Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (2009 Video) User Reviews

The Best Effort in Animating Scooby Since "Zombie Island"

[mwsrlford · 7/10 · 17 February 2010]

Lately, I NEVER buy these direct to DVD, factory-produced, pandering Scooby titles that get distributed to dumbed-down drooling kids at Wal-Mart. I was totally finished when I watched...*shudders*..."Aloha, Scooby Doo" a few years back. I could name a few other titles in a LONG run of BAD Scooby Doo features, but I digress. I don't know what possessed me, but I bought "Scooby Doo: Abracadabra Doo" at Wal-Mart tonight. I and my friend watched it expecting a sub-par experience. First, let me say...IT HAD A FREAKING CREDIT SEQUENCE WITH AN ENTIRELY NEW THEME SONG THAT WAS REMINISCENT OF THE GOOFY 70's POP FLUFF THAT PLAYED IN THE ORIGINAL SHOW!!! Then, if that weren't enough to catch my attention, they brought the character style all the way back to the 70's, by leaving NO whites in their eyes and choosing to richly shadow and detail their appearance. There was a wealth of camera angles, zoom shots, and random motion keeping your attention constantly. The backgrounds were extremely detailed. And there were many references to previous Scooby images or incarnations.

As for the plot, dialogue, and character development...A giant leap in the right direction! The plot could have stood a little bit of work, but suspense and gorgeous animation make up for this. Character development between the Mystery 5 was brought to new depths and Scooby himself was even included in this. I also appreciated the knowing jabs that Shaggy made about "those meddling kids". I loved the inclusion of the smart-aleck GPS. It was just the modern boost that the Mystery Machine needed. The choice to have Andrea Romano of "Batman: The Animated Series" fame do the voice casting was excellent. Matthew Lillard did a fine job voicing Shaggy and Frank Welker was great as Scooby Doo.

Overall, this is just the shot in the arm that the Scooby industry needed. This cartoon has plenty of atmosphere, depth, and slick animation to hold up for many years...long after "Aloha", "Lochness Monster", "Goblin King", "Chill Out", and "Samurai Sword" have mercifully passed from our memory. Maybe next time...we can get an outing that is boldly dark and creepy...with real ghosts again. Great effort Warner Premiere. Keep up the good work.

It's "Zombie Island" all over again!

[wile_E2005 · 8/10 · 19 February 2010]

Finally, for the first time in eight years, Warner Bros. Animation got off their backs and made a darker, more professional Scooby-Doo animated movie similar to their infamous "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island," their excellent "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost," the not-so-great "Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders" and the fun "Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase." I have been WAITING for this ever since "Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster" came out and simply went with the "What's New Scooby-Doo" animation style.

Story-wise, it is a shame they go back to fake supernatural creatures once again, after "Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King" and the "Samurai Sword" movie. But it's got plenty of suspense and jump-scenes like the original movies did, though. They also go with a somewhat original plot for once, too! The gang has already come across too many tiki monsters, mummies, pirate ghosts, snow monsters and samurai ghosts that it seemed the writers were beginning to run out of ideas. But they REALLY surprised us with this one. The inclusion of Velma having a sister was fun, as was Daphne getting jealous over Fred going gaga over the lovely female assistant. Speaking of Fred, he isn't as stupidly-portrayed as he was in the previous films, or even "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" and "What's New, Scooby-Doo." Scooby-Doo also has quite a bit of dialogue too, and they cleverly parodied the old formula here as well (such as a danger-prone Fred, and Shaggy using ventriloquism on a wolf puppet to mimic the famous "meddling kids" line.) Voices aren't too bad either. Sure, Frank Welker's Scooby-Doo still sounds like Brain from "Inspector Gadget," but I've pretty much gotten used to it by now. As for Matthew Lillard, he's actually a pretty good Shaggy! Sure, he's not as good as Casey Kasem, but he's better than Billy West and Scott Innes, and definitely better than Scott Menville! It does sound a little strange hearing the live-action Shaggy's voice coming out of the animated Shaggy, but after a while I got used to it. He also managed to make Shaggy sound hip and young again! The sound effects are also similar to the early made-for-video Scooby-Doo movies, only limiting the classic H-B sound effects to the Scooby and Shaggy scenes or exaggerated comedy sequences. They even managed to use the classic haunted "Castle Thunder" sound as one of the magic-spell sound effects (ala "The Powerpuff Girls"), but the other thunder sounds are pretty much identical to the earlier made-for-video Scooby-Doo movies, too.

The animation is also very good, too. As I mentioned, it is in a much darker style now, but the Scooby gang is drawn as how they appeared in the early 1970s, complete with wearing their original outfits! It looks much better than the "What's New Scooby-Doo"-esquire style of the past movies.

Overall, this is definitely a step up from the last several Scooby-Doo movies. It seems they're finally going in the right direction. Not only that, this film didn't even end with a Hanna-Barbera logo like the others did, which is actually somewhat of a good thing because Hanna-Barbera didn't make this movie; Warner Bros. Cartoons did. Definitely recommended!

Welcome back Mathew Lillard!!!

[kyle-mcdonald · 7/10 · 17 August 2014]

Well let me start off by saying I was saddened when I heard that Casey Kasem was no longer going to be playing the role of Shaggy and even more saddened to hear of his passing, but when one door closes another door opens and we are privileged to get the live action Shaggy Mathew Lillard now lending his voice to the cartoon world.

