I have always had a soft spot for classic Saturday morning cartoons...Captain Caveman, The New Shamoo, Top Cat, Huckleberry Hound were all favourites of mine, but nothing compared to the amazing Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? which I absolutely adored as a kid. The adventures of a bunch of smart kids, an unkempt guy who constantly has the munchies, and Great Dane solving cases all over the place were of course extremely farfetched but they were great entertainment (like the Hardy Boys, except animated and funny). And of course, Scooby-Doo and the gang's exploits leave us with the phrase "...and I would have got away with it if it wasn't for the pesky meddling kids!" burnt into our minds!
I have to say that I have never ever expected a movie giving the backstory to the doggy detective...I mean let's face it, have you actually ever thought about where he came from? I can honestly say that I have never really thought about it...but somebody did, and Scoob! was made.
I was really hoping to see this at the cinema when I saw the advertising for this at the local cinema (check out the picture, I was kinda excited!), but with the pandemic hitting and my own health causing several issues it was not to be. As much as the Digital Premier was a while back, I passed on that as I was more interested in getting the movie on a physical format to see what extras I would get...and now Warner Home Entertainment has released Scoob! on disc...let's go check it out!
In the first full-length animated Scooby-Doo adventure for the big screen, we see the never-before-told stories of Scooby-Doo’s origins and the greatest mystery in the career of Mystery Inc. SCOOB! reveals how lifelong friends Scooby and Norbert "Shaggy" Rodgers first met up and how they joined with young detectives Fred Jones, Velma Dinkley and Daphne Blake to form the now incredibly famous Mystery Inc.
Now, with several hundred cases solved and so many adventures shared, Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging of mysteries ever: a plot to unleash the most fearsome ghost dog Cerberus upon our world! As the team race to stop this global “Dogpocalypse,” they also discover that Scooby-Doo has a secret legacy and an epic destiny greater than anyone could have ever imagined.
So join Mystery Inc, Captain Caveman, Blue Falcon...and talent hunter Simon Cowell (yes, you read correctly, Simon Cowell is in this movie!) on an adventure that's....absolutely barking mad!
Now, I'm in 2 minds about this movie...it's a fun watch, and I'm betting that parents were grateful for this as a distraction fit kids during the lockdown, but the problem is that it tries too hard in some parts which is a pity. I really did expect more from the first CGI and cinema outing of Mystery Inc, but when you look at the number of characters that are not part of ScoobyVerse (is that what it is called? Is that a thing? I'm calling it the ScoobyVerse now!) that were added that didn't help, though when you bear in mind it is Hanna-Barbara's intention to use this apparently as the start of their Cinematic Universe, I see why they did it. I know it is an origins movie, so I understand that Scrappy-Doo wouldn't be there (he's a pup after all) but what about other Scoobys like Scooby-Dame and Scooby-Dumb? I think more characters from the ScoobyVerse were needed.
Saying that, it was good seeing the likes of Captain Caveman and Dick Dastardly though...as this brought back many good memories, just maybe they should have been in a different HBCU movie if it takes off.
I was disappointed that Matthew Lillard WASN'T Shaggy, he has been that character and given his voice to that character since he was in the first 2 live-action movies. With the exception of Frank Welker, none of the current voice actors of the Scooby-Doo characters from straight-to-DVD films and TV appearances in traditionally animated form reprises their roles in this fully CGI film, but after voicing Fred for years (he actually voiced Fred Rogers way back to the original series in the late 60s), Welker is instead voicing just Scooby-Doo.
For the people who want more, if you preorder from WB Shop, you get an exclusive set of Scooby ears!! Something pretty cool for the fan or for the kids who adore that ever-hungry Great Dane and his detective pals.
So all in all, the movie is ok...it's not mind-blowing awesome but it is fun to watch and great for the kids, the extras are good and I'm certainly interested to see what will happen with HBCU and what character they will add to it next, it could well be fun.
Scoob! is rated 15 and available on pre-order from WB Shop HERE or from your usual entertainment outlets and on general release on 28th September. Scoob! is also available on VOD now.