Scooby Doo’s Newest Release: “SCOOB!”

 The Scooby Doo industry has been in business since the 1970s.  Millions of Generation Xers, Millennials, and Generation Zers have grown up watching Scooby Doo.  I’ve watched all of the Scooby Doo episodes from each series and all of the movies.  I decided to add the newest movie, “SCOOB!”, to my list.  I have to say, it was mediocre at best.  I do not recommend spending $19.99 to rent it, or $24.99 to buy it.  

There were a couple good things about the movie.  It differed from all of the series and other films as it explained how Scooby and Shaggy met, and how they then met Fred, Daphne, and Velma.  It also included other characters from shows under Hanna-Barbera Productions, such as  Dick Dastardly and Muttley from “Wacky Races,” Blue Falcon and Dynomutt from “Dynomutt, Dog Wonder,” and Captain Caveman from “Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels.”  If you don’t know these characters, it’s possible your parents do (if they watched Scooby Doo when they were younger). 

Seeing all of the different characters in the same world was interesting, but not completely new.  In season one, episode fourteen from the TV series, “Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated,” titled “Mystery Solvers Club State Finals,” several Hanna-Barbera protagonists appeared, such as the main characters from “Speed Buggy,” “Jabberjaw,” “The Funky Phantom,” and most of the characters from “SCOOB!”  Dick Dastardly and Muttley were the only ones who did not appear in the episode.  This movie being a crossover still isn’t much of a reason to see it, because there has already been a crossover in the Scooby Doo series. 

I didn’t like the movie for a few reasons.  First of all, it deviated from the typical plot.  Usually, there is a mystery that everyone works together to solve, and then the antagonist is unmasked at the end.  In the film, everyone knew who the antagonist was about 25 minutes in; he made himself obvious, so there was no mystery. 

Secondly, I really did not like the animation design as the characters are too different from their usual selves.  They look more three-dimensional, and barely hold any resemblance to their usual design. 

Thirdly, the voice actors threw me off since almost all of them were completely new, except for Scooby’s.  They were different from the usual voice actors, who just starred in the newest Scooby Doo series, “Scooby Doo and Guess Who,” which first aired in mid-2019 and is ongoing.  The usual voice actors are Frank Welker (both Fred and Scooby), Grey DeLisle (Daphne), Kate Micucci (Velma), and Matthew Lillard (Shaggy).  The series and movies are pretty uniform with their voice actors (of course, some of the original have passed away and had to be replaced, but the industry is still consistent). 

Lastly, the meaning of the film is cliche.  The story proves the importance of a very close friend and “unbreakable bond” in one’s life.  This is nothing new.  You’re better off watching one of the older Scooby Doo movies for free online or on DVD – they’re more interesting. 

Kareena Khan

Hi, my name is Kareena! I’m a Cyber Security student, but I have a passion for writing. I enjoy journalism as it allows me to inform the public about important events. I also like to be social and make new friends! One of my hobbies is to go out and adventure around the city. Writing about my experiences is soothing for me.