229. Scoob!; movie review

SCOOB!
Cert PG
90 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild threat, rude humour, language

Blimey, there were great cartoons when we were kids... The Flinstones, the Wacky Races, The Osmonds, The Harlem Globetrotters, The Jackson Five and... Scooby Doo.
There is no doubt those "meddling kids" and their lovable dog with the huge appetite were my favourites.
And from the moment I hear the lyrics "Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you? We got some work to do now," I am transported back to when I was six years old.
Tony Cervone's movie tries to recreate the love for the old characters and bring them up to date but loses too much of their charm in the process.
It pits them against Dick Dastardly but makes the old Wacky Races villain much more severe than I remember him.
Indeed, he now has a high-tech airship and an army of angry minions. This was the fellow who tried to 'catch the pigeon'.
Dastardly (voiced by Jason Isaacs) is leading the hunt for Scooby (Frank Welker) because he is the direct descendant of a Greek emperor's dog and his paw print can open up a gateway to a parallel world when there is a huge amount of treasure.
Think Scooby Do does Stargate and you've got it.
Meanwhile, there is a rather heartwarming line of how Shaggy (Will Forte) and Scooby met and exploration of their friendship
Of course, there's a mystery for them and Fred (Zac Efron), Velma (Gina Rodriguez) and Daphne (Amanda Seyfried) to solve.
Oh, and the cowardly son of the Blue Falcon (Mark Wahlberg), Dynomutt (Ken Jeong) and Captain Caveman (Tracy Morgan) join the 'fun'.
As does Simon Cowell... yes, he is even more wooden than he is on the X Factor.
In other words, Cervone and his team try too damned hard. Scooby Doo's fun was not in bells and whistles - it was just a bit quirky but never left its audience scratching its head.

Reasons to watch: It's Scooby Doo!
Reasons to avoid: It clouds the memories of the glorious past]

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? Frank Welker had voiced Fred in every Scooby series except A Pup Named Scooby Doo. He began when he was 23 and is now 74. He’s provided Scooby’s voice since 2002.

The final word. Jason Isaacs: "The thing about Dick Dastardly is, he is the most hammy, theatrical, vain, narcissistic, egomaniacal genius that I've ever played. He is the quintessential moustache-twirling supervillain." Screen Rant

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