Quick Reviews: Scooby-Doo & Batman- The Brave and the Bold

I tend to like Animated Batman better than Live-Action Batman these days.  Will this combination of a Franchise that will never die and my favorite Batman Series keep the trend going?

The Scooby Gang meet up with Batman- from The Brave and The Bold Show- as he saves them during a case.

It turns out that their latest case was a set-up for them to join a group of Investigators led by Batman.

The group- which includes Martian Manhunter, Plastic Man, Black Canary, The Question and Professor Chimp- meets to work on each other's unsolved crimes.

Working on one case, the group is attacked by a mysterious crimson figure with a grudge against Batman!

Separated from the other Heroes, Batman shares the tale of his first case- also his only unsolved one.  Does it relate to this new one?

As a fun side-note, they make Batman look like his original Comic Book appearance here.  Yes, even the purple gloves.

When the group is framed for a crime during the investigation, can they work together to save the day?  To find out, watch the Film.

A fun return for arguably the best Animated Batman from Television.  I know that it is sacrilege to call anyone but Kevin Conroy's Batman the best, but I just love Diedrich Bader as Batman from his Show.  For me, it is the perfect balance of Adam West's silly Batman and the Comic Book Version.  He has the crazy gadgets and skills, but also talks about Civil Service and loves alliterations.  Scooby-Doo is, oddly enough, a Character I've never loved that much.  Yes, even though I've watched what felt like 100 of these Scooby-Doo and (Insert Name Here) Films, I'm not a huge fan.  When you team up with KISS and the WWE (twice), I'll watch.  As far as this Film goes, it uses the best Characters from The Brave and The Bold to great effect.  Aquaman is always fun in these and he continues to be so here.  They also use a ton of Batman Characters here- including The Mad Hatter ('66 Version), Penguin, The Joker, Clock King, Harley Quinn (below) and Catman- to make you really 'feel at home' here.  As a fan of that Show, I loved how this felt like it was part of the Universe.  As far as the Scooby gang goes, they do have fun with their tropes- like Shaggy saying that they are 'Usually called "Kids," often followed by "Meddling"- and make them feel at home.  It's also funny to think that between the last one of these- the 2nd WWE one- and this Film, I watched Matthew Lillard in Twin Peaks!  If you are the younger Demographic for this one, you should have a great time.  If you're a fan of either Show, you should have a great time.  I like to enjoy the little things in life like Batman Cartoons...or tying up a lady villain so hard that you knock her out.

A fun romp featuring Characters from The Brave and The Bold.  If you miss the Show like I do, check this out! 

New Flix: Scooby-Doo and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon

I'm a sucker for bizarre tie-ins, as shown by Scooby-Doo meeting KISS, the WWE and that prehistoric WWE thing.  Well, there's another one, so...

After saving the day in the previous Scooby-Doo and WWE Film, the gang gets to cater a WWE Event.  Wait, what?

Seriously, "Thanks for saving the day...now you can sell food for us?"

The event: a Road Race that is not quite Wacky Racers or Fast & Furious.   Naturally, HHH refuses to job.

Two things to note right off the bat...
1. Famous 'Car Guy' John Cena is absent here (despite also being in the other Film).
2. Not one reference to Thurman 'Sparky' Plug.  For shame!

The Race is threatened by The Speed Demon, allegedly the ghost of a dead racer.  Sadly, his fake flashback explanation is not done in interpretive dance by Sin Cara (also absent).

Mr. McMahon puts the gang on the case, which is a logical thing.  This coming from the man who spent months torturing himself publically and kidnapped his own daughter for a Satanic Wedding in order to...annoy Steven Austin a little.

The case is full of possible culprits and red herrings, including a Mechanic, HHH, Dusty Rhodes and Mr. McMahon.

Oh and Stardust too.  He's magic...apparently.

Working with the legendary Undertaker (who was once a Caveman), can the Gang solve the case?

Of course, but I won't say how.  Watch the Film.

All kinds of strange.  One thing that affects the Film is timing.  Animation is a costly and time-consuming process.  On their previous Film, they lost CM Punk to UFC between Recording and Release, making the whole thing awkward.  This time, a number of people are different (Sheamus now has a Mohawk, Los Matadores are gimmick-free), some of them are out of the company (El Torito, Stardust) and one of them, well, is dead.  Not their fault, obviously, but something that is hard not to think about.  Other than that 'elephant in the room,' the thing is pretty fun.  Some WWE Stars are good at this (Paige, The Miz, Sheamus) and they really get to shine.  Hell, Undertaker continues to have fun with this stuff in the twilight of his career. Good for him.  The Plot is all sorts of weird, but it at least makes the most of it.  Downsides include Characters that are mostly one-note (Goldust, Los Matadores), some that are unexplained (Stardust is magic?) and too many 'maybe they are guilty' bits.  This isn't Murder on the Orient Express, guys!  Regardless, I had fun with it overall and it now serves as an odd Tribute to a Legend...

