Review: "SCOOBY-DOO! Return to Zombie Island" Revisits Scooby-Doo History

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 62 of 2022 (No. 1874) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island (2019) – Video
Running time:  77 minutes (1 hour, 17 minutes)
Rated TV-G
DIRECTORS:  Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton and Ethan Spaulding
WRITER: Jeremy Adams
PRODUCERS:  Amy McKenna and and Rick Morales
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sam Register
EDITOR:  Robert Ehrenreich
COMPOSER:  Robert J. Kral
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey Griffin, Kate Micucci, Janell Cox, David Herman, John Michael Higgins, Dave B. Mitchell, Cassandra Peterson, Roger Rose, and Travis Willingham

Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island is a 2019 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film.  It is the thirty-third entry in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, and it is a direct sequel to 1998's Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, the first movie in this series.  In Return to Zombie Island, the retired Mystery Inc. gang visits a remote, but familiar island with a dark secret.

Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island opens a few months after the events depicted in Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost.  The members of Mystery Inc.: Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey Griffin), Velma Dinkley (Kate Micucci), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker), have retired, and Fred is still depressed about selling the Mystery Machine.

On her television show, legendary horror hostess, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson), announces that Shaggy has won a trip to a tropical island paradise.  Coincidentally, Shaggy is allowed to bring three friends and a dog along.  Because they are supposedly retired from mystery-solving, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo make Fred, Daphne, and Velma promise that they will not solve any more mysteries and will actually try to relax on this vacation.

As they sail on a ferry toward the island, Fred, Daphne, and Velma realize the surroundings are more swamp-like than tropical.  The ferry captain (Dave B. Mitchell) says that zombies inhabit the island, which reminds some of the gang of the last time, years ago, when they visited “Moonscar Island” a.k.a. “Zombie Island,” an island with zombies on it.

When they arrive on this supposed island paradise, two people greet them off the boat, but warn them to get out.  Also, once on the island, a mysterious dark cat creature stalks them.  Even the the hotel is coincidentally named “Moonstar Island Resort.”  Still, no matter how many times they run into something that reminds them of Zombie Island, Shaggy and Scooby make their friends stick to their promise not to try to solve mysteries.  But has that promise put them all in danger of suffering a fate from which they once only narrowly escaped?

Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island, like its predecessor, 1998's Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, has an strong premise, but clumsy execution delivers an inconsistent film.  Sometimes, the sequel is fun, fast-moving, and comically horrifying, in the tradition of Scooby-Doo TV series and films, but other times, Return to Zombie Island meanders, juggling multiple subplots.  One of those subplots pops up late in the film and involves a movie, “Zombie Teenagers and the Island of Doom.”  At this point, Return to Zombie Island loses credibility, although the film-within-a-film subplot introduces a fun character, the self-absorbed movie director, Alan Smithee, voiced by John Michael Higgins, who delivers a good performance.

Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island is a children's movie, but adults who are fans of this straight-to-video series will want to watch it.  Like me, they may even find some enjoyment in it.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, October 5, 2022


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold" Deserves an Encore

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 67 of 2021 (No. 1805) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018) – Video
Running time:  75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  Jake Castorena
WRITERS: Paul Giacoppo; from a story by James Tucker (based on characters from Hanna-Barbera and characters from DC)
PRODUCER: Michael Jelenic
EXECUTIVE PRODUCES: Sam Register and Benjamin Melniker & Michael E. Uslan
EDITORS:  Christopher D. Lozinski and Molly Yahr
COMPOSERS:  Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/SUPERHERO/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey Griffin, Kate Micucci, Diedrich Bader, Jeff Bennett, Jeffrey Combs, John DiMaggio, Nicholas Guest, John Michael Higgins, Kevin Michael Richardson, Fred Tatasciore, Nika Futterman, and Tara Strong

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold is a 2018 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film.  It is the 30th animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, which began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  This film is also a crossover between Scooby-Doo and the Cartoon Network animated television series, “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” (2008-2011).  The story finds Scooby-Doo and his friends joining Batman and superhero colleagues in order to solve a mystery involving a scary new villain.

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold opens as Mystery Incorporated: Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey Griffin), Velma Dinkley (Kate Micucci), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) investigates a series of thefts performed by the ghost of Puppetto the Puppeteer and his puppet, Fredo.  As the gang struggles to capture the ghost, Batman (Diedrich Bader) intervenes and warns them to leave things to the professionals.

Mystery Inc. manages to capture Puppetto and Fredo and discovers that the ghost and his puppet are really the superheroes, Martian Manhunter (Nicholas Guest) and Detective Chimp (Kevin Michael Richardson).  Batman, Manhunter, and Detective Chimp reveal that the Puppetto mystery was a test for Mystery Inc., which they passed.  So the heroes initiate Scooby and company into the “Mystery Analysts of Gotham,” the world's preeminent crime-busting organization.  The superheroes also inform the gang that they could use their help on a few cases.

A week later, Mystery Inc. visits the Mystery Analysts' headquarters where they meet the other members:  The Question (Jeffrey Combs), Black Canary (Grey Griffin), and Plastic Man (Tom Kenny), as well as the tag-a-long Aquaman (John DiMaggio), who desperately wants to be a member of the Analysts.

Mystery Inc. gets a chance to take the lead in the next case for the Analysts and follows the heroes to Gotham Chemical Storage.  There, they encounter a red-cloaked figure, calling himself “the Crimson Cloak” (John DiMaggio).  Why is he swearing revenge on Batman, and how is he tied to the one case Batman has never been able to solve?

I only watched a few episodes of “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.”  The series had a lighter tone than some of the Batman animated TV series that came before it, and it depicted Batman as being witty and playful.  I was curious how a collaboration between Scooby-Doo and this iteration of Batman would work.

As a child, I was a huge fan of the second Scooby-Doo animated TV series, “The New Scooby-Doo Movies,” which premiered on September 9, 1972 and ran for two seasons on CBS until 1974.  It was the first Scooby-Doo cartoon series that I ever saw, and it began my life-long love of Scooby-Doo and his pals.  It also began my life-long love affair with Batman and Robin.  The Dynamic Duo were guests stars on two Season One episodes of “The New Scooby-Doo Movies” – Episode #2's “The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair” and Episode #15's “The Caped Crusader Caper.”  These episodes were my first encounters with Batman and Robin, and I was immediately fascinated by the mysterious Batman and his colorful young sidekick.

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold reminds me of those old cartoons, and while this film doesn't quite take me back to the 1970s, I enjoyed it immensely.  The animation is good, and it allows for the many colorful DC Comics' superheroes and super-villains that appear in this film to move in a way that really conveys the action.  The color palette is perfect for the comic mystery atmosphere of Scooby-Doo, and, to some extent, recalls those old Mystery Inc./Batman team-ups of the 1970s.

The story is good, but it has more superhero characters than it really needs.  Sometimes, Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold comes across like an advertisement for a DC Comics toy fair.  Aquaman, who eventually proves to be useful to solving the mystery, is often extraneous, and he is constantly and annoyingly yelling “Outrageous!”  And The Question, Black Canary, and Plastic Man seem like nothing more than IP placement.  Luckily, there is a surprisingly happy ending.

