To what I can tell this is a divisive movie. Either it is a brilliant parody of modern superhero movies or just a shallow parody of them. Of course that means I am in the boring middle ground.
There are lots of representation from my favorite shows here. This film came out in 2013 right after Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone left the franchise, and Alan Burnett is now producing. Even with Cervone and Brandt gone this is quite the all-star crew. Burnett and James Tucker have major production roles. Chuck Patton is a story boarder, and Michael Ryan is the writer, and he wrote several episodes of both Ninja Turtles and Mystery Incorporated. In addition the composers of Justice League Unlimited are doing the music.
It starts with a quick introduction to the villain, Mr. Hyde, and Mystery Inc capturing The Minotaur Monster. Both have good designs. For The Minotaur Monster I think it is the sharp teeth combined with the nerd inside ruining it by talking. They left him hanging over night. For Mr. Hyde I think it is how everything about his design screams magic when it is really all robotics and knock out gas.
Scooby and Shaggy are now comic book fans, and they are easily distracted before saving the day. While Daphne and Fred have their own nerdy interests (Fred’s is a little funny, while Daphne’s just pads the runtime) Velma has no interest, and I find that refreshing. Just because she is the smartest character does not mean she is into nerd culture. There is some conflict between Shaggy and Scooby vs. Velma, but it hardly goes anywhere.
They go to a convention partly because of the other four’s hobbies, and partly as Velma wants to solve the mystery of who attacked the security guards. Shaggy and Scooby’s favorite is Blue Falcon, and they want to meet his actor, but the upcoming Blue Falcon movie is instead a darker and edgier version.
So are Scooby and Shaggy some of those Silver Age of Comics supremacists? If this is actually like Batman (there are a lot of nods to The Adam West show) then the new movie is truer to the original version.
Owen Garrison is introduced as top suspect, as he is angry the TV show is basically forgotten and the network has removed it from tv reruns and home media (are Shaggy and Scooby watching a pirated version?). He is voiced by Jeff Bennet doing a spot on Adam West impression. I assumed West was the first choice, but it was actually Gary Owens (nice reference with the name), the voice of the original cartoon Blue Falcon. I find it distracting he looks much more like a modern steroid filled superhero than Adam West. It is overly obvious he will not be the villain, and Velma, Daphne, and Fred hyper fixating on him makes them seem genre blind.
In the original plans this would be purely about comics, not movie adaptations, and Owen Garrison would be a parody of Jack Kirby upset about all the credit Stanley Lieber (Stan Lee) stole from him, but Tucker changed that. I am almost certain I would have liked that more, but I know this version would sell better, so very reasonable change.
There are several easter eggs I enjoy. Most of the background characters are dressed as Hanna-Barbera characters, and I enjoyed trying to recognize them. Some characters from the last two movies are at the hotel later. The man-crab from Mystery Incrorporated is at the convention, and there is a better glasses gag than …And Krypto Too. The producer is a Micharl Bay parody, and all the Transformers movie parodies have “Revenge” in the title. Same producer as upcooming Blue Falcon movie, and it is a little interesting Michael Bay parody is a woman.
Brad Adams (combination of Brad Pitt and Adam West) is the new star and a suspect, mainly as Shaggy hates his interpretation and responds with “I don’t have even the slightest idea what you just said but take it back.” His portrayal of Blue Falcon as an “enigma” did make me realize this is not a Golden Age of Comics adaptation. They were dark, but not soul searching dark. They were more dark as in the villains are really murderous dark. All those people saying Joker did not kill in his original appearances are just spewing nonsense.
Jack Rabble is introduced for real. He has been Garrison’s booth buddy for years, and he casually says they will both be back in the limelight, and he was a master at making battle robots. I guess he is the villain. This was not a hard to solve mystery. These last five movies all had to solve mysteries making that quite disappointing.
Here is a gag I enjoy. To get rid of Scooby and Shaggy when they investigate Garrison Velma tells them the press food is an all you can eat buffet. Ironically they instead find evidence pointing at different suspects and clues to what Hyde will do. Then the head of security has no interest, as he is looking for the “clowns” who ate all the press food. The head of security is played by Billy West, Shaggy’s actor in Zombie Island. These might have been odd for him to record.
Shaggy and Scooby embarrass the mayor making a rare time they get fired. This has potential, but it goes nowhere. Still, I see why it interested some viewers.
The climax is effective but predictable. Mr. Hyde frames Owen, and it is him diverting traffic to rob an armored car. Shaggy and Scooby chase him down and are saved by Garrison in his old costume and equipment. This result in him and Scooby teaming up to defeat him. I wish Shaggy had a bigger role. Obviously Rabble is the real villain.
In the ending scene the producers and main actor reshoot the movie (With that budget it is going to be a box office bomb) with Garrison now as the deuteragonist and Adams’s Blue Falcon’s father. Honestly I can see that being a good movie, but I know most fans of the original show will just be furious that their old hero now looks old, as I see that type of review all the time.
I a giving it three Tree Stars. I would call it high two as an adult and high three as the target age. Nothing special, but it is a decent way to spend 76 minutes.
Next Time-
Winnie the Pooh a Valentine for You.
The Animation Historian 