Scoob! Movie Review - The Mystery Inc. Gang is Back!

In Scoob!, we see how buddies Scooby-Doo (voice of Frank Welker) and Shaggy (Will Forte) first met and joined young detectives Fred (Zac Efron), Velma (Gina Rodriguez) and Daphne (Amanda Seyfried) to form the famous Mystery Inc.

The Mystery Inc. gang with their vanCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Now, the all grown up sleuths face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever. There is a plot to unleash the mythical ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. As they race to stop this global "dogpocalypse," the gang discovers that Scooby has a secret legacy and a huge, impressive destiny that super villain Dick Dastardly (Jason Isaacs) wants to use for his own evil plan.

Scoob! Final Trailer

Shaggy and Scooby Meet

In Venice, Ca., lonely, misfit Shaggy and a stray puppy who has been stealing food from restaurants meet by accident and bond. Shaggy names his new friend Scooby after a snack sack when he is pressured by a cop to prove he owns the dog. Shag gives Scoob his first collar and, on Halloween, the duo is saved from bullies by young (teen) wanna-be detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne. Together the group busts a thief in a haunted house while retrieving Scoob and Shaggy’s candy. They decide they are good at this investigation stuff.

Young Shag takes his new puppy Scoob homeCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Years Later

The Mystery Inc. group decide they need bigger and better cases. They have an investor. It’s TV’s Simon Cowell. He sees the value of all team members except Scoob and Shaggy who aren’t professional enough for him. Scoob and Shag leave to go bowling where the pins and balls morph into tiny, attack robots chasing them outside where they are “beamed up” by some kind of air ship. Inside they find Shaggy’s childhood hero The Blue Falcon….well his rather self-absorbed and far from brave, poser son (Mark Wahlberg) who has taken over the identity.

Shaggy can't believe he is with hero Blue FalconCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Dastardly Plot!

Pilot Dee Dee Sykes (Kiersey Clemons) tells Scoob and Shag that the robots were sent by super villain Dick Dastardly who is after the skulls of Cerebus to help him find a treasure. Meanwhile, Velma does research on Scooby (for some reason) and learns that he is the last living descendant of Alexander the Great’s dog. Having been given a fake clue by Dastardly, the Blue Falcon group head to Romania and an abandoned amusement park looking for one of the skulls but, it’s a trap… Dastardly has found another skull elsewhere. After several adventures in the amusement park, Dee Dee saves Scoob and Shag while Blue Falcon basically hides!

Velma discovers that Scoob has a big destinyCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Scoob the Super Hero?

Dee Dee wonders why Dastardly wants to grab Scooby so badly. Blue Falcon encourages Scooby to join him and his superhero group even giving him a cool suit but it requires Scoob to remove the beloved collar that Shag gave him when he was a puppy. Shaggy is hurt by this. Meanwhile, the rest of Mystery Inc. is stopped on their way to find a skull by a gorgeous cop and Fred is smitten… Whoops, it is Dastardly wearing a clever disguise. His robots have hidden in the Mystery Van and were tracking the gang. The group is captured and locked up aboard his ship.

Fred discovers hot cop isn't who she seemsCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Escape and Secrets

While Scoob gets a big ego for being a new superhero and Shaggy sulks, the Mystery Inc. group is let out of Dastardly’s jail by a little robot Daphne helps and befriends. Dastardly learns the location of the last skull. They need to warn the Blue Falcon. Velma hacks into the computer brain of Falcon’s dog Dynomutt (Ken Jeong) to tell Falcon that the skull is deep under a mountain. Further research indicates that there is a treasure there that only Alexander the Great or his dog (or the dog’s last relative) can get to by unlocking a gate that leads to the dreaded underworld. If that happens, chaos and monster mythical dog Cerberus will be released on Earth!

Daphne, Fred and Velma gather cluesCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Dastardly’s Canine Partner

Velma and group discover that Dastardly had a canine partner. Years ago when Dastardly opened a portal to the treasure, his pal Muttley (Billy West) went through first and could not return because he wasn’t the dog “key”, Scooby is. Finally Dastardly captures Scooby and the rest of Mystery Inc. reunites with Shaggy.

The pals learn what Dastardly plansCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Save the Day Or….?

Will Dastardly get the last skull and, with Scooby his prisoner, open the underworld gate releasing Cerberus on the world? Will he ever reunite with his pal in crime Muttley or will Mystery Inc. and the Blue Falcon Force stop him and save Scoob? Will Blue Falcon ever Man Up and gain courage and a sense of true responsibility? Will Scoob and Shaggy reunite as best pals?

Can Scoob and Shaggy stay best friends?Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Wrapping Up

Scoob!, available now to rent and/or buy On Demand on your home devices, is colorful, full of action sequences and an origin story for Scoob and Shaggy as a team as well as the story of the creation of Mystery Inc. is fun and especially great for fans of the many Scooby-Doo TV shows and films.

Shaggy and Scoob are long-time palsCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The plot seems a little too “busy” and there are side story adventures that don’t quite tie in to the main story. Velma is constantly learning things without us knowing what clue sent her on the search for them in the first place but there are a few cute and fun surprises and little twists in the film that are entertaining.

Themes include self-sacrifice, the realization that true friendship can save the day and that it is okay for friends to seek new experiences on their own without ditching old friendships.

Shag and Scoob are attacked by killer robotsCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Scooby and Shag continue their well-known relationship… Scoob still hops into Shaggy's arms when frightened, etc. The old Scooby-Doo theme song plays… all of this is fun for long-time fans. The voice actor cast is quite famous with notables like Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried, Will Forte and original Scooby voice Frank Welker doing admirable voice work (although Scoob is easier to understand and less “doggy-voiced” in this version).

Overall, especially in these shut-in times, Scoob should delight old fans and make some young new ones. Although flawed, the film is entertaining for the whole family. We can award 3 stars.

Scoob! Movie Rating: 

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Rent or Buy Scoob! On Demand now!

Are You a Scooby Fan?

Have you ever watched the supernatural sleuthing adventures of the Mystery Inc. gang, cute doggie Scooby-Doo and his owner/best pal Shaggy? Are you glad there is a new adventure out or just glad to see anything new to watch at home? Let everyone know with a comment or blog on your Kidzworld profile page!