Still, Scooby-Doo and Mystery Incorporated teaming up with Batman casts a spell that is still effective on me.  I had fun, and I can't wait for them to do it again.

8 of 10
A

Tuesday, September 21, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost" is a Happy Meal

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 3 of 2021 (No. 1741) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost (2018) – Video
Running time:  77 minutes (1 hour, 17 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  Doug Murphy
WRITER: Tim Sheridan (based on the Hanna-Barbera characters)
EDITOR:  Scott Fuselier
COMPOSERS:  Matthew Janszen and Jake Monaco
ANIMATION STUDIO: Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey Griffin, Kate Micucci, Jim Cummings, Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, Marcus Samuelsson, Maya Haile, David Kaye, Salli Saffioti, Dana Snyder, Jason Spisak, and Audrey Wasilewski

Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost is a 2018 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film.  It is also the 31st animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, which began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost, Mystery Inc. meet celebrity chefs and a relentless Revolutionary War-era ghost.

Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost opens in Newport Cove, Rhode Island, the year 1780.  Local chef and Revolutionary War hero, Chef Edward DuFlay (David Kaye), delights his neighbors with a gift, but later, disappears not long after he returns to his home and place of work, the Rocky Harbor Inn.  The last thing the townsfolk here is Chef DuFlay yelling “the Red Ghost, the Red Ghost!”

Moving to the present, we find Mystery Inc.: Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey Griffin), Velma Dinkley (Kate Micucci), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) arriving at the Rocky Harbor Inn, where Fred's uncle, Bobby Flay (Bobby Flay), has invited them to stay.  Actually, Fred is surprised to learn that Uncle Bobby is a celebrity chef.

Inside the inn, Bobby informs the gang that he has remodeled Rocky Harbor Inn and has changed its name to Rocky Harbor Culinary Institute.  It is a state-of-the-art kitchen fantasy camp designed to make cooking easy and fun.  It has a high-tech kitchen where “Rocky” (Grey Griffin), an interactive computer program, keeps the kitchen humming.

The gang also meet other famous resort attendees.  The first is celebrity chef, Giada De Laurentiis (Giada De Laurentiis) and her cat, Bella.  Then, they meet fellow celebrity chef, Marcus Samuelsson (Marcus Samuelsson), and his super-model wife, Maya Haile (Maya Haile), both of whom have previously had a run-in with Shaggy.

But all is not fun and games and eating great food.  The legendary “Red Ghost” is still haunting Rocky Harbor Inn, and apparently wants to destroy it.  And there seems to be some unpleasantness tied to the memory of Fred and Bobby Flay's ancestor, Chef Edward DuFlay.  Can Mystery Inc. solve this latest supernatural mystery before Bobby Flay loses everything he has worked so hard to create with Rocky Harbor Culinary Institute?

Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost is one of the best Scooby-Doo! direct-to-DVD animated films that I have seen since I started watching the series on a regular bases a little over a decade ago.  I think the reason that I like it so much is that real-life celebrity chefs and television personalities, Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, Marcus Samuelsson, and Maya Haile (all playing themselves), bring some fresh ingredients to this series.

Writer Tim Sheridan also offers a buffet of fresh and tasty subplots that brings out the flavor of the main plot (solving the mystery of the Red Ghost).  The animation is especially good, and the directing and editing create a fast-paced, but thoughtful film, full of both engaging mystery and zany action.  I highly recommend Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost to fans of the series and to fans of Scooby-Doo!

8 of 10
A

Monday, January 18, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown (2017) – Video
Running time:  79 minutes (1 hour 19 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  Matt Peters
WRITERS: Candie Kelty Langdale and Doug Landale
EDITORS:  Steve Donmyer and Craig Paulsen
COMPOSERS:  Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis
SONGS: Joshua Funk
ANIMATION STUDIO: Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Kate Micucci, Carlos Alazraqui, Max Charles, Gary Cole, Jessica DiCicco, Tania Gunadi, Eric Ladin, Nolan North, Stephen Tobolowsky, Lauren Tom, Melissa Villaseñor, Kari Wahlgren, and Gary Anthony Williams with John Schwab (no screen credit)

Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown is a 2017 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film.  It is also the 28th animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, which began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In Shaggy's Showdown, Mystery Inc. attempts to solve the mystery of a ghost that is rampaging through a small wild west town and a dude ranch.

Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown finds Mystery Inc.:  Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Kate Micucci), Norville “Shaggy” Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and the Great Dane, Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker), visiting the wild west town of Sorghum City.  They are surprised to find that the people there scream and run away when they encounter Shaggy.  The gang's next stop is “Crazy Q Ranch,” a dude ranch owned and operated by Shaggy's “third cousin, twice removed,” Tawny Rogers (Melissa Villaseñor).

A long-lost cousin, Tawny invited Shaggy to her ranch so they the cousins could reconnect, but the reunion is being ruined by the ghost of a notorious outlaw, Dapper Jack Rogers (John Schwab).  The ghost bears a striking resemblance to Shaggy, who, like Tawny, is a descendant of Dapper Jack.  The ghost has been terrorizing Sorghum City and also the Crazy Q Ranch, and if the ghost continues its haunting, Tawny will be forced to sell the ranch.  Now, Shaggy, Scooby, Fred, Daphne, and Velma have a new ghostly mystery to solve.

Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown is the third consecutive Scooby-Doo animated film I have seen that I really like.  I think that one thing that makes this one appealing to me is the dude ranch element.  I have been a fan of films set on dude ranches, and I have enjoyed TV series in which the characters visit a dude ranch for a particular episode.  Combine a dude ranch with my love of the Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc., and that is entertainment I cannot resist.

So take my recommendation with a grain of salt off the table at a dude ranch when I tell you that Shaggy's Showdown is one of the best recent Scooby-Doo movies.  I like the animation, especially the color, and there are some good subplots:  Shaggy riding a horse, Scooby's ability to “talk” to farm animals, and a child overcoming his fear of horses all make this particular straight-to-video Scooby-Doo film exceptional.

Seriously, Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown is a nice change of pace for the series.  A quasi-Western comedy, it means that the Scoody-Doo DVD animated movies can show a bit of freshness now and then.

8 of 10
A

Wednesday, August 28, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon" a Cool Cartoon

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon (2016) – Video
Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
DIRECTORS:   Tim Divar, Brandon Vietti
WRITERS:  Ernie Altbacker; from a story by Matt Wayne
PRODUCER: Brandon Vietti
EDITORS:  Keef Bartkus and Philip Malamuth
COMPOSER:  Ryan Shore
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey Griffin, Kate Micucci, Steven J. Blum, Eric Bauza, and Phil Morris; from WWE: The Undertaker, Kofi Kingston, Diego, Fernando, El Torito, Goldust, Stardust, The Miz, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Paige, Dusty Rhodes, Lana, Rusev, Michael Cole, and Vince McMahon

Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon is a 2016 straight-to-video animated comedy mystery.  It is the 27th animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation.  This series began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In Curse of the Speed Demon, Mystery Inc. is hired to solve the mystery of a phantom racer plaguing a WWE road race.  This film is also a co-production between WWE Studios and Warner Bros. Animation.

Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon begins some time after Mystery Inc. helped the WWE (Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment) superstars solve the mystery of the “ghost bear” (known as “Vicious”).  Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) are operating a food truck at WWE's latest venture, a road race called “WWW's Muscle Moro X Off Road Challenge.”

The race's participants are WWE superstars like The Undertaker and Dusty Rhodes, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, to name a few.  During a preliminary round of the race, a demon racer known as “Inferno,” disrupts the race, injuring Rhodes.  Needing a new partner, The Undertaker takes on Shaggy (a.k.a. “Skinny Man”) and Scooby-Doo (a.k.a. “Dead Meat”).  The trio becomes “Team Taker” and races in “The Scoobinator.”

Meanwhile, WWE boss, Mr. McMahon, hires the rest of Mystery Inc. gang:  Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey Griffin), and Velma Dinkley (Kate Micucci), to solve the mystery of Inferno.  However, the young mystery-solvers suspect that Inferno is actually a WWE superstar!

I have failed you, dear readers.  I cannot explain why I like Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon.  It is not a great movie, but I find quite entertaining.  What are some of the things that I like.

I am not a fan of WWE, but I found these cartoon versions of select WWE superstars likable, especially The Undertaker.  The cartoon Stephanie McMahon seems personable.  I found myself attracted to “Team Taker” and their racing vehicles.  All the elements that make up monster/villain Inferno make him a good bad guy.

Of course, when it comes down to it, I am a lifelong fan of Scooby-Doo and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang.  I don't really want to go to long without seeing them, and yes, I have come across some poor Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD films.  Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon is not one of them.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, June 5, 2017

The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery" Rocks

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 36 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery (2015) – Video
Running time:  79 minutes (1 hour, 19 minutes)
PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS:  Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone
WRITERS: Kevin Shinick; from a story by James Krieg and Kevin Shinick
EDITOR:  Bruce A. King
COMPOSERS:  Greg Collins and Jared Faber
ANIMATION STUDIO: Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Don McGhee, Darius Rucker, and Jason Mewes, and Kevin Smith

Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery is a 2015 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film.  It is also the 24th animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, which began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In Rock and Roll Mystery, Mystery Inc. joins the legendary rock band, KISS, in an attempt to save an amusement park from a marauding witch.

Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery introduces KISS World, an amusement park where fans can enjoy and celebrate all things related to the legendary rock band, Kiss (stylized as KISS).  The celebrated members of Kiss:  The Demon (Gene Simmons), The Starchild (Paul Stanley), The Catman (Eric Singer), and The Spaceman (Tommy Thayer) are preparing for a big Halloween concert.  However, the scary “Crimson Witch” is haunting KISS World, screaming “Give Me Rock!” and is scaring all the visitors away.

Meanwhile, Mystery Inc. (a.k.a. “the Scooby gang”): Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) have traveled to KISS World to see the band, mostly because Daphne has a crush on Starchild.  When the gang discovers that there is a mystery, they insist on helping.  However, the mystery of Crimson Witch spans worlds and dimensions, so how will Scooby and his friends handle their most mind-bending case yet?

As a child, I was a fan of Kiss, although I was not particularly enamored with the band's music.  I did like the stage personas of the band's members, and I liked to imagine the band as a different kind of superhero team.  That is how this most recent Scooby-Doo straight-to-video movie, Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery, plays the band:  as a far-out, cosmic band of superheroes who use music and mystical powers to fight evil.

Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery is one of the better recent Scooby-Doo movies, specifically because of the inclusion of Kiss.  I am surprised how well Scooby and friends mesh with Kiss.  In fact, Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery reminds me of “The New Scooby-Doo Movies” (1972-1974), the Saturday morning animated series that featured Mystery Inc. teaming up with real-life celebrities and well-known animated characters to solve bigger-than-usual mysteries.  I loved that series as a child, which may be part of the appeal of this movie for me.

Still, nostalgia aside, Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery is a well made animated film.  The mystery is compelling and the last act features a cosmic-inspired battle that is almost too big for the movie.  This movie is also genuinely funny, with lots of jokes about Kiss merchandising, and the film also gets a lot of mileage out of Daphne's crush on Starchild and Fred's jealousy over it.

Music plays a big part in this movie.  It includes six Kiss songs:  “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “Love Gun,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “I Was Made for Lovin' You,” “Detroit Rock City,” and “Modern Day Delilah.”  Plus, the members of Kiss take part in a joke song for the end credits, “Don't Touch My Ascot.”  The score by Greg Collins and Jared Faber takes its lead from 1970s and early 1980s hard rock, with some synthesizer-imbued music for the big cosmic battle in Kissteria (an alternate dimension).

I hope that Scooby-Doo and Kiss reunite.  The members of Kiss certainly seemed up for their voice-over performances.  If Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery is a one-off treat, I can accept that, but this deserves an encore.

8 of 10
A

Monday, September 7, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness" is Rather Tame

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 22 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux (support on Patreon)

Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness (2015) – Video
Running time:  72 minutes (1 hour, 12 minutes)
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:  Paul McEvoy
WRITER:  Mark Banker
EDITOR:  Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER:  Andy Sturmer

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Diedrich Bader, Eric Bauza, Jeff Bennett, Jennifer Hale, Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Fred Tatasciore

Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness is a 2015 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film.  It is also the 23rd animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, which began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In Moon Monster Madness, Mystery Inc. travels to an elaborate moon base where they attempt to unravel the mystery of an alien monster.

Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness introduces the billionaire Sly Baron (Malcolm McDowell).  His latest venture is to make “space tourism” more readily available.  To that end, Baron and his brother, Hudson (Fred Tatasciore), create the first space cruise ship, the “Sly Star One.”  Baron has picked an elite crew to accompany him on the Sly Star One's maiden voyage:  hero astronauts: Zip Elvin (Mark Hamill) and Colt Steelcase (Jeff Bennett); rising astronaut star, Shannon Lucas (Jennifer Hale); self-proclaimed alien hunter, Ridley (Jennifer Hale); football star, Uvinious Botango a.k.a "U-Boat" (Kevin Michael Richardson); and H.A.M. (Diedrich Bader), a robot who just wants to be useful and to be liked.

Baron also creates the “Sly Me to Space” sweepstakes, a lottery that give the last 5 seats on the Sly Star One to ordinary folks.  And the winners are Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker).  The cruise is not filled with fun, however, as rivalry, jealousy, and hero worship cause trouble.  And the space tourists soon discover an alien monster wants to ruin their trip to end their lives.

Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness is somewhat inventive.  It is sometimes funny.  It references and has allusions to famous science fiction movies and films about space travel, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), and The Right Stuff (1983).  The problem is that Moon Monster Madness just does not come together.  It is a little too long; has too many guest or supporting characters; and does not fully utilize many of the characters or sub-plots and themes.  Personally, I would have liked more screen time for “U-Boat” and H.A.M.

To be honest, it is also possible that I had high expectations for Moon Monster Madness coming off the previous Scooby film, Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy, which I loved so much, to an extent that still surprises me.  Still, I will recommend Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness, because... well... I always recommend Scooby-Doo movies.

