time. There are plenty of official trailers on Youtube that might interest you if you’re more of a visual person (like myself). For me, though, the best one is a compilation of all four films including The Bourne Legacy… and it's actually one of the best ultimate trailers I've ever seen for any series, hands-down.

Conclusion

     In the end, chances are either Bourne will become a staple in your action-adventure diet… or else you won’t be into the series at all because you’re a movie vegetarian who only dines on indie dramas and romantic comedies. (…So, if I'm going to run with this metaphor, that makes Michael Bay flicks the cinematic equivalent of canned spam… Yeah, that sounds about right.)

     It’s true that fictional movie characters can’t exactly be declared as “real”. But if ever any spy were to walk through your door, I can tell you right now that he probably wouldn't look anything like James Bond. He’s going to look a lot more like Jason Bourne.

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