Scooby Dooby Doo, Where's the Truth?

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My daughter Amber and I love to sit back on a lazy weekend afternoon and watch old Scooby Doo Episodes on cable, Netflix or wherever we can snag a good mystery. It's one of the few cartoons from my childhood that I still love to this day. That makes it even more nostalgic that it is one of my daughter's favorite cartoons too. I have a sneaking suspicion that one day she will be curled up on the couch with her little one(s), riding the mystery machine down memory lane too. Ah, some things never change... or do they?

We love Scooby and that sentiment goes for both old and new installments of the beloved Hanna-Barbera original. But I've noticed quite a few changes over the years, and it's not just the different voice actors (Casey Kasem, rest his soul—he was epic). The stories changed. It didn't really occur to me in its entirety, until I was on the edge of my daughter's bed fruitlessly telling her all the reasons NOT to be afraid of the dark.

She lay, wrapped tightly in multiple layers of blankets like an overstuffed burrito.

"There's no need to be afraid sweetie," I said. (and we all know how well THAT one works...) "I promise it's nothing more than your imagination."

"But there's monsters in the—"

"No there's not! I'm telling you...it's just like on Scooby Doo when they find out at the end that the 'monster' was actually some guy with a mask and wig." It was then that I paused. That wasn't totally the truth. Not if you look at the more recent episodes and movies of Scooby Doo. As I sat there in silence, my daughter took the opportunity to throw in my face everything I had just thought about. It seemed there was more to this than I had originally thought.

In the 1998 film Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, both the lagoon zombies, and werecat descendants Lena and Simone Lenoir are of supernatural origin. No rational explanation is given, because there wasn't one!

Exhibit A: Undead Lagoonies
www.scoobydoo.com

Exhibit B: Werecats...apparently REAL ones
www.scoobydoo.com

In the 1999 film Scooby Doo! and the Witch's Ghost, acclaimed mystery writer Ben Ravencroft is literally sucked into a spell book along with the actual ghost of his ancestor Sarah Ravencroft, who turns out to be a witch!

Exhibit C: Into the book...see?
www.scoobydoo.com

There are numerous other examples, where supernatural instances like these go unchecked and unexplained. Mystery Incorporated, anyone? So this begs the question: why the change? Well, I think as a society deeply rooted in superstition and legend, it stands to reason that we would be fascinated with the notion of monsters being real. Now, more than ever we become lost in the romance of mystery and the thrill of the unknown. We openly allow ourselves to suspend disbelief and turn our attentions to the "what if's" of life.

Horrors have become more "real" and the unknown has become the norm. Just look at the slew of supernatural horror films flooding the market these days! I can't turn a corner without something pertaining to an exorcism, poltergeist, vampire or zombie staring me in the face! We fantasize about these vampires, build fan pages about the zombies and watch reality ghost hunter shows like it were the evening news. In short, consumers cannot get enough of the mystery train!

And children's shows are no exception. You don't just see it with Scooby Doo, you see it in the magic of Disney and among the superheroes of Marvel and DC Comics. In actuality, this isn't new but it is an ever-growing trend becoming more an more prominent among new generations who will usher in a new age of understanding and perception of well...everything!

So I looked down at my wide-eyed daughter buried under a mountain of blankets that would surely not save her from the proverbial boogeyman, and I was at a loss of words (and this doesn't happen often)! The monsters that lurked in the dark, lived in her mind and they were put there by the silent messages of entertainment that whisper, "guess what kiddo...it's real." So it seems the age of storytelling is ever-changing and more rapidly than ever as it reaches younger and younger audiences. Basically it's more acceptable to suspend disbelief and allow those monsters to be real, nowadays. Why explain it away with logic and practicality? Why keep it rational when it is so much more interesting to entertain that idea of "what if?" Just saying.

Viewer's Delight: A Review of the Film "Lucy"

*Warning: This review does contain spoiler details*

Nearly seven months after the film was turned loose in theaters in late July of 2014, I decided to enjoy this movie for the first time from the comfort of my home once it came out on DVD. However, a comfortable and relaxing experience was far from what I was in store for. This movie was action packed, gripping and left me pondering some rather deep, thought provoking notions long after the credits had finished rolling. Written and Directed by Luc Besson, producer, director and screenwriter, the concepts and themes portrayed in this film are sure to excite, thrill and stimulate the greater parts of our mind—literally.

The Story

I have been a fan of both Morgan Freeman and Scarlett Johansson for years, so the opportunity to see the two of them collaborate in a new, cutting edge, gritty and action packed film feature was a treat. Johansson plays a seemingly average woman named Lucy who falls prey to a dangerous and unpredictable drug deal gone wrong, and as a result is forced to be a packing mule where a mysteriously powerful synthetic of the drug CPH4 is implanted into her abdomen.

After a vicious beating, the implant bursts and Lucy is suddenly imbued with the true powers of the substance, essentially giving her extreme psychokinetic abilities, which only heightens as it absorbs deeper into her bloodstream. Alternately, Morgan Freeman plays the sharp professor, Dr. Norman, who has dedicated the majority of his professional career to the extensive research of quantum physics, applied mathematics, the human condition and the theories of utilizing higher brain capacities. We follow both characters simultaneously until their point of contact.

What follows thereafter is an onslaught of bloody gun fights, high-speed car chases, visually striking supernatural abilities and surges of high octane special effects, as the drug lords race to take back the goods Lucy has now decided to acquire for herself. As she consumes more of the drug, her brain capacity increases—rapidly racing toward her ultimate goal of reaching 100% brain power. Upon achieving her goal, Lucy is thrust into a strange monochrome-like space where she morphs through time itself back to the point of evolution itself, not only of the human race as it were, but the universe itself.

Human Nature

Right off the bat, we see an emphasis on human nature and the tendency toward ignorant violence which is collectively tied to the violent tendencies found in nature. A man is murdered before Lucy’s eyes, the wildlife predator makes the kill spring. As Lucy is dragged to the drug lord’s Royal Suite, we see the fear and extent of her humanity in the form of raw, ragged emotion. Later, as the drug infiltrates Lucy’s system, the changes in her are clear. At one point, she states that she no longer feels pain or desire or fear. These emotions are among the main psychological traits of humanity, of which must be sacrificed in exchange for the vast amount of universal knowledge and enhanced psyche Lucy has gained from the drug. I found this to be eloquently yet darkly portrayed.

The God Complex

The idea of utilizing more than the average belief of 10% of our brain is an intriguing one, and many a fantastical myths, hardcore hypotheses and heavy-handed theories had been drawn from this very notion. However, the story goes entirely beyond this idea, with Lucy reaching 100% capacity by the end of the film. Some have criticized the plot as becoming nonsensical by the close of the film, and I too was sadly disappointed at the indication presented with Lucy’s final “assent” to 100%. Lucy’s mental and emotional transformations were interesting, but even I found her physical transformation to be a bit over the top. 

For example, once she reached full capacity, she was able to scroll through time and space, with the ability to literally “pause” and “rewind” the passage of time as though she were operating humankind on some sort of universal DVR. Furthermore, after completely abandoning her body, effectively disappearing from the physical plane, she sends the French detective a message stating: “I am Everywhere.” To me, these elements point to the unspoken idea that Lucy had transcended into a God-like state as if she were God herself.

 

Regardless of the themes and elements found in this movie, I highly recommend it and found it to be extremely entertaining and worth the watch.

Carolyn