5 of 10
B-

Monday, May 25, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy" is One of the Best Scooby-Doo Movies Ever

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy (2014) – Video
Running time:  74 minutes (1 hour, 14 minutes)
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:  Paul McEvoy
WRITER:  James Krieg
EDITOR:  Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER:  Andy Sturmer
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Diedrich Bader, Dee Bradley Baker, Eric Bauza, Jeff Bennett, Candi Milo, Susanne Blakeslee, Kevin Michael Richardson, Corey Burton, and Fred Tatasciore

Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy is a 2014 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film.  It is also the 22nd animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, which began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In Frankencreepy, Velma discovers that she has inherited a family castle that also comes with a curse.

Early in Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy, Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn) gets a call from Cuthbert Crawley (Kevin Michael Richardson), a lawyer.  It seems that she has received an inheritance from her great-great-uncle, Basil Von Dinkenstein (Corey Burton) – property and a castle in the town of Transylvania, Pennsylvania.

However, Crawley informs Velma that the castle comes with the Dinkenstein family curse, which destroys what a person loves the most.  Not long after that warning, the Ghost of the Baron (Corey Burton) makes his appearance, and something beloved by the Mystery Inc. gang is destroyed.  Never ones to ignore a mystery, Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) join Velma and travel to the strange village of Transylvania, where angry villagers and a bizarre creature await them.

Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy is not only one of the best Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD films; it is also one of the best Scooby-Doo cartoons ever.  The superb script by James Krieg recalls the first Scooby-Doo series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969-1970), both in spirit and in deed.  Frankencreepy is an homage to the classic, original Scooby-Doo, but it is also a modernization that stays true to what is beloved about this franchise.  The story is also a breath of fresh air for this direct-to-DVD franchise, in that it makes the characters do unexpected things.  The mystery at the center of the film is both executed and solved in surprising fashion.

Frankencreepy has a striking visual aesthetic that also harkens back to “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” with an art deco twist.  The backgrounds, village, Von Dinkenstein castle, interiors, etc. recall the classic animation art of Looney Tunes masters, Chuck Jones, Maurice Noble, and Phillip DeGuard.  The animation almost seems like the cartoons of Charles Addams brought to life.  Frankencreepy is truly one of the most beautiful animated films that is not also a major feature film production.

Obviously, I am crazy about this Scooby-Doo movie.  Director Paul McEvoy keeps the story moving with an occasional offbeat moment or pace that assures that no one will think Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy is just another Scooby-Doo cartoon.  I would like the creative team behind this movie give us at least one more Scooby-Doo movie.

9 of 10
A+

Saturday, October 4, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery (2014) – Video
Running time:  84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:   Brandon Vietti
WRITER:  Michael Ryan
EDITOR:  Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER:  Ryan Shore
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Charles S. Dutton, Bumper Robinson, Mary McCormack, Corey Burton, and Fred Tatasciore; from WWE: John Cena, Kane, Brodus Clay, AJ Lee, The Miz, Triple H, Michael Cole, Santino Marella, and Vince McMahon

Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery is the 21st animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation.  This series began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In WrestleMania Mystery, Mystery Inc. joins WWE wrestling superstars to solve the mystery of a marauding ghost bear.  This film is also a co-production between WWE Studios and Warner Bros. Animation.

Early in Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery, Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) win tickets to WrestleMania.  The two then cajole the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang:  Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), and Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), into taking them to the event.  The entire gang boards the Mystery Machine and heads to WWE City, the site of WrestleMania.

An accident on the way gives the friends the chance to meet WWE (Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment) superstar, John Cena (John Cena).  They even meet WWE boss, Mr. McMahon (Vince McMahon), and the gang gets an invite to visit the WWE training camp.  The good times are interrupted, however, by Vicious, a ghost bear whose attacks threaten to ruin WrestleMania.  WWE stars join Mystery, Inc. to solve the case and to also protect the health and freedom of Shaggy and Scooby.

I actually did not expect much from Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery, because I am not a fan of professional wrestling.  I was when I was a child (and I was huge fan of it, then).  However, I liked this movie … a lot.  In fact, I found myself wishing for a sequel as soon as I finished watching WrestleMania Mystery.

There are a few reasons.  First, WrestleMania Mystery is one of the better recent Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD movies, with the animation, production values, and voice acting being mostly good.  John Cena, or at least the cartoon version of him, comes across as a nice guy, the kind of fella who would make a good mystery-solving pal.  The Miz (regular name: Mike Mizanin) is funny in a small role, and I think that he’d also make a good sleuthing buddy.  WWE star, Sin Cara, is fantastic in a non-speaking role.

At 84 minutes in length, WrestleMania Mystery is more like a full-length movie than most of the Scooby-Doo movies of the last several years.  For the most part, the story does not seem padded.  Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery works.  It is genuinely good and funny, and it has a nice, action-filled last act.  I like it enough that it almost makes me want to watch some real-life WWE action … almost.

7 of 10
A-

Saturday, May 17, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" is Surprisingly Quite Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 166 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Running time:  91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild language and innuendo
DIRECTOR:  Joe Dante with Eric Goldberg (animation director)
WRITER:  Larry Doyle
PRODUCERS:  Bernie Goldmann, Joel Simon, and Paula Weinstein
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dean Cundey (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Rick W. Finney and Marshall Harvey
COMPOSER:  Jerry Goldsmith

ANIMATION/ACTION/ADVENTURE and COMEDY/FAMILY/FANTASY

Starring:  Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Heather Locklear, John Cleese, Joan Cusack, Bill Goldberg, Dan Stanton, Don Stanton, Matthew Lillard, Ron Perlman, and (voices) Joe Alaskey, Bob Bergen, Casey Kasem, Frank Welker, Billy West, with (receiving no screen credit) Peter Graves and Michael Jordan

The subject of this movie review is Looney Tunes: Back in Action, a 2003 adventure and comedy film from director Joe Dante.  Back in Action blends live-action and animation and stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the rest of the Looney Tunes characters.  In the movie, the Looney Tunes help a down-on-his-luck security guard find his missing father and the mythical Blue Monkey diamond.

Right out of the box, let’s proclaim Looney Tunes: Back in Action a fantastically funny film, almost as good as the gold standard of films that mix live action and animation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and better than Space Jam.  It’s not dumb and hackneyed as some have claimed; nor is it a cynical attempt to market Time Warner trademarks and merchandise.  Just about anyone who has ever loved the Looney Tunes characters will love this film.

As simple and as silly as it is, LT:BIA’s story ends up making a very funny film.  Daffy Duck (Joe Alaskey) is having another of his many conniptions about his status as second banana to Bugs Bunny (Joe Alaskey), but this time Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), an eager young Warner Bros. Studio executive fires Daffy.  Daffy’s shenanigans also cost a studio lot guard, DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser), his job.