Silly stuff that makes pretty good use out of the diverse Cast.  Deeper stuff than you might expect...but still not great.

Quick Reviews: Scooby-Doo! and KISS- Rock and Roll Mystery

After Scooby-Doo and company's recent visit with WWE Superstars, I had to check out this new, bizarre pairing that seems to be 30+ years in the making...

The Gang goes to KISS World, since Guest-Stars must now have their own Attraction in these Films.  Why are they going though?

Well, there is a red, floating Witch causing trouble there and the only one that can solve the case is...

Well, they did stop that Phantom.

It is worth noting that KISS' anachronistic attraction is a giant, walking Lawsuit.  How is the Witch the biggest problem?

With the Witch around, all sorts of freaky stuff is happening.  The freakiest: Velma's attraction to 63-year old Paul Stanley.  Oh and this...

Credit where credit is due: they do stick in plenty of in-jokes about how KISS markets everything.

Will the Witch get what she is after or will KISS save the day?  All I can tell you is that things get pretty damn weird about halfway through.  The End.

Silly, silly stuff.  This one is just plain odd for many reasons.  Why KISS?  Why now?  Was there a sudden demand for KISS that I wasn't aware of?  The Story is just plain bizarre, with notes from KISS Meet The Phantom of the Park, but never any knowing homage to that one.  I guess KISS are still ashamed of it, huh?  Aside from that, you also have Scooby-Doo, Garry Marshall (huh?), Darius Rucker (Hooty?!?)...plus Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes in the Intro.  Who Cast this thing?  The Animation wasn't my favorite (it has that loose, lazy look at times), but there is some good, Kirby-influenced stuff (see above) that stands out.  I'd like to think that KISS and company just like Kirby's stuff and wanted to use it...but it could be the work of the Animation Director.  The Film has some weird, random moments which do stand out.  As a whole though, it is definitely more for younger kids than I.  Mind you, they won't know who the hell KISS is.  What do you think of doing a Sequel, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes?

Damn silly and not that great for older Viewers.  If you love KISS and or Scooby-Doo, you can probably get through this one fine.

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...

Streaming Standard: Scooby Doo- Mystery Incorporated

Well, it's been about 18 months, so it's probably time for an update.

This is honestly a show that I never expected to get into.  Thanks to Streaming, however, I've watched the entire First (of Two) Season!  Let's just dive right into...

Let me preface this review by saying one thing: I have never been a Scooby-Doo fan.  Not as a kid.  Not as an Adult.

The only show I really liked was The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo.  The reason: Vincent Price.  That said...

I really like this show.  I know- I'm as surprised as you are!

The plot of the show involves the Gang living in a town famous for its 'monsters' and 'spooks.'  The problem: Mystery Inc keeps catching and disproving them. This makes The Mayor unhappy.  Oh and The Mayor is Fred's Father, by the way.

The Characters play to their one-note pretty well.  Fred is obsessed with Traps.  Daphne is obsessed with Fred.  Shaggy and Scooby are, well, you know.  They do something interesting with Velma though...

Yes, Shaggy and Velma are dating!  Hide your Slash-Fiction!

The show plays off of the other versions- there are like 1,000- without changing the continuity too much.  They throw in nice nods to the earlier shows throughout.  In one Episode, the villain is related to a villain on the original show called The Creeper.  In another, they briefly mention what happened to Flim-Flam, the character who was only on 13 Ghosts, and actually explain why Fred wasn't on the show.  Touche.

Naturally, every Episode has some sort of 'monster' with some scheme.  That's nothing new.  What is new, however, is..

A Chapter-Based Story!  Yes, a story that spans the whole series.  Ho-ly shit.

It's not a big thing for most shows, but it's a real first for this property.  The closest they've come is the 'Catch all of the Ghosts' plot that made up 13 Ghosts.

Speaking of 13 Ghosts, they bring back Vincent Van Ghoul!  Granted- he's not voiced by Vincent Price (on account of him being dead for the last 20 years), but instead by Maurice LaMarche.  This show features a slew of recognizable Actors and Voice Actors.  You've got Gary Cole, Patrick Warburton, Jeffrey Combs (as an H.P. Lovecraft analog) and even...Harlan Ellison.

Yeah, that happens.

In summary, this is one of those shows that kind of grows on you.  The worst part is that only the first Season is on Streaming right now.  I have to use actual Discs to watch the rest of the show (which just wrapped up in April)?!?  Oh, the humanity!

If you like Animation and want something to watch on a rainy afternoon, give this one a look.  If you get a few episodes in, you may find yourself hooked.  It's much better than I ever could have guessed.  It's main plot- involving a treasure hunt and a previous Mystery Inc.- builds slowly and actually kind of intrigues me.  I'm halfway through the show and now I kind of want to know what happens next.

*Update: I'm most of the way through Season Two (now on Netflix Steaming) and it's still good.*