Grapple Toons: Scooby Doo! Wrestlemania Mystery

As a fan of Wrestling and Cartoons, I am technically this film's demographic.  I'm not 12 years old, so I'm a bit older than who they actually made it for.  I'm a kid at heart- although, legally I am allowed to buy booze.  So, with that in mind, let's look at today's Film: Scooby-Doo! Wrestlemania Mystery.  I'll give the confusing grammar a pass (is there a colon that I missed?) since this is a film for Kids.  It's tough, but I'll do it.  Do I need to explain what Scooby-Doo is all about?  Oddly-unaging teens (are they Highlanders?) go places and solve mysteries.  The WWE, meanwhile, is a multi-media Company that produces Wrestling Television for several hours a week, not to mention the WWE Network's back-catalog of footage from all of their previous rivals like WCW, ECW and WCCW.  Considering the history of Scooby-Doo crossovers (including Adam West Batman, The Harlem Globetrotters, the Addams Family and The 3 Stooges), it is no shock to see them team up with WWE Superstars/Wrestlers.  The Story involves a monster, a plot to stop Wrestlemania and a man used as a raft.  That one's for you, Bob.  While I really liked the last Scooby-Doo show, I'm not going to inherently-like this.  To find out if this is worth your time, read on...

In the film's Cold Open, The Miz (ugh) is attacked by Kane (yea!) and later by a Ghost Bear (double yea!).  Oh and the Film takes place in WWE City...which is a thing.

Scooby-Doo and Shaggy play a WWE Video Game on...the Kinect?  It works properly, so that can't be!

Anyhow, they win a trip to WWE City for Wrestlemania because...they made Sin Cara break dance.  Sure.

They run into John Cena on the way, who helps them get their car out of a ditch.  Daphne falls for him, while Scooby and Shaggy...imagine themselves as body-builders posing with him.  No homo?

They see some action, which includes Sin Cara breaking the laws of gravity with his 16 foot horizontal leap, Brodus Clay smashing someone who may be Christian and The Big Show (sadly, not voiced) smashing John Cena with a Picnic Table.

Kudos to them for lamp-shading the joke by having Michael Cole ask where he got it from.

Things get hairy when the WWE Title Belt is stolen and found in the possession of Scooby-Doo.  If you ever wanted to see that Scene from Entrapment, but with a Cartoon Dog, you are...just plain messed up in the head.

Seriously, get help!!!

While they get Counseling, I will tell you that the Gang join forces with John Cena to help solve the mystery.  This leads to the greatest moment in Animation History (according to Bob, anyhow)...

Scooby-Doo and Shaggy riding an unconscious John Cena like a toboggan!

Yeah, that happens.  The movie pretty much peaks here.  Nothing can top this!

The Climax (which I won't completely SPOIL) is so great that the gals from Young Justice (Wonder Girl, Artemis, Zatanna and Batgirl) are glued to the screen.

I can only guess that the Show used the same Animation Studio behind the Film (they are both by Warner Bros) and they snuck this one for no good reason.  Kind of funny though.

The Ghost Bear attacks Wrestlemania!  Can the day be saved?  To find out, watch the Movie.  The End.

Scooby-dooby do....give this one a chance.  Honestly, I have a low bar for most Scooby-Doo Films.  As a kid, I was not a fan.  I was old enough for the Original show and 'Movies' (the longer Episodes with Guest-Stars like Laurel and Hardy) to be played alot as part of a revival.  The new stuff with Scrappy-Doo- need I say anymore?  I did like The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, if only for Vincent Price being on it.  Even just as the Voice of a guy I had no familiarity with, Price was just plain great.  It probably helped that he was in The Great Mouse Detective too.  After that, I mostly haven't cared.  Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated has inspired me to give this stuff a second (or third chance).  This one is pretty goofy and inoffensive.  One thing it has going for it is the use of the WWE Characters and Names.  Honestly though, they could have done more with it.  Leaving room for a Sequel?  The Casting is a bit odd and speaks of how far in advance these things are made.  Brodus Clay is one of the B-Players, while he is currently fighting people in the WWE's Training Grounds called nXt.  Sin Cara (a Luchador who spoke no English) is now played by a different guy (Hunico) that actually does speak English.  If more is done between the two licenses, it would be interesting to see more Wrestlers like Randy Orton (to see if he's less boring Animated), Rey Mysterio, Mark Henry, Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar.  If you're a WWE Fan, there are some good jokes hidden in there- like calling Vince McMahon 'The Higher Power'-, while there are others that are missed- how was there not a Smackdown Hotel?  If you're a Scooby-Doo fan, it is definitely worth a look.  I'll leave you with the Producers' inside joke of plastering their name all over a plaque...

Next up, I review a bad TV Pilot about Superheroes.  It is more obscure than anything I gave out for Project Terrible, so that could be good or bad.  Stay tuned...