Later Daffy and DJ discover that DJ’s dad, Damien Drake (Timothy Dalton), the famous spy movie star, is actually a real life spy.  He’s been kidnapped and is being held hostage in Las Vegas.  Via a special spy signal, he asks his son to find the Blue Monkey Diamond and keep it from the evil Mr. Chairman (Steve Martin), head of the Acme Corporation, who wants to use the diamond’s mystical powers to turn everyone on the planet into monkeys.  It’s up to DJ, Kate, Bugs, and Daffy to find the jewel, rescue DJ’s dad, and save the world.

The films is technically well made, and the merger of animation and live action is easily on par, if not superior to Roger Rabbit.  Joe Dante (Gremlins), no stranger to special effects and genre films, does a fantastic job prepping his film, especially its stars, to act with characters and effects that would only be added after the principal photography was finished.  Animation director Eric Goldberg has also done some of the best helming of animated film in years.  It’s the best work this year by a director of animation after the Finding Nemo crew, which is clearly evident in the Bugs/Daffy/Elmer Fudd (Billy West) surrealistic and imaginatively designed race through the Louvre in Paris.

The cast of actors is fantastic.  Brendan Fraser is an underrated actor, movie star, and comedian.  He’s excellent with physical comedy, and by now has a knack for working in an environment where a lot of the film elements are added after he does his work.  Jenna Elfman is a pleasant surprise, and she has excellent chemistry with her costars, live and animated.

The films gets a hardy recommendation because it’s such fun.  The fact that almost all major and minor characters that have ever appeared in a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon have a part in the film makes it a must see.  There’s even a small scene that plugs 2004’s Scooby-Doo 2, and if that’s not enough for certain moviegoers, then, they are indeed in need of a laugh.  Looney Tunes: Back in Action is just what the doctor ordered.

8 of 10
A

Updated: Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 65 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013) – Video
Running time:  78 minutes (1 hour, 18 minutes)
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:   Victor Cook
WRITERS:  Douglas Langdale (teleplay); from a story by Candie Langdale and Douglas Langdale
EDITOR:  Bruce A. King
COMPOSER:  Robert J. Kral
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY/MUSIC

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Wayne Brady, Vivica A. Fox, Isabella Acres, Troy Baker, Eric Bauza, Jeff Bennett, Kate Higgins, Peter MacNicol, Candi Milo, John O’Hurley, Cristina Pucelli, Kevin Michael Richardson, Paul Rugg, Tara Sands, Tara Strong, Travis Willingham, and Ariel Winter

Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright is the 20th animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation.  This series began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In Stage Fright, the Mystery Inc. gang tries to solve the mystery of a talent show plagued by a belligerent phantom.

Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright finds Mystery Inc.:  Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), and, of course, Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) heading to Chicago for a talent show.  The Windy City is the home of a hot competition reality show called, “Talent Star.”  Fred and Daphne are Talent Star finalists as a singer-songwriter duo.  Shaggy and Scooby do not want to be left out and have a secret act in the works, which they hope will help them storm their way into the finals.  Velma just wants to visit the city’s museums, one of which is exhibiting the legendary “Soap Diamond.”

However, Talent Star is being broadcast from an old opera house with a haunted history.  Now, The Phantom, the horror that plagued the opera house decades ago, is back to curse Talent Star.  Who or what is The Phantom?  The Mystery Inc. gang has a lot of suspects.  Among the many suspects are Talent Star’s publicity-obsessed host, Brick Pimiento (Wayne Brady); the fussy germ-a-phobic stage manager, Dewey Ottoman (Peter MacNicol); stage parents, Barb and Lance Damon (Candi Milo and Troy Baker), whose bratty daughter, Chrissy (Ariel Winter), is a finalist; and the scary and abrasive diva, singer Lotte Lavoie (Vivica A. Fox).

After twenty movies, one would think that this franchise could not offer any more surprises, but Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright does.  For one thing, there are several characters that could be the villain, and a few of them are actually villainous or could be described as an adversary, antagonist, or a general bad actor in the affair.  The story nicely mixes the classic story, The Phantom of the Opera (which originated in the novel by French writer, Gaston Leroux), and elements of the popular television series, “American Idol.”

Those are the things that kept me interested in this movie.  This is how I generally judge Scooby-Doo straight-to-video movies; if by the end of the film I actually wish it wouldn’t end, I consider that one to be a winner.

Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright is a winner.  In addition to the usual good voice acting by the main cast, Wayne Brady, Vivica A. Fox, and Peter MacNicol, in supporting roles, bring their characters to life in a way that makes them and the film a little more interesting to adults.  In fact, as a sidebar, this film does lampoon self-absorbed child stars and the stage parents who make the little monsters.  I think that fans of this film series and fans of Scooby-Doo will like Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, September 28, 2013


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 27 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon (2012) – Video
Running time: 75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Michael Gougen
WRITER: Michael Ryan; from a story b y Marly Halpern-Graser
PRODUCER: James Tucker
EDITOR: Kyle Stafford
COMPOSERS: Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis
ANIMATION STUDIO: Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring: (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Diedrich Bader, Dee Bradley Baker, Jeff Bennett, Gregg Berger, John DiMaggio, Nika Futterman, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tara Strong, Fred Tatasciore, Mindy Sterling, and Billy West

Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon is the 19th movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation. This series began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. In Mask of the Blue Falcon, Scooby-Doo and friends attend a comic book convention where they confront a monster terrorizing the convention.

Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon finds Mystery Inc.: Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), and, of course, Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) solving their latest case. Shaggy and Scooby-Doo are ready to take a break from mystery-solving and from being chased by monsters. Their destination of choice is the Mega Mondo Pop! Comic ConApalozza in San Pedro, California. Shaggy and Scooby plan to enter the convention’s costume contest, dressed as their favorite superheroes, the Blue Falcon (Shaggy) and Dynomutt the Dog Wonder (Scooby).

The gang arrives at the San Pedro Convention Center and finds the place packed with attendees in costumes, vendors with merchandise to sell, and even a bitter, faded actor. Owen Garrison (Jeff Bennett) was the original Blue Falcon, and he is angry that fans have forgotten him. Producer/director, Jennifer Severin (Nika Futterman) is re-launching the Blue Falcon franchise with an updated and darker movie, “The Blue Falcon Reborn: Dynomutt’s Revenge.” There is a new actor, Brad Adams (Diedrich Bader), starring as the Blue Falcon.

Meanwhile, one of the original Blue Falcon’s enemies, Mr. Hyde (John DiMaggio), begins terrorizing the convention and threatening to stop the premiere of the new Blue Falcon movie. Suspicion is directed at Garrison as the identity of the diabolical Hyde, but Shaggy and Scooby don’t believe it. Can this dynamic duo solve the mystery of Mr. Hyde or will they just end up being laughingstocks?

The Scooby-Doo animated television franchise is probably the signature creation of Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc., the former American animation studio that dominated American television animation for decades. Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon is like a reunion of old Hanna-Barbera characters and shows, especially those that appeared on Saturday morning network television in the 1960s and 70s. Of course, Blue Falcon and Dynomutt the Dog Wonder were the stars of Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, a half-hour segment of The Scooby Doo/Dynomutt Hour, which originally aired during the 1976-77 television season.

In fact, in one form or another, several Hanna-Barbera characters appear in Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon, including The Flintstones, Frankenstein, Jr., The Herculoids, Space Ghost, and Speed Buggy, among many. That may be why I like Mask of the Blue Falcon so much. While it is not great, I do think this movie is one of the better recent Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD films. I am giving it a rating of 8 (of 10), which I translate to a grade of “A.” Perhaps, I should be a bit more conservative here, but I like this film enough that I could not see myself going to anything below a 7. That’s a Hanna-Barbera fan for you!

Anyway, Mask of the Blue Falcon’s animation is nice and has sharp colors (which is generally true of the series these last few years). The character animation is good, and while the characters’ motion is not as good as it is in feature animation, they never look clunky and clumsy.

What makes Mask of the Blue Falcon stand out is characterization. Mystery Inc. and many of the supporting characters have personalities, desires, goals, conflicts, etc. There is Scooby-Doo’s need to be a hero like Dynomutt, and Owen Garrison’s bitterness. Daphne’s obsession with a toy line, the “Littlest Fuzzies,” is a nice change of pace for the character. I did notice something peculiar. Whenever, Mayor Ron Starlin of San Pedro (Kevin Michael Richardson) was on-screen, the background music changed to some kind of gospel-inflected organ music. Was this to indicate that the mayor, who is African-American, is some kind of stereotypical, Black religious leader-type politician? A Rev. Jesse Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton type, hmm?

As character development and personality go, this is minute, simple material, but it’s a step-up from recent Scooby-Doo movies. So it’s not just nostalgia that makes me love this movie; Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon is quite good… even if it is not as good as I think it is. And I do want more like it.

8 of 10
A

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

"Big Top Scooby-Doo!" a Circus of Action

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 97 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Big Top Scooby-Doo! (2012) – Video
Running time: 80 minutes (1 hour, 20 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Ben Jones
WRITER: Douglas Langdale
PRODUCERS: Spike Brandt and Tom Cervone
EDITOR: Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER: Robert J. Kral
ANIMATION STUDIO: Digital Emation Inc.

ANIMATION/ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY/FAMILY

Starring: (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Greg Ellis, Maurice LaMarche, Peter Stormare, Jeff Dunham, Carlos Ferro, Jess Harnell, Jim Meskimen, Candi Milo, Hynden Walch, and Craig Ferguson

Big Top Scooby-Doo! is the 18th movie in the Scooby-Doo direct-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation. This series began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. This new film has Scooby-Doo and company working in a circus to solve a mystery involving jewel heists and werewolves.

Big Top Scooby-Doo! finds Mystery Inc.: Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), and, of course, Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) arriving in Atlantic City. They’re hoping to find some monster-free fun, when they discover that the circus is in town. Not long after arriving at the camp site of the Brancusi Circus, they are attacked by a werewolf.

After rescuing them, Marius Brancusi (Greg Ellis), owner of the circus, tells the gang that the werewolf has been terrorizing his performers. The werewolf has also apparently committed a jewelry store robbery in each town in which the circus has recently performed. Desperate for help, Marius hires Mystery Inc. to catch the werewolf, but the gang will have to work incognito as circus performers. Jealous acrobats, cranky clowns, and the other eccentric denizens of the Brancusi Circus complicate the case as Mystery Inc. learns to perform circus stunts and try to unravel a werewolf mystery.

Big Top Scooby-Doo! is good, but not great and is not one of the standouts of this series. The best moments in this movie, by far, are the scenes in which Mystery Inc. performs in the circus, run from werewolves, or both. There is also an exciting chase scene finale. The action is what carries this movie, and carries it quite well.

Other than that, Big Top Scooby-Doo! is a little listless, although much of the dialogue is spry. There is also a subplot involving a heavy metal musical act called Wulfsmoon that is pointless. One of the surprises is a nicely executed feud between Scooby and Shaggy that perks up the movie every time it is brought up.

Big Top Scooby-Doo! is for the diehard Scooby-Doo fans and for youngsters satisfied with watching any kind of cartoon. However, people who have watched Scooby-Doo cartoons in the past might like some of this.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

"Music of the Vampire" an Average Scooby-Doo Toon

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 37 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire (2012) – Video
Running time: 78 minutes (1 hour, 18 minutes)
DIRECTORS: David Block
WRITER: Tom Sheppard
PRODUCERS: Spike Brandt and Tom Cervone
EDITOR: Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER: Andy Sturmer
ANIMATION STUDIO: Digital Emation Inc.

ANIMATION/ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY/MUSICAL

Starring: (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Jim Cummings, Jeff Bennett, Mindy Sterling, Christian Campbell, Rob Paulsen, Jim Wise, Julianne Buescher, Obba Babatunde, and Robert Townsend

Beginning in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Warner Bros. has released direct-to-video animated movies based on the Scooby-Doo cartoon franchise. Except for a few years when two movies have been released, there has been at least one movie a year. Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire is the 17th movie in this direct-to-video series. It is also the second musical in the series, following Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008).

After battling a giant cockroach monster, the Mystery Inc. gang: Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), and, of course, Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker), are in need of a vacation – a monster-free vacation. They hop in the Mystery Machine and end up in bayou country (Louisiana?) where they eventually come to Petit Chaure Sourie Ville, which means “Little Bat Town.”

They have been invited to the small town by Vincent Van Helsing (Jeff Bennett), a direct descendant of the famed vampire hunter, Abraham Van Helsing. Vincent has a museum and a parcel of land that he leases to a traveling vampire-themed festival owned by the unscrupulous Lita Rutland (Mindy Sterling). Part of this traveling show is Fangenschanz, a cheesy version of Cirque du Soleil with actors dressed as vampires. During a performance, the Fangenschanz troop apparently awakens a centuries-old vampire, Lord Valdronya (Jeff Bennett). Now, that he is awake, Valdronya wants a bride, and Daphne is the bride he wants.

For the past few years, I’ve been looking forward to each new Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD movie. However, I didn’t have high hopes for Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire, especially after learning that it was a musical. The eight songs (two of which are reprised) aren’t bad, but they aren’t exceptionally good, either. I have seen some good Scooby-Doo movies; this isn’t one of the particularly good one, although it does have some nice moments. My niece, who was visiting recently, watched it numerous times during this just-passed Mother’s Day weekend. I don’t like Music of the Vampire as much as she apparently does, but she is currently in an I-love-everything-Scooby-Doo phase.

What else can I say? I am guessing that children that like Scooby-Doo will like Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire. Adults who are down with the Doo may not like this, or, like me, they will try to find things in Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire to like.

