Daphne & Velma is a 2018 direct-to-video film in the Scooby-Doo franchise. It is executive-produced by sisters Jennifer & Ashley Tisdale and her production company, Blondie Girl Productions, and is directed by Suzi Yoonessi.
Before their eventual team-up with Scooby and the gang, bright and optimistic Daphne (Sarah Jeffery of Descendants & Shades of Blue) and whip-smart and analytical Velma (Sarah Gilman of Last Man Standing & I Didn't Do It) are both mystery-solving teens who are best friends but have only met online — until now. Daphne has just transferred to Velma’s school, Ridge Valley High, a tech-savvy institute with all the latest gadgets provided by the school’s benefactor, tech billionaire Tobias Bloom. And while competition is fierce among the students for a coveted internship at Bloom Innovative, Daphne and Velma dig beyond all the gadgets and tech to investigate what is causing some of the brightest students in school to disappear — only to emerge again in a zombie-fied state.
Tropes in this movie include:
- 20 Minutes into the Future: Although set in the "modern day", it's a modern day featuring computer technology and artificial intelligence beyond what is actually available (certainly at the high-school level) in the real world of 2018, the year the film was released. For example, in one scene, a 3D printer is used to make edible food, which is not yet possible (or at least, nothing major
). - Adaptation Dye-Job: As with previous live-action films in the Scooby franchise, Velma's hair is dark brown instead of auburn like in the cartoons.
- Adaptational Intelligence: Daphne, who was usually about of average intelligence in previous works (and not so much in Mystery Incorporated or Be Cool!), is smart enough to enter into a prestigious tech school at Velma's side.
- Alternate Continuity: As another interpretation of how the gang formed (or specifically how Daphne and Velma met) before Where Are You?, this places Daphne & Velma in a different continuity than the first and second live-action movies, the first and second prequels, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Mystery Incorporated, and Be Cool!. One Warner Bros. online ad even deliberately called it a standalone movie to drive this in.
- And Now for Someone Completely Different: The movie centers around Daphne and Velma, taking place before they meet Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby.
- And the Adventure Continues: Velma's computer is supposedly hacked by a ghost. She and Daphne will find out.
- Big Bad: The main villain of the film is Tobias Bloom, who turns out to be a hologram controlled by Carol.
- Black Comedy: Velma dismantles a robot she made (and programmed with genuine emotions) with a hammer in order to build her melting engine. She ends up having to do this to at least two more over the film, and refers to them as her "robot children".
- Black Comedy Burst: The above happens in an otherwise kid-friendly movie.
- Dunce Cap: Daphne and Velma have to wear "shame stickers" after causing a disruption in class, which look like crying clouds and cause thunder to sound whenever someone mentions them. A few more mishaps escalates it to the Shame Drone, which follows them around and taunts "for shame!" every few minutes.
- Foreshadowing: When Daphne recognizes Tobias Bloom from somewhere, Velma reminds her that he's the school's sponsor and his face is plastered all over the place. It's revealed that the true culprit Carol used the face of an obscure Japanese male model for her Tobias identity. Daphne would recognize the face since she went to school in Japan for awhile.
- Hair-Trigger Sound Effect: Whenever somebody mentions the Shame Stickers, thunder can be heard in the background.
- Helicopter Parents: It turns out that Daphne's dad has been secretly helping her with everything her entire life in order to make her think she was the luckiest girl in the world.
- I Need to Go Iron My Dog: Velma tries to avoid talking to Daphne by claiming she has to go do "sports in the sports classroom".
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When Carol reveals she's actually 26 and not a high school senior, Daphne is shocked that she looks so good for her age. Of course, Carol's actress Vanessa Marano was 26 at the film's release and the entire joke hangs a lampshade on the film's
Dawson Casting. - Madness Mantra: The zombified students can only mumble "I'm good" in response to anything that happens to them.
- Mythology Gag:
- The Curse of Crystal Cove is mentioned.
- What appears to be a male villain is actually a holographic being created by a woman who pretended to be Daphne's friend. A similar premise was explored in the video game Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Velma makes sure to be a bad student, as top students disappear and are zombie-like when they come back.
- Older Than They Look: Carol is 26, but looks young enough to pass off as a teenager.
- Prequel: To Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and the rest of the franchise.
- Race Lift: Mrs. Blake and Daphne, both originally Caucasian, are Black and mixed race respectively here.
- Red Herring: The girls suspect Griffin is behind the disappearances in order to protect his legacy, until he gets zombified like the others.
- Setting Update: It takes place in contemporary 2010s (albeit a version of the 2010s with technology considerably in advance of what is actually available in the real world, let alone in most other continuities).
- Virtual Celebrity: Tobias Bloom turns out to be a hologram controlled by Carol who is designed after an obscure Japanese model.
- You Meddling Kids: Daphne and Velma. Carol, the true culprit, even calls them that.
