Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins Blu-ray Movie Review

Leave this Mystery Machine in the garage...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 17, 2009

Scooby Doo, where are you? Seriously. Where are you? After ruh-rohing his way through two erroneously subversive, tongue-in-cheek misfires -- 2002's Scooby Doo and 2004's Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed -- the indelible talking canine returns in Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins, a more faithful but equally flawed throwback to the fan-favorite cartoon that started it all. Scoob's third outing bypasses the first two films' adult audience and aims for their kiddies, exchanging satire for slapstick and slippery humor for toddler-primed jokes. Sadly, what should make for a perfect children's flick falls short with a stocky script, over-reaching performances, and laughable special effects (even by a grade schooler's standards). Will kids get a kick out of the gang's antics? Probably. Will they remember it a day later? Not if my son's reaction is any indication.

Nick Palatas tries too hard, but his Shaggy is the most endearing character to grace the screen...

Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins explores the humble origins of the Mystery Inc. crew, pulling back the curtain on the first supernatural stumper that united once-and-future amateur crime solvers Fred (a dark-haired Robbie Amell), Daphne (Kate Melton), Velma (Hayley Kiyoko), Shaggy (Nick Palatas) and, of course, Scooby Doo (legendary voice actor Frank Welker). Bonding during a stint in detention, the soon-to-be quintet are accused of staging a destructive supernatural prank. However, the actual culprits are a pair of sneering ghosts under the control of a maniacal masked menace desperate to get his hands on something buried beneath the school. After examining the evidence, the young detectives begin to suspect three shady individuals: a sneaky librarian (Lorena Gale), a disgruntled janitor (C. Ernst Harth, and their nemesis, Vice Principal Grimes (Gary Chalk). Utilizing their quick wits and a series of disguises, the inquisitive teens dig deeper and deeper in the hopes of cracking their first case.

Director Brian Levant (The Flintstones, Jingle All the Way, Snow Dogs) populates his Mystery Inc. with upstarts and newcomers, but fails to support their enthusiasm and commitment with anything resembling an interesting story. Even though he's only four, my son had identified the villain by the middle of the second act, commented that the film's ghosts looked, in his words, "like paper," and seemed to ask me where Scooby was every five minutes. Therein lies The Mystery Begins' downfall. Considering the amount of time that's devoted to Velma's various suspects, the abundance of clues will leave too many budding filmfans with answers Shaggy and his friends seem incapable of discovering on their own. And without a puzzle to solve, kids are more likely to grow bored while waiting for the clumsy characters to catch up. The special effects are equally bad, even taking into account the flick's TV roots and subsequent budget. Scooby rarely appears on screen with other actors and, when he does, looks as if he's been grafted in by a rushed hand. The ghosts are just as two-dimensional (both in motivation and animation), usually resorting to possessing mannequins to give their restrained CG artisans a break. And don't get me started on the rampant plot holes kids will thankfully miss but adults will undoubtedly loathe.

Ah well. My son still laughed, still shuddered a bit at the film's more intense scenes, and still wanted to plow through to the end. It didn't capture his imagination like I had hoped it would -- it disappointed this nostalgic fan even more -- but he didn't walk away or ask to watch something else. A rental at best, The Mystery Begins will appeal, albeit ever so mildly, to its youngest viewers while alienating older kids and their parents.

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The indisputable high point of Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins is Warner's 1080p/VC-1 transfer. Contrast is terribly inconsistent and the picture often looks flimsy, fragile, faded, or a combination of all three (at least when compared to other recent high definition releases), but primaries remain fairly strong throughout and detail is surprisingly sharp. While a moderate veneer of grain permeates the proceedings, it rarely robs faces of their finest textures or interferes with the clarity of background elements. Despite the use of some edge enhancement, object definition isn't plagued by the brittle artificiality exhibited by most direct-to-video transfers. If anything, errant noise spoils the presentation, cluttering shadowy interiors and disrupting the film's many nighttime scenes. It's particularly prevalent in the third act (when the gang invades their principal's home before exploring the school's dark-n-dreary underground ruins) and serves as a persistent distraction. Ah well, at least the image hasn't been slathered with noise reduction. Considering the nature of the production, Scooby Doo fans should thank the low-budget gods. The film could look much, much worse.

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Most of Warner's direct-to-video Blu-ray releases have faltered with standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks and Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins is no different. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, albeit thin and pinched; LFE output, while pudgy at times, lends suitable presence to the gang's supernatural encounters, as well as some welcome weight to a trio of unexpected explosions; and directionality is fairly competent for a track that could have easily been presented with a stereo mix (trust me, few would have cared, even fewer would have noticed). Unfortunately, the rear speakers are out to lunch, typically indulging in sloppy soundfield antics or bowing out altogether. Interiors tend to sound the same -- an empty gymnasium, a series of underground ruins, and the Mystery Machine being the only notable exceptions -- and ambience is often non-existent. Still, anyone bracing themselves for TV-quality sonics, low budget sonics at that, will shrug their shoulders and accept Scooby Doo's forgettable track for what it is.

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

In addition to bonus DVD and Digital copies of the film, the Blu-ray edition of Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins includes a few fledgling features, all of which have been designed for the younger members of your household. An exclusive trivia track offers a smattering of rather repetitive facts, an interactive personality test pairs users with their most compatible character, Coolsville High Video Yearbook (4 minutes) provides a brief introduction to Shaggy's new pals, Fun on the Set (6 minutes) is nothing more than a bland behind-the-scenes EPK, a high definition Anne Arbor music video (4 minutes), and a lackluster Gag Reel (6 minutes). Ultimately, too much filler, zero substance, and a grating gee-whiz attitude bring a quick end to this underwhelming supplemental package.

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Whereas Warner's theatrical Scooby Doo blunders failed to engage adults, Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins never quite engages its target audience: their children. Its title character is often shoved to the side, its gags sometimes fizzle, and my four-year-old son had solved the mystery long before Shaggy and the gang had gathered their first clue. He enjoyed watching it -- it does feature a talking dog after all -- but he hasn't asked to watch it again, a telling sign if there ever was one. While its Blu-ray release is better, its problematic video transfer and uninvolving Dolby Digital audio track doesn't measure up to better AV presentations on the market. Ultimately, parents can feel safe letting their children sit down with Scooby Doo's harmless, wholesome mystery, but shouldn't expect much more.