This direct to video movie serves as a sequel to Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery (2014). While the first film centered around wrestling, this sequel strangely centers around car racing with famous wrestling figures. Not surprisingly there is a bit of a Wacky Races vibe to be found (decades earlier Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988) also channeled Wacky Races). Though this has less slapstick than the average episode of Wacky Races (or Reluctant Werewolf), it is hard to watch such eccentric characters compete in a cartoon car race and not think of Wacky Races.
While still having quite a bit to enjoy, this is certainly a weaker Scooby movie. While the first film kept the Mystery Inc. gang front and center, here they feel like supporting characters in their own movie. Honestly you could have taken them out and the film's story would have still worked with only very minor changes. Scooby and Shaggy often times feel like they are playing straight man to the Undertaker, Fred is sidelined to really existing only for a few jokes and Daphne and Velma are wasted in a rather bland subplot that serves as little but padding. The WWE characters (I have never watched a wrestling match, so I only know the wrestlers from these movies) work quite well as eccentric Wacky Races type comedy characters, but don't quite work in the more story driven scenes. Needless to say the highlights are the racing scenes. These scenes work quite well. The comedy between the characters is not laugh out loud funny but definitely does raise quite a few smiles (still I found myself wishing for more cartoon slapstick between the racers). The action scenes when the villain appears are quite exciting. Inferno is also quite a good villain. This demon gives off a creepy vibe and always feels like a real threat to our heroes. The design of both him and his car are excellent and add a lot of presence each time he appears. Unfortunately the mystery is quite easy to solve and the scenes off the track lack the punch of those on.
This may be a weaker Scooby-Doo! movie, but there is still enough here for cartoon fans to enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment