Scooby-Doo WHO Are You? ...Any WHY do you look so STRANGE?
...And, while we're at it, WHAT have you done with the REAL Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. Gang?!
You know... The ones that are supposed to look like THIS!
...And not like a bunch of POSED DOLLS or ACTION FIGURES!
Just look at "Barbie and Ken"... I mean "Fred and Daphne" in particular.
And Blue Falcon looks like he should come with "Battle-Ready Falcon-Accessories - each sold separately"!
Gimme stuff like this any day!
11 comments:
Spot-on commentary, Joe!
Who's next to Blue Falcon and Dyno-Mutt? Between them and Daphne?
One thing about this franchise--it never runs out of new twists, new spins, new directions, new graphic styles, even--it would seem--new characters!
Joe:
Right on. Why, oh why, must studios go off model in every single new production based on classic characters these days? It's so annoying. What's wrong with the original models, that made the characters great in the first place, and pleasantly distinctive from newer stuff, even back when this millennial was growing up?
Scarecrow:
That's supposed to be Dee Dee Sykes from "Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels."
“Who's next to Blue Falcon and Dyno-Mutt? Between them and Daphne?”
Your guess is as good as mine, Scarecrow. Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats? She's met er... "Scoob" before.
More likely a new character created to be Blue Falcon’s human “Robin-type” partner. I suppose if they really wanted to “crowd the franchise” they could have given her a “cellular cat” to play off of Dyno-Mutt… and called it “Cell-o Kitty”! 100 TIAH points if you know where I used that gag before!
…Or, called it “Jeff”, leaving us with “ Dyno-Mutt and Jeff”!
“One thing about this franchise--it never runs out of new twists…”
Yeah, but I think doing it with “dolls, puppets, and action figures” is one twist too far!
Ruh-Roh! It looks like Sergio answered Scarecrow's question before I was also to squeeze-out one of my typically lame and jokey responses!
Thanks, Sergio!
And YEAH! The best of the modern versions, from "What's New" and "Mystery Incorporated" to comics' late and VERY lamented SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP have always presented the original versions, or something very close to them!
The reason things change styles is usually some executive “trying to keep things fresh”...the same reason that Scooby-Doo kept changing formats from 1979-on.
Deb:
The “format changes” for Scooby-Doo actually began a bit before 1979, with “The New Scooby-Doo Movies” in 1972. Or the later pairings with Dyno-Mutt!
One might even go as far back as the second season of the original “Scooby-Doo Where are You” in 1970, when “Monkees-Like Music Romps” were added to each episode on the order of CBS, because their reruns of the 1960s “Monkees” series was so successful on Saturday mornings. And, of course, CBS also had the musical stylings of “The Archies” to bolster that line of thinking.
But, in the larger scheme of things, excepting bizarre anomalies like “A Pup Called Scooby-Doo” (…and EVERY good animated series needed a “kid-version” of itself, didn’t it?), the design-distorted “Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue”, and the ultimate Scooby-outlier “Scooby Apocalypse” (DC Comics, 2016-2019), every version at least remained faithful to the basic “look and feel” of the characters…
…Even when cast members were “put on hiatus”, Shaggy changed his shirt (for the first time ever!) to a RED one, and Flim-Flam gave Scrappy-Doo and run for his money…
…They STILL didn’t look like “dolls, puppets, and action figures”! But, I guess, that’s the world we live in today!
Please excuse me… I’m going back to re-read my issues of SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP! ...Ahhhh, that’s much better!
Oh, and in the "bizarre anomalies department", how could I forget "Be Cool Scooby-Doo"!
I didn't mind the character designs - it's the silly story they came up with that doesn't work, especially if tried to imitate Pixar by having it begin in earnest, with the gang as little kids, then go for complete farce with the Blue Falcon and Dick Dastardly. And if the real agenda was to reintroduce a bunch of 70's characters, why not let THAT be the main plot from the beginning and make it work? I don't think the team behind this figured out the right story to tell with all these characters for a feature film...less "Avengers" and more like "Toy Story"
‘Rehab:
Well, then… Perhaps it was fortunate that my revulsion at seeing such beloved animated characters take the form of (…all together now) “dolls, puppets, and action figures”, kept me from actually consuming the darned thing in the first place! :-)
…Now, back to my back to re-reading of SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP!
In my opinion the biggest crime the film commits isn’t the art style; it’s the decision to not have Frank Welker voice Fred! I can’t stand animated movies that get a bunch of celebrities to do mediocre voice over performances just so parents might be amused by familiar voices. A better way to make sure all ages are
entertained is to prioritize good writing!
To be fair I haven’t actually seen the film so I can’t speak to it’s quality but I know one thing for sure: it can’t be good enough to justify its $20 RENTAL price! I’ve read articles saying that for families with multiple kids this price is actually cheaper than a night out at the movies. That’s a valid point so I hope theaters aren’t hit to hard by this practice.
To wash the bad taste this movie’s existence gave me I caught up on some of the recent direct to dvd Scooby Doo movies and oh boy did that made me feel better! I HIGHLY recommend Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost. Not only do the characters look and sound right but it is the best Scooby Doo property we’ve had since Team Up! The movie is a sequel to the tv series “Scooby Doo and the 13 ghosts” that gives the characters some interesting exploration while also being hysterical. I would also recommend “Scooby Doo Return To Zombie Island” (which takes place immediately after Curse of the 13th Ghost) and “Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold”. I thought u did a blog post on The Brave & the Bold crossover but I couldn’t find it from a quick search of the blog. Anyways its right up ur alley.
Clapton:
Waitaminnit… They DIDN’T use Frank Welker as the voice of Fred?! A voice he originated back in 1969(!) and has made his own ever since?!
Yeow! This thing has bigger problems than merely substituting (…all together now) “dolls, puppets, and action figures” for beloved animated characters with a 50-plus year history. For which Frank Welker played Fred for ALL of those 50 years!
Ever since Tiffany (who?) usurped the role of Judy Jetson for that dreadful animated film, the unfortunate phenomenon of “celebrity voice substitution” has left me cold. Then again, at least Janet Waldo was spared being a part of that infamous film, which was pretty much the farewell for the original Jetsons cast members.
As far as price goes, for quite some time, the price of paying for TWO tickets (one for Esther and one for me) has been more expensive than waiting for the DVD or Blu-ray – and most current films (as well as the entire movie-going experience) no longer appeal to me anyway.
And, yes, Scooby and the gang have fared far better in both animation and comic books! And, that’s where I’ll continue to enjoy them. …As long as the quality is up to snuff.
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