Lately, I NEVER buy these direct to DVD, factory-produced, pandering Scooby titles that get distributed to dumbed-down drooling kids at Wal-Mart. I was totally finished when I watched...*shudders*..."Aloha, Scooby Doo" a few years back. I could name a few other titles in a LONG run of BAD Scooby Doo features, but I digress. I don't know what possessed me, but I bought "Scooby Doo: Abracadabra Doo" at Wal-Mart tonight. I and my friend watched it expecting a sub-par experience. First, let me say...IT HAD A FREAKING CREDIT SEQUENCE WITH AN ENTIRELY NEW THEME SONG THAT WAS REMINISCENT OF THE GOOFY 70's POP FLUFF THAT PLAYED IN THE ORIGINAL SHOW!!! Then, if that weren't enough to catch my attention, they brought the character style all the way back to the 70's, by leaving NO whites in their eyes and choosing to richly shadow and detail their appearance. There was a wealth of camera angles, zoom shots, and random motion keeping your attention constantly. The backgrounds were extremely detailed. And there were many references to previous Scooby images or incarnations.
As for the plot, dialogue, and character development...A giant leap in the right direction! The plot could have stood a little bit of work, but suspense and gorgeous animation make up for this. Character development between the Mystery 5 was brought to new depths and Scooby himself was even included in this. I also appreciated the knowing jabs that Shaggy made about "those meddling kids". I loved the inclusion of the smart-aleck GPS. It was just the modern boost that the Mystery Machine needed. The choice to have Andrea Romano of "Batman: The Animated Series" fame do the voice casting was excellent. Matthew Lillard did a fine job voicing Shaggy and Frank Welker was great as Scooby Doo.
Overall, this is just the shot in the arm that the Scooby industry needed. This cartoon has plenty of atmosphere, depth, and slick animation to hold up for many years...long after "Aloha", "Lochness Monster", "Goblin King", "Chill Out", and "Samurai Sword" have mercifully passed from our memory. Maybe next time...we can get an outing that is boldly dark and creepy...with real ghosts again. Great effort Warner Premiere. Keep up the good work.
