“I never thought I’d say this, but Simon Cowell was right.” —Shaggy
Today’s quick review: Scoob!. Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) and Shaggy (Will Forte) are whisked away on an adventure when Blue Falcon (Mark Wahlberg), a superhero struggling to live up to his father’s legacy, saves them from Dick Dastardly (Jason Isaacs), a villain who wants to use Scooby to open the gates of the Underworld. Meanwhile, Fred (Zac Efron), Daphne (Amanda Seyfried), and Velma (Gina Rodriguez) track Dastardly to his lair.
Scoob! is a family animated comedy adventure that puts a new spin on Scooby-Doo and his friends. As the teenagers try to figure out a way to take their crime-solving business to the next level, they find themselves wrapped up in an even bigger mystery involving high-tech superheroes, maniacal villains, and relics left by Alexander the Great. Scoob! succeeds with its humor and sense of fun but suffers from a cluttered and unfocused plot.
Scoob! features new CGI renditions of Scooby-Doo and the gang, filling in some detail in their designs without sacrificing expressivity. The humor is a mishmash of classic Scooby-Doo antics and pop culture references. Not all of the jokes hit the mark, but enough of them do to make the movie enjoyable from start to finish. Scoob! also has some nice surprises for Hanna-Barbera fans, with modern adaptations of several familiar characters.
However, Scoob! tries to be too many things at the same time. The plot jams together aspects of the Scooby-Doo mystery formula, a superhero story, a fantasy adventure, and a flurry of references, all without rhyme or reason. As such, the two character arcs of the movie—Scooby and Shaggy finding their place on the team, and Blue Falcon learning to become a hero—get buried under a torrent of competing ideas.
Scoob! is a hit-or-miss movie that pays homage to classic characters but does not always give them the focus they need. The movie’s freewheeling spirit and willingness to take risks allow it to explore new ground, telling the story it wants to without being bound by a formula. The drawbacks are an inconsistent world and a cluttered story that strays far from the traditional format. Fans of Scooby-Doo should approach with caution.
For a more focused reimagining of the characters, try the live-action version of Scooby-Doo. For a Warner Brothers crossover movie that takes a similar approach and runs into similar problems, try Space Jam: A New Legacy. For a sci-fi comedy adventure in something of the same vein, try Ratchet & Clank. For an eclectic animated comedy that handles its references with more grace, try The Lego Movie.
[5.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3152592/). I give it a 6.5 for fun humor and enthusiasm tempered by shaky fundamentals.