Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009)

Powerful

Highly Overrated But Still Good

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Much like everyone else on this planet I grew up watching Scooby Doo, and have since seen many of the countless TV shows and movies over the years. My son and I ended up catching The Mystery Begins one night on Cartoon Network, and my son and I instantly fell in love with it. For a CN movie I wasn't expecting much, but I couldn't believe how good it actually turned out to be. I was never really a fan of the two big budget films that were released in the 2000's. I didn't like the cast. I didn't like the story. The whole thing just felt wrong, and I felt that Scooby and his gang deserved a better representation. Well they got it with this movie. The effects are really bad, but the cast more than makes up for it with their superb performances. I feel like all four of the main cast were born to play these roles. Unlike the big budget Scooby films where those actors couldn't have been more wrong, these four couldn't have been more right. Things can get a bit silly at times, but it wouldn't be Scooby Doo otherwise. The plot is simple, and easy for kids to follow with plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep you interested. This movie came out in 2009, and Robbie Amell seems to be the only one of the main cast to go on to other notable things, and that really is a shame because this group of actors are really talented. Their chemistry, specifically between each other, really comes across on screen, and really that's the most important thing for a Scooby Doo movie to get right. My only real complaint, and it is a minor one, is that Fred's hair isn't blonde, but other than that it really is a great movie that the whole family can sit down and enjoy together. I'd recommend it for kids and families or just any fan of Scooby Doo. A solid 10 out of 10.

It's cute enough. You can watch it with the whole family although I'd advise adults to stay away from it (unless you're a Scooby fan). I had a few problems with it but overall in wasn't HALF bad. I really wanted to question why Freddie's hair was black instead of blond but I suppose it doesn't matter. What am I saying? Of course it matters! This is robust, brawny, buff, BLOND Fred Jones we're talking about. Why they couldn't have died his hair, I'll never know. But, cutting to the point, gonna make this nice and snappy. It was better than, in my opinion, the first two live action movies (Scooby Doo and Monster's Unleashed). So of course, Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy belong to different...um, cliques? groups? Social circles? I'm really not sure what to call them. I didn't mind Fred the (sensitive) Jock, he was okay (except for the HAIR). I loved Velma, her geeky attitude, hatred for pretty types and love for the jock (She's a nerd, get it?). Shaggy was his normal beatnik/hippe/stoner type. He found Scooby in his bed one night (Didn't think he payed money for him, did you?). Daphne? Daphne, Daphne, Daphne. I liked her in the cartoons. Let's just leave at that. Oh by the way, the characters meet each other in high school. I'm just pointing out that it doesn't go into continuity with "A Pup named Scooby Doo" where they were practically...sandbox mates.

I got this DVD with the feeling that the acting would be bad, the actors would be horrible, the mystery would suck, the way they tie things in would be dumb, or there would be too many awkward scenes.Nope. For the most part, this met my expectations! They were very well done for young kids. The mystery was classic, and believe me, I was well into the mystery at the end. When I found out it was the 'stamp collector', I was shocked.I loved how they slowly tied things in, making sure they did it correctly.I'll admit I thought scooby's owner may have 'done it' near the end.What I didn't like was the lack of scooby power in the end of the movie. Yes, they did things exactly the way you'd think they would, but because this is cartoon network, it's going to suck a bit.But not too bad!

I was really excited when I first saw the preview for this movie. For some reason, even though I had been a bit disappointed by the first film and never saw the second, I felt that there was something great about this new one. I just purchased and watched it, and boy was that feeling right! I honestly don't think I've enjoyed a Scooby film more since 'Zombie Island'. It really captures the spirit of the old show, without being a slave to every detail from the old continuity. The director, writers, and actors all seem to have done their homework studying the Scooby mythos, because they all have come together to make a film worthy of the greatest of the Scooby movies. The new timeframe and younger characters are really refreshing, and are like a breath of fresh air after the slew of movies with an older Mystery Five (Zombie Island and the following movies, the first two live-action movies), and the actors are really well-selected; they made me care about the characters, embodying them perfectly and adding new layers to them.Daphne being an actor was great, and worked really well, although the idea of the rich girl being obsessed with the stage was in a decidedly post-High School Musical vein. In fact, the film was definitely identifiably post-HSM, but it worked really well, and it should no doubt draw in the younger crowds. Daphne's chemistry with Fred was great in this movie, and I found myself really hoping for them to become a couple for real (next movie, perhaps!). Shaggy was spot-on, and made me feel bad for him in the first parts of the film. I had never really considered a pre-Mystery Inc. Shaggy in high school before (probably because I had the Pup Named Scooby Doo continuity in my head and assumed everyone was friends from forever), and I think he was really shown as he should be. His crush on Velma was great, but I would love to see her really fall for him, perhaps with the introduction of Googie as a romantic rival in the next film (I'm dreaming, but it could happen)! Velma was great, and the actor did a really wonderful job making her interesting enough that the audience doesn't get annoyed by her nerdiness. Her wardrobe was great too, with the updated hoodie instead of a turtleneck. In fact, all of the wardrobes were amazing in this film for the main characters; good job to that department!Fred was awesome. People caring about the hair thing should consider that, in the first two movies, it is obviously dyed. And they should watch the video time capsule on the special features. This actor was awesome, portraying the character perfectly as a believable jock, not overly dumb-jocky, but with a kind heart and a love for mysteries. He possibly stood out to me more than anyone else in the cast as doing a wonderful job. Scooby was good, but not there all that much; perhaps in the next film he could interact more with the gang. And it's wonderful to have the original Scooby voice back, but something about it didn't quite phase well with the rest of the characters; he seemed all on his own, as though his voice weren't really interacting with the others. That's probably always a struggle in a film where one voice is dubbed and the others are recorded on the set, but I hope it's better next time around.In conclusion, it was wonderful, and I highly recommend it to everyone, Scooby fan or not. To those overly concerned with CDs, continuity with other series, etc., get over it, please. It's a new continuity, and that's what it should be seen as. The mystery machine was a van in some of the series, like Monster Island, if I remember correctly, and the first live action movie, and 'Ghoul School' (of course, that was just a red van, but still...). I think this movie was the perfect encapsulation of the spirit of Scooby Doo, and I only hope that there will be many more in the same spirit to come, hopefully with these same great actors! May it receive the success it deserves!!!