First, the downsides
1) There's no opening song.
Unlike the other recent movies, this one opts to do an "Adam West Batman" style opening with comic panels. This SOUNDS like it would be awesome. But it ends up being dull (both from a musical and visual standpoint).
2) The movie lied about the parking conditions at SDCC. It is so NOT possible to drive up to the front of it and just walk in.
...yeah, I know it would have killed the narrative for the gang to drive around for two hours looking for parking and then have to walk 3 miles to get to the con once they FINALLY find a space. But, as someone who has been there, I couldn't stop myself from shouting "BULLCRAP!!" at the screen. LOL
3) Velma was WAY too bitchy and condescending toward Shaggy, Scooby, and comic nerds in general (not quite as bad as MI-Velma; but it got close).
The upsides
1) The opening monster scene...
There was a scene in the beginning where Fred tries to convince Scooby to be the bait for his latest stupid trap. He tries offering Scooby Snax as a bribe, but Scooby still says no. So Shaggy tells Velma, “you KNOW how to make him do it….” And she reluctantly turns to Scooby and says “Please save us, Dog Wonder!”. And that gets him to do it. Scooby Snax don’t work; but flattery from Velma does. These two are still pals!!! SUCK IT, MYSTERY INCORPORATED!!!!
Again I say, SUCK IT!!!
2) Lots of love for old school Hanna-Barbera:
This movie takes place in a beautiful parallel universe where enough people still give a crap about obscure Hanna-Barbera cartoons for SDCC to not only acknowledge their existence, but to give them tons of banner space in the dealers’ room and a big ass balloon outside the convention center (the setting felt more like "Hanna Barbera Con" than "Comic Con"). Seriously, I wish the REAL SDCC was as cool as the one in the movie.
*sigh*
As much as I love Hanna-Barbera. Even I can't believe that Magilla Gorilla could ever have been popular enough to warrant his own booth at a con. That wouldn't even fly at an ACTUAL "Hanna-Barbera Con"; let along a general comic book and/or geek convention
3) One of the people in charge of this movie is apparently a REALLY big fan of Frankenstein Jr and The Impossibles.
That character is all over this movie. And it’s a real treat to me and the 6 other people who are nerdy enough about Hanna-Barbera trivia to recognize the character on sight.
4) I can’t help wondering if the plot was inspired by (or stolen from) Mark Hamill’s Comic Book: The Movie.
Because Comic Book: The Movie also centers around a fanboy being outraged when he learns that his favorite silver age hero is getting a "gritty" Hollywood reboot.
BTW, if you haven't seen Comic Book: The Movie, GO WATCH IT NOW BECAUSE IT’S AMAZING!!!).
Can you tell I really really REALLY love this movie?
5) This movie does a hilarious twist on the "glasses gag". And I wont spoil it here because I want y'all to see it for yourselves.
6) We don't get to see the girls in cheesecake outfits or poses (so there's no Camp Scare level fan-service).
However, we do get to see Fred dressed like a cosplay slut!
...I assume the scene where Tony Harris accuses him of doing it for attention will be on the DVD. ~_^
7) At some point in the movie, this happens:
Final Thoughts:
Overall I think the movie is...OK. It's a bit of a let down from Big Top Scooby Doo because the story wasn't as well executed, the mystery wasn't as compelling, and the characterizations were a bit off. Also, like I said before, they wasted a great setting by not doing anything really cool with it (especially compared to how well the circus setting was implemented in Big Top).
On the plus side, the movie was fun and it was free of any nonsensical romantic side plots (HOORAY!). So I'd totally recommend it to anyone who wants to see the Scooby gang do their thing at a con. Though I would suggest either waiting for a price drop or a TV airing because it isn't quite worth the full retail price (unless the final DVD ends up having cool extras or something).
I will now close out my review with some random screenshots taken totally out of context. Enjoy!
Every cosplayer can relate to this image of the boys with a glue gun in the back of the van (I know I've been there). XD
Sadly, the audience never gets a closer look at the gang's new formal outfits. Which is a shame because Velma's ensemble looks adorable (despite the fact that the ugly make up has returned)!
Velma/Shaggy shippers may now SWOON!!
Velma/Daphne shippers may now SWOON!!
This is me at every con ever.....
The famous SDCC pedi-cabs!
And now, let's close on something cute:
Hope you guys enjoyed the preview!
If you want to use these screen caps or show them off elsewhere, that's fine. Just do me a favor and remember to credit me for them. :)