9. Scooby-Doo (2002)
If you’re looking for a cultural touchstone from the late 1970s or early 1980s, many would understandably turn to the Star Wars franchise. If you’re looking for a cultural touchstone from 2002, nothing quite translates the good, bad, and ridiculous of the time than the 2002 live-action version of Scooby-Doo.
The movie brought the beloved animated franchise to life in the early 2000s, and the man behind the story and screenplay was none other than James Gunn. While most known today for writing and directing Guardians of the Galaxy and DC’s upcoming The Suicide Squad, James Gunn got his biggest film opportunity at the time by writing the live-action Scooby-Doo.
While the film deservedly carries an abysmal 31 percent Tomatometer Score and just a 39 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, that didn’t stop Scooby-Doo from raking in over $275 million at the box office. The film is an inseparable part of early 2000s film, and anyone who hasn’t seen it needs to experience all of the good, bad, and truly hilarious that Scooby-Doo provides, from moments to music.
Star Wars fans will also get the bonus of seeing Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred Jones and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne Blake, who years later went on to voice Kanan Jarrus and Seventh Sister in the Star Wars Rebels animated series. No one is going to argue that Scooby-Doo is the best film ever, but you still need to see it, and you’ll understand why as you watch it.