Big Top Scooby-Doo! (2012) (V)

Director:

Ben Jones

Writer:

Douglas Langdale (written by)

Release Date:

9 October 2012 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Fantasy

Plot:

Scooby-Doo and the gang go on vacation to Atlantic City, but they get involved in a mystery at a circus.

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Cartoon Dog | Horror For Children | Werewolf | Character Name In Title

Cast

Frank Welker	...	Scooby-Doo / Fred Jones
Mindy Cohn	...	Velma Dinkley
Grey DeLisle	...	Daphne Blake
Matthew Lillard	...	Shaggy Rogers
Greg Ellis	...	Marcus Brancusi (voice)
Maurice LaMarche	...	Archambault (voice)
Peter Stormare	...	Wulfric von Rydingsvard (voice)
Jeff Dunham	...	Schmatko / Conductor (voice)
Carlos Ferro	...	Oliverio (voice)
Jess Harnell	...	Human Scooby Doo / Guard (voice)
Jim Meskimen	...	Phil Flaxman / Detective (voice)
Candi Milo	...	Jean (voice)
Hynden Walch	...	Lena (voice)
Craig Ferguson	...	Whitney Doubleday (voice)

Directed by
Ben Jones

Writing credits
Douglas Langdale		(written by)

Produced by
Spike Brandt	....	producer
Alan Burnett	....	co-producer
Tony Cervone	....	producer
Amy McKenna	....	line producer
Sam Register	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Robert J. Kral

Film Editing by
Kyle Stafford

Casting by
Andrea Romano

Art Direction by
Ted Blackman
Eric Semones

Production Management
Jay Bastian	....	executive in charge of production

Art Department
Jake Castorena	....	storyboard artist
Brendan Clogher	....	storyboard artist
Tim Divar	....	storyboard artist
Chuck Drost	....	storyboard artist
Phil Langone	....	storyboard artist
Rafael Rosado	....	storyboard artist
Andy Suriano	....	storyboard artist
Kirk Van Wormer	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Kelly Ann Foley	....	dialogue editor (as Kelly Foley Downs)
Patrick J. Foley	....	dialogue editor
Robert Hargreaves	....	sound effects editor
Robert Hargreaves	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary Marullo	....	foley artist

Animation Department
Richard Collado	....	animation timer
Steve Lambe	....	character designer
Ethan Marak	....	animation director: opening credits
Bob Nesler	....	animation timer
Roberto Yun Rodriguez	....	cg animator
Kirk Tingblad	....	animation director
Kirk Tingblad	....	animation timer
Marcus Williams	....	storyboard artist

Editorial Department
Steven White	....	on-line editor

Other crew
Luisa Guzman	....	production accountant
Vivian Hernandez	....	production support
Michele Karpel	....	production support
Audrey Kim	....	production support
Debbie Lindquist	....	production accountant
Tamara Miles	....	production support
Maral Simonian	....	production accountant
Kira Tirimacco	....	production support
Renee Toporzysek	....	production support
Janet Yi	....	production support

Production Companies

• Digital eMation (animation production)
• Warner Bros. Animation

Also Known As:

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:PG

Company:

Digital eMation

One of the absolute best Scooby Doo movies

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I have always been a huge Scooby Doo fan. It is great fun with funny jokes and writing, endearing characters and a sense of mystery that is quite infectious. Big Top Scooby Doo! is one of the best Scooby Doo movies alongside Witch's Ghost, Zombie Island and Goblin King. In fact there isn't a Scooby Doo movie I intensely dislike, even my personal least favourite Monster of Mexico had its moments. Back to Big Top Scooby Doo!, I knew I was in for a treat when I got the DVD from Amazon and I was right.

The animation, a nice mix of the What's New Scooby Doo?, Mystery Incorporated and the classic Scooby Doo styles, is colourful and fluid. Yet when there are more haunting and mysterious parts there is a darker visual style that was most fitting. The music is both catchy and rousing and never feels too much. The writing has hilarious jokes, so much so I was in danger of missing a few from laughing so much, and witty dialogue, that sticks true mostly to the Scooby Doo that I know and love. Only Velma's tensing up joke came across as awkward but don't let it put you off too much. The story has its fair share of almost scary(but never enough to traumatise anybody) and entertaining moments. And it further benefits from a wonderful mystery that is quite suspenseful, with a setting that brings a fair bit of nostalgia for me and a very convincing werewolf, that exudes menace. The train chase sequence was one of the best of any Scooby Doo movie as well.

Not only that, the feel of the film is close in feel to Scooby Doo Where Are You, no dating awkwardness or stereotypes like bumbling sheriffs or wacky parents, just feel-good and funny, in a somewhat corny but endearing sort of way, Scooby Doo. The identity of the villain does get obvious, but the twist that the film includes is completely satisfying.

Big Top! Scooby Doo has some very entertaining moments that will delight any Scooby Doo fan. Daphne's motorcycle racing is amazing, possibly the coolest thing she has done in a long time, while Fred with the trapeze and Velma being shot through the air as a human cannonball are just as delightful. Daphne, Fred and Velma are the most likable they've been in a while, while Shaggy- who has never been as smart as he is here- and Scooby never fail to bring a smile to my face and their friendship is quite affecting. The voice acting is just great, Matthew Lillard had big shoes to fill and he does a good job, goofy and likable. Frank Welker has still got it as Fred and his Scooby voice continues to grow on me. Grey DeLisle and Mindy Cohn(who is much better than she is in Music of the Vampire) are also fine, as are the rest of the cast.

All in all, a great Scooby Doo film. It is not as good as the original show, or The Scooby Doo Show or The New Scooby Doo Movies, but of the animated direct to video movies it is one of the best and I'd say almost on par. 9/10 Bethany Cox