As a huge Scooby fan, part of me was very nervous to see a deviation from the original cartoons which I grew up with. However, I was actually rather charmed by this version. It's very different and oozing with kid appeal, whilst keeping the essence of Scooby and the gang.
Shaggy, Scooby, Fred, Wilma and Daphne are true to the original characters in both how they look and how they sound, but they are just made younger and cuter! They are really very sweet and Freddy was instantly hooked. The sets are beautifully designed too, making it quite a visual feast.
The story sees the gang embark on an adventure to find Gnarlybeard's hidden treasure after finding a treasure map in a triple extra large Scooby Snack pizza! When Phantom Parrot nabs the map, they need to sniff out the clues to recover the map. It leads them to a super spooky pirate ship.
There are some catchy songs, some top gags, some mild spookiness and lots of puppety fun! There are lots of references to the original Scooby Doo, featuring Shaggy and Scooby's appetites, Scooby's love of Scooby Snacks, Fred's ego and Wilma's brain. It may be a new format, but there is plenty of material paying homage to the original, making it feel comfortingly familiar.
The DVD is a nice introduction to Scooby Doo! for younger children, who might find the original cartoons a bit too scary! It brings a fun family film in the style of the Muppets, and will provide a gentle scare for little ones this Halloween.
Available now, currently at £7.99 on Amazon.
We received a disc to view for the purpose of this review.