Scoob!: A Modern Take on Classic Characters

Scoob! promotional poster. Credit: Warner Bros

“Scoob!” Made its debut May 15 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The movie aims to introduce today’s youth to the iconic characters we all know and love. The movie doesn’t quite do the gang justice, but it wasn’t so bad that we would tell you to skip it either. 

The movie is full of modern-day jokes but also serves as an origin story for how Scooby and Shaggy met. At the beginning of the film, we see a lonely Shaggy, who is just a kid a the time, and a dog with no name who is causing trouble throughout the town stealing meat. In an effort to save the dog from being picked up by police, Shaggy dubs Scoob—officially naming him Scooby Doobie Doo. 

The duo later meets Fred, Velma, and Daphne while out and about trick or treating for Halloween. The group of kids solve their first masked ghost mystery and thus Mystery Inc. is born. Fast-forward and the gang are working together to solve numerous mysteries. 

It’s during this time that a true Scooby-Doo fans will see a hidden gem as the film recreates ionic Scooby Doo scenes that we all remember and love, like the intro sequence from ”Scooby-Doo, Where are You!”

As the movie progresses Scooby and Shaggy find themselves at the center of a world-ending plot and work with a superhero named Blue Falcon (voiced by Mark Wahlberg) to stop the evil Dick Dastardly (voiced by Jason Isaacs—who played Lucious Malfoy in Harry Potter).  Though the storyline is fun and proves that friendship conquers all, the film lacks key elements that would have made parents nostalgic for the good old days of “Scooby-Doo, Where are you!” –- namely not revealing who the villain is until the end. 

In this new film, we know who the villain Dick Dastardly is for most of the film, and are even given a Despicable Me style look into his life. If fact, the character may remind you of Gru, as Dastardly even has an army of quirky robots that seem almost minion like. 

Another thing that was somewhat off-putting for existing Scooby-Doo fans was how much Scooby talked in this film. At times it bordered on a bit creepy. 

Overall, “Scoob!” was a new take on a classic and was enjoyable as it did have a storyline, and evoked emotions of joy and sorrow.  The movie had some funny jokes, and a storyline that did draw us in (even if it wasn’t the same formula as the older movies and shows). It wasn’t quite what an OG “Scooby-Doo, Where are You!” fan was expecting or looking for in this reboot, but it is worth watching. We give “Scoob!” three out of four paws up.