Crazy Legs Scooby Doo - toy review

We all love Scooby Doo here Inside the Wendy House. Ian and I have been watching since we were children and now 6 year old Freddy is a fan. So when we received a Crazy Legs Scooby from Character to review, there was quite a lot of excitement from oldest to youngest!

The toy stands 30cm tall and is a good representation of Scooby Doo with this collar and tag. With a tap of his head, Scooby's legs go crazy! Each paw swivels independently, sending Scooby moving backwards, forwards, round and around in all directions! This random movement is quite chaotic and when accompanied by the sounds including boings and Scooby's catchphrases, it really is hilarious to witness!

Everytime you play with him, the movement is different  and unpredictable. He literally can end up anywhere: crashing into furniture, into your feet, disappearing under tables and bouncing off walls! You can't help but laugh. Take a look at this demonstration of Scooby in action.

                             


This toy is a great novelty item for Scooby fans. Little ones will chase him around giggling as he randomly spins and boings,yelps, laughs and says "Scooby Doo!!" It's a toy that puts fun before functionality, but anything that brings smiles and laughter definitely gets a thumbs up from me. Crazy Legs Scooby is completely bonkers, but that is why we love him.

It is suitable for ages 3 and up and requires 6 AA batteries (it comes with demo batteries). The RRP is £29.99 and it is available at Argos and other toy retailers.

Scooby Doo for a New Generation

Zoinks!!  There is a brand new Scooby Doo! DVD to hit the shelves this week, which has updated Scooby and the crew for a whole new generation. With its cute puppet format, Scooby Doo! Adventures - The Mystery Map is perfect for a younger audience.

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.

Scooby Doo Trap Time Deluxe Mystery Machine Review

Freddy was sent a Scooby Doo Trap Time Mystery Machine Playset from Character Online to play with. As a household with two generations of Scooby fans we were all quite excited to get in on the act and re-enact some spooky scenes with Shaggy and the gang!

From Character Online

First thing we discovered was that the Mystery Machine did not come with any figures even though the illustrations show them with the product.  It does state clearly in writing on the box and on the website that the figures are not included, but it is a personal gripe of mine that toy manufacturers don't pop just one figure into the playsets so kids can enjoy playing with them straight away in the manner intended. Because we are die hard Scooby fans, I decided to buy a set of figures, three villains with interchangeable heads, Shaggy and Scooby which cost me £10, so Freddy could get the full Mystery Machine experience. They were worth every penny!!

The Mystery Machine is a fully working push along vehicle with seats for two characters upfront, accessed via a lift up roof panel.  It's pretty sturdy and chunky for little hands to wheel around. The whole back of the van opens up to reveal the monster catching equipment, giving an opportunity for some great imaginative play, Scooby Doo style.  There is a fully functional net cannon that fires out a net to catch the baddies, who can then be put into the cage which is on a jointed arm. Everything (bar the net itself)  is attached to the van so won't get lost.  It is a fun playset for little fans!

The back of the van can then be closed up and the gang can drive away having solved their mystery!  The figure pack villains come with a monster head and a human head so they can be 'unmasked' to discover whodunnit!  The play value was definitely increased by having the figures.  Freddy loved shooting the net at them and putting them in the cage.  He was also quite keen on pulling the interchangeable heads off!

This is a great toy for fans of Scooby Doo.  It is recommended for children ages 3 and up.  I love the fully functional traps that allow little ones to net and cage the baddies, and I like that everything fits back into the truck easily and tidily!  It is a really good design giving two play opportunities in one.

The Scooby Doo Trap Time Deluxe Mystery Playset retails for £19.99.  The five pack of characters cost me £9.99 and was definitely worth having to fully enjoy the Mystery Machine toy.  Find them both on the Character Online website.

Scooby Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon DVD Review

Brand new for 2013 comes this latest offering from Warner Bros. featuring Scooby, Shaggy and the gang, Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon.  Scooby Doo is a character whose appeal transcends the generations.  Both the grown-ups and the kids love him, so this original movie really will please the whole family. 

We were sent a copy by Warner Bros. which has been watched and enjoyed by both Daddy and Freddy, a testament to the appeal of Scooby!

