Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright

1 and 1 is 2, 6 and 2 is 8, come on baby don't you make me late....

Oh, can I really title this "An Honest Review" when it takes place in my city? Yeah? You don't approve of it? Well you're not from Chicago.

I love, in all caps, I LOVE the part at the start where Velma is reading off all the attractions in Chicago and Scooby and Shaggy are more interested in our pizza than anything else. Now if they threw in a hotdog joke to match the scene at the Pizza Parlor than I would be on cloud 9.

...Baby don't you wanna go...

Anyway, the parody of American Idol works from a humor perspective, it is really funny and you combine that with the pathological director, the reference to the Phantom of the opera and Disco and, well, you have one seriously funny installment...

And one that takes place in my sweet home, so...represent.

The only down side is that, yet again, the ending is a "meh." Almost like Scooby Doo just doesn't know how to end its movies. Not that it matters, the build up is enough to make it enjoyable.

My three year old loves Scooby-Doo. All the movies, all the tv shows, cartoons or live action, he loves Scooby-Doo. And this movie is by far his favourite. It has many funny moments for adults and has genuinely enjoyable twists. I pick up more little bits and pieces each time he watches it, there are so many little hints but it isn't as obvious as many of the others. I don't let him watch it in the mornings anymore because I get the songs stuck in my head all day! It really is very good.

The animation is beautiful too and the voice work is awesome. It has heart and a message too just to top everything off.

Fred (Frank Welker) and Daphne (Grey Griffin) are participating in a talent show and of course the rest of the gang, Velma (Mindy Cohn) and also the iconic duo, Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby-doo,(Frank Welker) come along to support them, as good friends naturally do. Yet again the gang will face a new mystery that will make their time spent there a little more difficult.

The whole film relies on the old but gold formula of investigating and then making the plan to capture the man behind the mask. It almost always goes the gang's way. But there are always those plot twists that keep the film's story fresh and ready for take-off.

The great thing about mysteries that the gang faces is the engagement that comes with viewing these films. The audience, along with the gang, is naming suspects and also counts the various clues that come up the gang's way. The anticipation as well as the excitement of unmasking the bad guy is clearly there, to excite and make the viewer be an active part of the film.

The various funny and also intimate moments of the film can't help but draw and greatly entertain the viewer.

The film is a great example of fun, intimate and also pleasant interactions between people that know they are destined to be in each other's lives, and they do so.

All the Scooby Doo films are at least watchable, Witch's Ghost, Zombie Island, Goblin King and Big Top Scooby Doo being my favourites and Monster of Mexico faring the least. Scooby Doo! Stage Fright will not disappoint any fan of Scooby Doo. The final solution has neat twists and is very unexpected but it also a little rushed and maybe with too much going on, and Daphne and Grey DeLisle voicing her did at times come across as too ditsy. However the animation is great, very detailed backgrounds and atmospheric colours that are reminiscent of classic Scooby Doo as well as modern. The music is appropriately spooky and catchy with a terrifically funky opening theme. The writing is a delight in Scooby Doo! Stage Fright, the humour is very reminiscent of classic Scooby Doo, goofy but also very endearing too. The rest of the writing is to the point and doesn't try to be too complicated- it may seem confusing looking up/reading the plot, when watching the film though confusing it is not- or too simplistic. The story is diverting, with some action that is the very meaning of exhilarating and a mystery that while a bit "here there, done that" (to be honest that's not uncommon for Scooby) that is creepy, charmingly goofy and keep-you-guessing-quality throughout. From the comedy, the mystery elements, characterisations and the sound effects Scooby Doo! Stage Fright has that classic Scooby Doo feel in terms of writing and story except with more twists and turns, and for me that was part of the film's appeal. The Fred/Daphne subplot does not slow things down, in fact it does bring some dimension to the story, while Scooby and Shaggy's friendship is as charming as ever. The characters are neatly set up, are relevant to the story and fit nicely into it, Shaggy and Scooby are definitely the best characters but Velma is much more likable than she was in some of the previous outings. The voice cast is spot on (especially from Matthew Lillard, who is note-perfect as Shaggy, he had big shoes to fill and has done so admirably), with only DeLisle disappointing slightly, John O'Hurley is a little underutilised as well. Overall, very entertaining and Scooby fans will find much to enjoy here.

Stage Fright was nothing special. It had so much potential but got lost along the way. The voice acting was terrific, the idea was great, and the animation was amazing. And as much as I loved all of that, the story didn't follow through. Each scene didn't feel that exciting like it should have been. Even so, there were some nice parts. I liked how many bad guys they were. It made for an interesting discovery each time. I loved the whole plot line with Fred and Daphne and hoped they would continue it in later movies, but guess what. It doesn't happen. So honestly that whole plot felt pointless to add. If you want to see Daphne and Fred together then I suggest watching Mystery Incorporated.