Scooby Dooby-Noooooo
Not only is the animation unattractive, the voice cast is also completely devoid of charm
In this latest feature to depict the skittish but lovable, animated Great Dane, we see how Scooby Doo and Shaggy met, as well as how Mystery Inc. came to be. In the gang’s “toughest case yet”, they must save the world from the ghost dog Cerberus which a villain plans to unleash upon the world.
From the opening of ‘Scoob!’ in which a puppy version of the character steals a doner spit, rolling away on it as he’s being chased by police, you know you’re in for something very silly and strictly geared towards children. With the standard of movies being produced by the likes of Disney, Ghibli, Dreamworks, Aardman and other animation studios, making animated movies that are “just for kids” isn’t really good enough. Those attending the movies with their little ones should derive some enjoyment from the film too. Here, there’s really nothing to cling on to.
Not only is the animation of ‘Scoob!’ unattractive, the voice cast is also completely devoid of charm. Which is crazy given you’ve some big names in there between Will Forte, Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried, Jason Isaacs and Gia Rodriguez. You also have Mark Wahlberg in there, doing some kind of Ryan Reynolds impression. His character is Blue Falcon because, of course, there’s a superhero subplot, since that’s what the kids are crazy about these days, right?
Oh, and apparently they’re mad for Simon Cowell too, who makes a cameo as himself (what is this, the early 2000s?). One assumes that after Marky Mark and Zac, he was the only celebrity they could afford.
The new theme song sounds terrible, the jokes are lame, and the characters are completely watered down versions of those Hanna Barbera icons you know and love. Oh, and they also throw in Dick Dastardly, because why not, while we’re using these tried and tested properties in a cheap cash grab? The characters adhere to only one of two types – smart or idiotic – and all are entirely detestable and forgettable.
The main theme of ‘Scoob!’ is – what else? – friendship, so that’s nice, I guess, for young viewers. But it’s been done with more warmth and effort in countless other animations. Everything about ‘Scoob!’ just feels basic, uninspired, and as the cool kids like to say, lame.
Available on demand from July 10th. Here's where to find it.