5 of 10
C+

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

"Scooby-Doo" the Movie is Kinda Doo-Doo

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 55 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Scooby-Doo (2002)
Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some rude humor, language and some scary action
DIRECTOR: Raja Gosnell
WRITERS: James Gunn; from a story Craig Titley and James Gunn (based upon the characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera)
PRODUCERS: Charles Roven and Richard Suckle
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Eggby (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Kent Beyda
COMPOSER: David Newman

COMEDY/FAMILY/FANTASY/MYSTERY with elements of action

Starring: Freddie Prinze, Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Rowan Atkinson, Isla Fisher, Miguel A Nunez, Jr., Neil Fanning (voice), Scott Innes (voice), J.P. Manoux (voice)

Why does there need to be a feature-length, live action, movie based on the long running “Scooby-Doo” animated series? There are a number of reasons. It’s an exploitable “intellectual” property owned by a giant corporation. It’s a recognizable property and brand name, and frankly, only in recent years has the property owner begun to maximize the licensing potential of this property. Also, most movies from the larger film studios are notoriously expensive; “new” ideas are risky, but remakes and adaptations of stories from other media are the way film studios go when they want to play it safe. To many people, however, both young and old (after all, the Scooby-Doo cartoon concept is over 30 years old), this isn’t a property; it’s Scooby-Doo, man, so a lot of moviegoers were eagerly awaiting the 2002 “live” action debut of Scooby-Doo. And I place live in quotation marks because our favorite cartoon dog is one of many things in this film that isn’t exactly live.

As Scooby-Doo begins, the gang of Mystery Inc. disband due to internal strife. Fred “Freddie” Jones (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) is full of himself and believes that he is the group. Daphne Blake (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is tired of her teammates viewing her as a weak link, and Velma Dinkley (Linda Cardellini) wants credit for her intellectual contributions to the group. As the unhappy trio departs, Norville “Shaggy” Rogers (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby (a CGI character) inherit the Mystery Machine, that van that has carried the kids across continents to solve mysteries, and retire to live their lives eating rude junk food.

The gang inadvertently reunites when the owner of Spooky Island, Emile Mondavarious (Rowan Atkinson) invites the former teammates separately by invitation to his island to solve the mystery behind the strange behavior of his resort island’s guests. What they find test their individual skills and forces them back together, but can they solve a mystery that might involve their past?

Scooby-Doo alternates between several phases. Sometimes, it’s really dumb, while other times it’s too lame to be dumb. It’s bad, ridiculous, and doesn’t make sense, which is odd because the creators behind the original cartoon series often went to great lengths to give plausible explanations for their often surreal, bizarre, and implausible stories. Yet, there were times when I really found some of the material to be funny. I can’t kid myself. This movie is for children, and not necessarily dumb children. It’s for children and for adults who love Scooby-Doo and are thrilled by the idea of a Scooby movie. Audiences can look forward to this kind of movie now thanks to the ability to render the strangest looking characters and give them complex movements with the aid of computer software. At one time, a Scooby-Doo movie would have meant an actor playing Scooby in an awful looking costume that wouldn’t fool anyone in believing he was Scooby. Now, computers can create an animated Scooby that looks more real and has more range of motion than the original character that was created using traditional cel animation.

Audiences are consumers, and consumers are suckers for the familiar brand names. While we might see Scooby as a beloved character, he’s a product. No studio is going to risk losing hundreds of millions of dollars in sales on a film through theatrical release, home video, television, and merchandising just to make a smart and witty movie. The Scooby cartoons were never smart and witty, anyway. Except for an occasional odd, short film from an inventive animator for the Cartoon Network during the 1990’s, the filmography of Scooby has been one of simpleminded entertainment for kids. And I have to admit that I watched lots of Scooby for over two decades.

Director Raja Gosnell, a former film editor, is a perfect choice to direct this. His knowledge of how film works allows him to create a functional film out of what amounts to a poor script. The story actually has something that’s vaguely neat and interesting – an idea here or there that might work. However, the writers seem mostly to be hacks that specialize in B movies. They’re used to doing atrocious work that is “not supposed to be taken seriously.” So I don’t know if the studio wanted this to stay dumb, or that this was dumb by either the writers’ choice or ability. Either way, they couldn’t seem to hold onto what inspiration they had, and I wonder if these guys even know how to aim it when they’re in front of a urinal.

The casting of this movie is mostly wrong. Matthew Lillard seems born to play Shaggy, and Linda Cardellini is tolerable as Velma; after a while, they all sort of grow on you like fungus, and you accept them. I have to admit that despite my reservations, I grew to like the computer generated Scooby. I thought of it as Scooby the same way I would a cel-animated Doo. I really didn’t like that the film introduced adult “personality” traits to the characters: lust, envy, insecurity, hate, revenge, anger, etc.

This film is mostly trash, something light and fluffy, a curiosity piece, in a manner of speaking, so see it for Scooby and Shaggy if for no other reason. There are some really sweet moments that I can’t reveal without spoiling the film, and the sets and costumes were really nice.

5 of 10
C+

NOTES:
2003 Razzie Awards: 2 nominations: “Most Flatulent Teen-Targeted Movie” (Warner Bros.) and “Worst Supporting Actor” (Freddie Prinze, Jr.)

"The Descendants" Ascends to the Top

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 28 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Descendants (2011)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – R for language including some sexual references
DIRECTOR: Alexander Payne
WRITERS: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash (based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings)
PRODUCERS: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Phedon Papamichael
EDITOR: Kevin Tent
Academy Award winner

DRAMA

Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Patricia Hastie, Beau Bridges, Matt Corboy, Robert Forster, Barbara L. Southern, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer, and Scott Michael Morgan

The subject of this movie review is The Descendants, a 2011 family drama from director Alexander Payne. The film is set in Hawaii and is based upon the 2007 novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The film, which is set in Hawaii, focuses on a man who tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident. By the time you read this review, dear reader, you will have heard that The Descendants is one of the best films of 2011. That’s for damn true.

Matthew “Matt” King (George Clooney) is a man with a lot on his mind. The Honolulu-based lawyer is the sole trustee of a family trust that controls 25,000 acres of untouched land on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i. At this time, King and his relatives must decide to whom they will sell the land, which has been in the family for 150 years and which they must sell because of a rule against perpetuities.

What else is on Matt’s mind? Recently, his wife, Elizabeth Thorson King (Patricia Hastie), was in a boating accident, and now she is in a coma. As he prepares to comply with his wife’s living will, Matt must deal with his taciturn father-in-law, Scott Thorson (Robert Forster). Most difficult is reconnecting with his two daughters, to whom he is not close. Alexandra “Alex” King (Shailene Woodley), at 17-years-old, seems to specialize in self-destructive behavior. Ten-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller) shocks everyone with her brazenly inappropriate behavior. If that weren’t enough, Elizabeth had a lover, local real estate stud, Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard).

Director Alexander Payne, and his co-writers, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, won Oscar statuettes for The Descendants’ screenplay, but this film was certainly worthy of winning more Oscars back on February 26, 2012 during the 84th Academy Awards. It’s on my shortlist of films that can arguably be said to be the top one of 2011. I am not the biggest fan of Payne’s critically acclaimed films, Sideways (2004) and About Schmidt (2002), both of which featured dark humor, as they took a satirical view of Middle American life. Although I think both movies are good, I found significant things about them to be contrived, with characters that were more annoying (which I hate) than they were unlikable (which I can accept).

The Descendants is unfailingly human, especially compared to all the contrived dramas and fantastical special effects-laden films being released. Everything this film says about marriage, family discord, and friendship just feels so authentic, but Payne doesn’t turn this film dark and morbid. He handles this potent family drama with poignancy and splashes of humor that make the heartfelt substantive rather than manipulative.