The gang are attending the Mega Mondo Pop Cartoon-a-Con where celebrated comic book characters are headlining and a new megabucks Blue Falcon film is premiering.  However a hoarde of evil creatures become released by villainous Mr Hyde, threatening to destroy the event.  It's up to Scooby and co. to solve the clues, unmask the identity of the bad guy.  Faced with sinister slime, monster bats and howling hounds, it's up to Scooby and Shaggy to harness their inner super heroes and save the cartoon-a-con!  There are a few bad guys in the frame so it keeps you guessing!

What is great about this full length feature film is the nods to other cartoon characters at the Cartoon-a-Con.   It is also very refreshing to see the way the film lampoons the whole comic book convention culture and in essence pokes fun at itself. I love a franchise that doesn't take itself too seriously!

The film has a PG certificate and is 73 minutes long.  It is available to purchase from all good retailers now.  The DVD includes an Ultra Violet copy for watching the movie on the go on other devices.  It's a great addition to your online film library in The Cloud.  There are also some bonus vintage cartoons included to keep us grown ups happy!

The DVD is available now from good stockists such as Amazon.

Half Term Movie Fun From Warner Bros.

This half term was almost a bit of a disaster as I got really ill on the first weekend meaning that our short break to London was cancelled.  Thankfully, I had recovered enough by Tuesday to enjoy Halloween, but we did spend a lot more time stuck at home than we intended to.  Thank heavens for Warner Bros and their well timed delivery of kids' DVDs which went a long way to keeping the children entertained.

We received Tom and Jerry Tricks and Treats, a compilation of 22 classic cartoons on one DVD.  Tom and Jerry meet ghosts, werewolves, a mummy and witches galore as they continue their own longstanding rivalry.  The spooky theme is just right for little ones to enjoy, while grown-ups can indulge in the nostalgia.
Freddy was absolutely riveted to the screen.  He has developed quite a taste for retro cartoons!

Freddy watching Tom, Jerry and the Ghosts!

Scooby Doo and The Big Top is the eighteenth direct-to-DVD installment of adventures for Shaggy, Scooby and the gang.  During a trip to Atlantic City, they find themselves embroiled in a mystery as werewolves terrorize the performers and the audience of a circus.  Can the gang save the Greatest Show On Earth?  (Of course they did!!!)  Although this is a brand new film, it still holds true to the spirit of the original and we enjoyed watching the gang as they take on the roles of a clown, trapeze artist, human rocket, ringmaster and trick dog in Brancusi's Circus.

Ben 10 Destroy All Aliens is an all new CGI animated movie featuring the shape shifting 10 year old Ben Tennyson, the boy who fights evil aliens with the help of his Omnitrix which changes him into alien form.When an enemy comes looking for revenge and the Omnitrix malfunctions, he has to call upon the help of his Grandpa and cousin Gwen.  The action is really fast paced as the fate of the world hangs by a thread.  Ben's super powered alien adventures are really exciting with some mild peril thrown into the mix.  The CGI animation is really impressive. This DVD comes complete with a UV copy for watching on mobile devices which is great for keeping kids entertained on the go.

Lego Hero Factory Savage Planet is an adventure based on Lego's Hero Factory product line.  You are immersed into the world of Lego where the heroes do battle to defeat an evil Witch Doctor (who has a distinctly evil laugh).  This DVD was a bit too grown up for Freddy at the moment although he liked the Heroes'  animal upgrades to give them special animal powers.  I liked the idea of teamwork to save the day, which is how the Heroes save the world.  The animation is just so "Lego-y" (it's so clever, I love it) and I think this will definitely be a film that Freddy enjoys more and more as he gets into the more grown-up Lego products.

Thank you Warner Bros for entertaining my kids this half term with a great selection of children's films, all of which are available now from retailers such as Amazon.co.uk.

*STOP PRESS*

A new Lego movie is coming out in 2014 and Warner Brothers and LEGO are giving one child aged between 5 and 13 years old the chance to create a vehicle entirely from LEGO which will star in the film!

All you have to do is build a great vehicle – it can be anything from a train to a plane, to a car or space ship or boat – and then take a photo and upload it to the website www.lego-themovie.co.uk (see the website for further details).

Entries need to be in by 31st December 2012.

Half-Term Film Fun with Warner Bros

My children are very, very lucky!  A parcel arrived from Warner Bros Kids to keep them entertained over half term, and what a lot of lovely things it contained!

Two Scooby Doo Mystery Incoporated DVD's arrived along with an activity book, some sweets and an alien head.  Scooby, Shaggy and the gang are extremely loved in our household.  Me and Ian feel nostalgic as we enjoy Scooby Doo with our little ones.  These titles are updated animations full of paranormal events and monsters centred around Crystal Cove.  I love how Scooby Doo spans the generations.  These two volumes include eight full episodes of spook hunting antics!

We also received a fabulous Warner Bros Kids Bumper Box of Toons, ten full length DVDs in a Big Faces Box Set!  Including favourites from Road Runner, Tom & Jerry, Tweetie Pie, Taz, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Speedy Gonzales, Porky Pig  and Wile E. Coyote, this set introduces the classic characters from my childhood to a whole new generation.

Ian was extremely excited to rediscover the cartoons from his youth and took huge delight sharing his favourites with Freddy.  He used to enjoy watching them with his own dad as a child, now he gets to do it with his youngest son!   I was surprised how much my toddler enjoyed watching the episodes of the classic toons and giggled his way through the DVDs.  They contain scenes of cartoon comedy violence which really tickled him.  As Wile E. Coyote got buried alive by falling rocks, Freddy chuckled away!  It never did me any harm watching them, so I have no qualms about him doing so.  He loved the characters, proving that they are ageless and appeal to old and young alike.

We spent a lovely afternoon watching cartoons with the children.  It is a lovely way to spend a few hours during a grey, wet and windy half term holiday.  It is great to have some classic titles in the DVD collection, especially ones that appeal to both us parents and our little ones.  When it comes to Scooby Doo and Looney Toons there is no such thing as a generation gap.

Warner Bros Festive Family Films

I was delighted to get a surprise delivery from Warner Brothers.  A beautiful gingham lined Hessian sack arrived addressed to 'Wendy and Family'.

Inside was an amazing selection of family films, perfect for the festive season.  We love snuggling up to watch a film together with a bowl of popcorn.  Thanks to Warner Brothers we now have some real classics to watch together.

The Films we received were:

Polar Express (Blu-Ray)

Happy Feet (Blu-Ray)

Yogi Bear (Blu-Ray)

Scooby Doo and the Curse of the Lake Monster (Blu-Ray)

The Grinch

Ben 10

Yogi Bear's First Christmas

Scooby Doo Mystery Machine Box Set

The beautiful sack and the thrilling selection of films were met with whoops of joy from the children and my husband Ian was a little over excited by the Mystery Machine DVD box set.  Scooby Doo is a firm favourite of ours, a reminder of our youth.  I think this limited collector's edition complete with eight discs has made his Christmas!

It is Polar Express that really sums up Christmas for a lot of people who love the magical story, beautiful animation and powerful message about the wonder of  Christmas!

This year the ultimate feel good festive film is available to buy on 3D for those lucky enough to have a 3D TV and  3D Blu-Ray player.  The action will be brought to life with stunning picture and sound quality.  We received it on Blu-Ray and the high definition imagery is simply breath taking. 

The story of the boy who doubts the existence of Santa, is perfect for young and old alike.  It is my parents favourite Christmas film and one that we watch year after year.  The extraordinary steam train journey to the North Pole up and down mountains, across a frozen lake and across teetering bridges is full of  excitement.  Tom Hanks is captured exquisitely as the animated conductor.  "Seeing is believing!" and you'll see wonders and you'll believe!

The film is a bit dark in parts, but if you truly believe in the magic of Christmas you will love this film.  Especially in fabulous high definition or 3D!

So, I consider myself very lucky to have such a great collection of films to enjoy thanks the the fabulous folk at Warner Bros!  Thank you to them and happy festive viewing to one and all!