The cartoon world’s greatest detectives team up in this fun, action-packed adventure. Batman recruits Mystery Incorporated to come to Gotham City and join the Mystery Analysts of Gotham—a small organization of DC heroes (including Martian Manhunter, Detective Chimp, the Question, and Plastic Man). In a perfect blending of two worlds, the Scooby Gang adds some colorful fun to the group. It’s really enjoyable to see the playful dynamics between the assortment of heroes. While Batman is all business, Aquaman, Shaggy, and Scooby provide light humor. This makes the mystery solving even more entertaining for all ages.
Fans of the Scooby Gang and DC characters will appreciate the integration of recognizable character traits—from Shaggy and Scooby’s appetite to Batman’s seriousness. The writing also brilliantly brings together the two franchises through wonderful dialogue and captures the classic language of the iconic characters. Hearing Velma cry out, “Jinkies!” in Gotham City is a perfect integration of the Scooby gang into the DC universe. The voice talents in this film beautifully bring the writing to life and remind us why we love these cartoons.
Aside from the superheroes, the film also contains several classic DC supervillains. The Crimson Cloak torments Batman and company as the film’s main villain, but many others get some screen time. Their integration into the story adds some great battles and an exciting chase scene to the film. It’s really enjoyable to see all of the great detectives match wits with the supervillains. The heroes use their various strengths to combat any threat that comes their way. Shaggy and Scooby’s methods of distraction may not be the course of action that Batman would take, but the combination of Bat-strength and Scooby silliness proves to be effective against the wild variety of supervillains.
Visually, the setting, the Batmobile (which greatly resembles the Batmobile from the 1960s TV series), and Batman’s costume are drawn from Batman: The Brave and the Bold series, but the creators also pay homage to earlier iterations of Batman’s adventures. Catwoman’s costume looks like the version she wore in the comics of the late 1960s and early 1970s. And even with Robin absent from the film, the Scooby Gang uses his “Holy,—!” The Bonus Material on the DVD also brings us back in time. It includes “The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair” and “The Caped Crusader Caper,” two episodes from The New Scooby-Doo Movies that aired in 1972. In these episodes, Batman and Robin team up with Mystery Incorporated. It’s fun to watch these episodes alongside the new collaboration.
With a running time of 75 minutes, Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold is the perfect length to create a multi-layered mystery and incorporate numerous characters throughout the plot. Young kids will stay engaged in all the action, and older fans will thoroughly enjoy the combination of playful banter and problem-solving skills between our favorite characters. Even though they each have their own style of mystery solving, Batman works so well with the members of Mystery Incorporated. They are a great team and ready to take on any supervillain who threatens Gotham City.
Creative Team: Frank Welker (voice), Grey Griffin (voice), Matthew Lillard (voice), Kate Micucci (voice), Diedrich Bader (voice), James Tucker (story), Paul Giacoppo (teleplay), Jake Castorena (director)
Producer: Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros. Animation
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