The Descendants is a testament to the amazing things filmmakers and casts can do when they come together to tell a great story about characters with whom the audience members not only identify, but also recognize in the core of their souls. In fact, Payne gets great performances from his cast, and I can see why many thought Shailene Woodley as “Alex” should have received an Oscar nomination as best supporting actress. Truthfully, everyone in this cast deserves some kind of notice; each person makes his character seem real in the context of this larger circle of family and friends.

Yes, The Descendants is one of the year’s very best movies. It is the kind of drama that is hard to forget.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash); 4 nominations: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Alexander Payne), “Best Achievement in Film Editing” (Kevin Tent), and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (George Clooney)

2012 BAFTA Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Film” (Alexander Payne, Jim Burke, and Jim Taylor), “Best Adapted Screenplay” (Jim Rash, Alexander Payne, and Nat Faxon), “Best Leading Actor” (George Clooney)

2012 Golden Globes: 2 wins: “Best Motion Picture – Drama” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (George Clooney); 3 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Alexander Payne), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Shailene Woodley), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, and Alexander Payne)

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Review: Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 83 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux


Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (2011) – Video
Running time: 75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes)
DIRECTORS: Ethan Spaulding with Kirk Tingblad (animation director)
WRITER: Douglas Langdale
PRODUCERS: Spike Brandt and Tom Cervone
EDITOR: Damon P. Yoches

ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring: (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Matthew Gray Gubler, Finola Hughes, Kevin Michael Richardson, Fred Willard, Maulik Pancholy, John Di Maggio, Michael Gough, Dave Wittenberg, Cathy Cavadini, and Gwendoline Yeo

Beginning in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Warner Bros. has released direct-to-video animated movies based on the Scooby-Doo cartoon franchise. Except for a few years when two movies have been released, there has been at least one movie a year. Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur is the 16th movie in this direct-to-video series.

Legend of the Phantosaur begins with a successful conclusion to another mystery – well, not entirely successful. The case has left Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard) with a case of “acute threat avoidance hypertrophy disorder” or “overreaction to fear stimuli.” Also, Fred Jones (Frank Welker) is failing science, so Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle) comes up with an idea to help both Fred and Shaggy. They will travel to the remote desert town of La Serena, the location of a spa where Shaggy can relax. He can also avoid scary things because La Serena is “the least haunted town in America” (according to the U.S. Bureau of Supernatural Forces). Near La Serena, there is also an archeological dig, which would make a good extra-curricular project for Fred.

The gang arrives at the La Serena Spa and meets its eccentric owner, Mr. Hubley (Fred Willard). Hubley wants to use his own invention, an advanced hypnosis machine with a giant holographic projector, to cure Shaggy. Later, Professor Svankmajor (Finola Hughes), the head of the local paleontological dig, shows the gang the dig site. Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn) meets one of Svankmajor’s students, Windsor (Matthew Gray Gubler), who is like an identical male version of Velma, and the two begin a romance.

It turns out that La Serena is indeed experiencing a haunting. The Phantosaur, a local Native American legend, has returned to terrorize the area. The latest mystery the Scooby Gang tackles is like no other. Shaggy has a dual personality, and Scooby-Doo (Fred Welker) is trying to manage them both. There is a local biker gang, and Shaggy challenges their leader, Big Texas or “Tex” (Kevin Michael Richardson), to a motorcycle race. And there are snakes and more dinosaurs waiting in the wings to terrorize. Can the gang solve this mystery when they may not even survive it?

Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur is 75 minutes in length, but it seems much longer than that, but not in a bad way. There are so many subplots, character arcs, and lines of conflict that this seems like a live-action film of about 100 minutes in length. This is also something different from other Scooby-Doo straight-to-video films; it is more character driven, and the comedy is built around character situations.

Potential viewers shouldn’t be put off because there are some big action set pieces here – a motorcycle race, a dinosaur invasion of La Serena, and the entirety of the last act. Still, in between the manic fun, there are quite a lot of off-rhythm character drama scenes (if I can call them that). This focus on the characters does bring up a problem; the voice performances for what are essentially supporting/guest characters aren’t that good. Matthew Gray Gubler’s performance as Windsor seems uninspired, and Fred Willard is either awkward or out of place as Mr. Hubley.

Of the three most recent Scooby-Doo moves, Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur is the least in terms of delivering fun and entertainment. It’s not bad, and, in fact, the production values and art direction are quite good. But there will be an ebb and flow in how much these movies capture the unique Scooby-Doo spirit and sense of adventure and fun. Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur is closer to an ebb.

6 of 10
B

Monday, October 17, 2011

Review: "Scream" Still a Scream

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 50 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scream (1996)
Running time: 111 minutes (1 hour, 51 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong graphic horror violence and gore, and for language
DIRECTOR: Wes Craven
WRITER: Kevin Williamson
PRODUCERS: Cathy Konrad and Cary Woods
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mark Irwin (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Patrick Lussier
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, W. Earl Brown, Drew Barrymore, Joseph Whipp, Lawrence Hecht, Roger Jackson (voice), Liev Schreiber, and Henry Winkler

In the GenX/post-GenX thriller Scream, a psychopathic killer stalks a group of teens just like psychos stalk victims in slasher movie. His primary focus is teenage virgin Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), and the killings begin near the one-year anniversary of her mother’s death. A tabloid reporter, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), who covered sensational murder trial of the alleged killer of Sidney’s mom, is determined to uncover the truth because she believes the wrong man was convicted of killing Mrs. Prescott and that the real killer is still at large. Of course, the mystery surrounding the killer culminates during a raucous teen party held at the obligatory isolated farmhouse. Finding out who survives is as fun as learning who the killer is.

Much has been made of how Scream references the many horror films that preceded it, especially 1980’s slasher flicks, but Scream is simply a great horror film and as much a mystery thriller as it is a scary movie. Maybe that’s because the film is a horror movie for the sake of being a horror movie. Any social commentary the film makes is ancillary, and anything it says about other movies is just the nature of the beast. Just about any horror movie will reflect the others that came before it.

While casting young stars from TV shows popular with teens and twenty-somethings in the mid-90’s was a savvy move on the part of the filmmakers (most 80’s slasher movies cast young unknowns), the two elements of that make Scream great are screenwriter Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven. Williamson’s script is tight, smart, funny, deft, self-referential, and most of all, creates a solid structure of suspense. The characters are mostly throwaways, but Williamson makes us care about them because the situations he puts them in are so precarious, we’d be cruel not to root for them to escape. For all the artful window dressings, Williamson’s script simply tells a scary story.

Wes Craven is one of the greatest horror film directors of all time having helmed A Nightmare of Elm Street and The Last House on the Left. Scream simply cements his position as a master director of the suspense genre. He turns Williamson’s words into palatable fear. He knows when to make the film outright scary, and when slowly increase the level of suspense and fright. Craven knows when to be funny and silly, and he knows when to deliver the deathblow, but most of all when to leave it all hanging on a thin string.

Scream is a film no slasher fan should go without seeing, and certainly it’s a work not to be missed by admirers and students of horror cinema.

8 of 10
A

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