Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!

Long time Scooby fan here. When I first started watching the new series, I thought it was great... and now that I've given it some more time, I've totally fallen in love with it. Yes, the animation is different. But geez... what the heck is the big deal? Things change. At first I thought it a bit "odd"... but very quickly it became part of the shows atmosphere and personality. Call it "Family Guy" style animation or something like that if you want... but I gotta tell ya, that style has been around for 2+ decades now, so it's not just some current-trendy thing, and I think it works perfectly with the show... which is a phenomenal blend of smart, funny, witty, silly... all rolled into one. This show is a LOT less serious than the previous "Mystery Inc" series, so changing over to a less serious animation style I think was a really great choice to set it apart and rise above the past.

I've watched every Scooby EVERYthing from the original to now, and this is absolutely the funnest Scooby Doo to watch since the original.

Went to my local Barnes and Nobles store to look for childhood cartoons that I can hold on to and ended up buying this DVD with some others because I wanted to give something modern a try. The art style made me feel like this was going to be another forced Scooby- Doo project since Warner Bros. have been overdoing Scooby-Doo since the DC's New 52 started. The art is lazy and I believe DC and Cartoon Network are getting lazier as time moves on. I mean look at horrific Teen Titans Go cartoon. But I was hoping this DVD wasn't a waste of time and money.

Now, the show as a whole. Man, I have to eat my words for a moment and say that this is pretty comical! The art for some reason actually does fit the goofiness of it! I was surprised by how much I'd laughed while watching the gang slip up from one gag to another in just seconds! Fast-paced and unusual! Daphne who was once my least favorite character suddenly became my most favorite character! She isn't like she was in her previous incarnations but rather a fun, adventurous, goofy type and I'd thought Shaggy and Scooby were the best of the gang!

Episode 1: Decent Episode 2: Pretty Good Episode 3: GREAT!! This is where I was laughing the most!

My suggestion is to watch episode 3! That one is my favorite so far!

If we take all nostalgia aside you would have to admit Be Cool, Scooby Doo is a good show. Albeit the animation style is quirky, I would argue that it fits the humour perfectly. Ever since the first images were released many people have been outraged, not even giving it a chance. But if we look past the animation style it is still a great show.

First of all the humour is brilliant, unlike What's New, Scooby Doo? the show focuses a lot more on the humour. Still staying true to the format the added humour makes the show really enjoyable. Daphne has been redesigned since the last reincarnation, Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated, and I am liking her so far. I have always found Daphne funny when she gets embarrassed when her fondness for Fred is mentioned, and when she gets annoyed at people flirting with Fred (for example Marcy in A Scooby Doo Halloween). In Be Cool, Scooby Doo this is not the case (so far), however her slightly quirkier personality is very funny. Aside from Daphne the humour is extremely funny, such as Fred being scared of widths, and is probably my favorite part of the show.

The voice acting is practically the same, aside from Velma. Mindy Cohn has been replaced by Kate Micucci, and I have to admit the voice acting for Velma is much better than I expected. For me I grew up on What's New, Scooby Doo? so those voice actors will always seem true to me. Micucci does quite a nice job as Velma and deserves some merit for that. Shaggy, not played by Kasem, is played by Matthew Lillard, who has been voicing Shaggy for quite some time now. Lillard does an excellent job as Shaggy and I have no complaints. Grey DeLisle and Frank Welker return (as for Lillard) and I have no complaints for them. Some minor characters are obviously voiced by one of the main 4 voice actors, just thought I would mention that but still nothing to complain about.

The mysteries are enjoyable as well, and I like the new format as they sum up their findings at the end of the video. However, why I didn't give the show a higher score was because of the mysteries. There is a lack of suspects, and in places where the gang are isolated (such as episode two) there are minimal characters. Around the 15 minute mark you can tell who the culprit is, which I found wasn't the case in Mystery Incorporated and What's New.

So far I am loving Be Cool, Scooby Doo and I would recommend it. I have been looking forward to it since its announcement and I am not disappointed. It's not perfect, but it does an honest and entertaining job as a Scooby Doo series.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! is another great addition to the franchise after my personal favourite series Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. Being the 12th incarnation of the show, you'd think the mileage would have ran out by now. Being a massive Scooby-Doo fan myself, however, I would feel saddened if they stopped producing shows, especially if they are to the quality of the latest two series.

Be Cool is by far the funniest show in the franchise. After Mystery Inc. which had a much darker and scarier tone, it was great to see a series which also experimented with something new. This comedy driven incarnation of the show is a strong follow up to Mystery Inc. You are bound to laugh many times per episode, and the show just gets funnier as you continue to watch.

The characters in the show are similar to previous incarnations. Scooby and Shaggy are still their same old selves, hungry, cowardly and hilarious. Velma and Fred are also pretty similar to previous versions of the characters, yet their personalities are tweaked so as to fit the tone of the show. Fred is usually used as a foil to Daphne (which I will get to soon), whilst Velma retains her status as the most intellectual of the gang. Both characters are given their individual fears, Fred of widths and Velma of water, which makes for great gags throughout the series. Daphne sees the most radical change in character. The show really brings her to the forth as a comedy character, as each episode she has a new 'Daphne Du Jour', where she gets up to all sorts of antics. It's a fun take on the character, and really suits the tone of the show.

As for the voice actors, everyone is the same as in Mystery Inc. Frank Welker voices both Fred and Scooby, Matthew Lillard voices Shaggy, and Grey Griffin voices Daphne. Kate Micucci is a great addition to the show in her first series as Velma, and she is excellent.

The mystery element of the show is not lost in the comedy, as the two elements work wonderfully together. The explanation of the villain's plot is nicely recapped in illustrated flashback sequences at the end of each episode. The show also brings back musical chase sequences after their absence in Mystery Inc., and the songs used are really catchy. One last thing I want to touch upon is the character designs. This show gets a lot of criticism because of how the gang looks. Whilst it is not my favourite version of the characters, I have to say that the designs match the tone of the show perfectly.

Overall, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! is a fantastic show and a great addition to the Scooby franchise. It's great to have a Scooby show that really emphasises the humour. I would definitely recommed it to others. Give it a chance! Once you get used to the character designs, the show is really enjoyable. Like the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover.

I know many people who completely rejected this show after they saw one shot of the animation. Me, being a die-hard Scooby-doo fan, was skeptical, but tried it out anyway. I have to say this is for sure the funniest Scooby-doo incarnation since the original. The voice actors do a great job, the stories are hilarious, and it is overall, a great show. That cliché phrase, don't judge a book by it's cover, is definitely in play here.