After solving yet another mystery Velma receives a call from her mother informing her that her sister Madelyn may be in danger at the school for magic she is attending which is being terrorized by a massive griffin. Scooby and the gang are off to solve this creepy mystery and also learn a bit of magic of their own along the way and even use it to figure out once and for all the mystery of the griffin and who is behind all this.

The storyline I have to say is pretty interesting, it's been a while since something has been done revolving around the mystical creature of the griffin. However, throughout we are met with many predictable turns that can easily be spotted as early as the first time the gang enters this school for magic. This time around the story is a bit more fast paced compared to the last Scooby Doo adventure with funny jokes and for the most part interesting characters. The excitement level could have been a bit higher, rather than it all being packed into final sequence with a few thrown in on spotty occasions. I also like the turn that they have returned to the old tradition of unmasking a mastermind at the end of the mystery instead of using a real monster, while I like the real monsters direction I've always been one for the traditional Scooby Doo method.

The voice talents were for the most part excellent as usual especially the regulars: Frank Welker as Scooby Doo and Fred, Mindy Cohn as Velma, Grey Delisle as Daphne and new to the cartoon world of Scooby Doo is Mathew Lillard as Shaggy, who does an exceptionally great job as doing the voice of Shaggy, after doing a great job as him in the live action films he does an even better job as the voice. On top of the regulars we get some great voice work such as: Dave Attell as the G.P.S. and Jeffery Tambor as Mr. Calvin Curdles who both do a great a funny job. Brian Posehn as Marlon Whirlen on the other hand is a different story, I found as if he didn't even give an effort and turned out to be more annoying to listen to rather than be interested in the character.

So in the end, this Scooby Doo adventure wasn't all that bad, but with a predictable ending and a sort of slow moving story, I just wish the movie in which Mathew Lillard returned could have been a little better. Having said that I did enjoy this movie and do recommend it to fans and families.

Overall Rating: ******* out of **********

***1/2 out of *****

Doesn't live up to the last movie

[brookenichole-98054 · 6/10 · 25 May 2020]

I actually enjoyed this Scooby movie. It included some of the fun I love seeing. The magic school concept is fun. I also loved how Shaggy wanted to be the brave hero this time around. Sure it was boring at parts but the new Shaggy voice is terrific. Plus many of the voice actors/actresses were great in their roles. The plot moved along well and didn't lag. Overall, it's just a fun time and probably won't be a favorite.

Now this was interesting...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 26 October 2019]

Oddly enough it wasn't before late in 2019 that I was given the chance to sit down and watch the 2010 animated "Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo" movie together with my son. And given my sons admiration for Scooby-Doo, I of course sat down to watch it with him.

Turns out that "Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo" is actually one of the better animated movies in a long time, right up along side with the zombie island adventure.

Why? Well, sure this 2010 animated movie does follow the blueprint that every single Scooby-Doo adventure movie is built from, but hey that is part of the charm of the franchise. But also because this movie just appealed more to me given its contents and because of the creatures in the adventure.

And with the likes of Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey Griffin and Mindy Cohn returning to reprise the loveable characters then you know you are in good hands. And the group had some other pretty good voice actors alongside to perform with them, such as James Patrick Stuart, John DiMaggio and Brian Posehn.

The animation and art style is loveable and very much something you'd be familiar with if you have seen any of the numerous Scooby-Doo animated movies ever.

I was more than genuinely entertained with "Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo" and if you enjoy these animated Scooby-Doo adventures, then you definitely have to sit down and watch this 2010 addition to the franchise.

One of the better recent Scooby Doo movies

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 1 August 2011]

For as long as I can remember I have been a big fan of Scooby Doo. Scooby Doo Where are You? is still one of my favourites, as is the Scooby Doo Show. The incarnations after have been mixed, the recent Mystery Incorporated was much better than expected, 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo, A Pup Named Scooby Doo and New Scooby Doo Mysteries were decent, while the Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show was disappointing(at least the ones with half the gang missing and Scrappy, at his most annoying, dominating most of the episodes) and I can't stand Shaggy and Scooby Doo:Get a Clue! Overall,

I have really liked most of the movies, my favourites being Witch's Ghost, Goblin King and Zombie Island, I liked Alien Invaders, Chill Out Scooby Doo and Loch Ness Monster, I didn't mind the live-action ones personally, while Ghoul's School, Legend of the Vampire and Reluctant Werewolf were much better on re-watch. Monster of Mexico I personally find on the weak side.

Abracadabra Doo!(getting back on target) is thankfully one of the better Scooby Doo movies. The plot could have done with more work and is rather slow in places, but the idea was great, the final solution interesting and a lot of scenes entertaining thanks to the dialogue and jokes, which are some of the better ones(both in writing and delivery) of any Scooby Doo movie.

The music is catchy and memorable, both the funky tunes and the atmospheric incidental music, and the voice acting is spot on with Matthew Lillard, a worthy replacement for Casey Kasem(and in all honesty he did have big shoes to fill), being very likable as well as goofy being the biggest surprise. But what I loved most was the animation, while it has some of the What's New Scooby Doo? look, which I find quite nice it also has a bit of the classic Scooby Doo! Where Are You? style, which I appreciated and loved.

Overall, a very entertaining movie and one of Scooby's better outings. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Entertaining Family Fun - Nice Entry Into Scooby-Doo series

[ersinkdotcom · 8/10 · 30 March 2010]

Everybody's favorite canine detective is back again. The Scooby Gang still seem fresh and vibrant in their latest straight-to-DVD adventure, Scooby-Doo: Abracadabra-Doo, over 40 years after their first television appearance. The Mystery Machine is a newer model and now has a very annoying GPS, but that's about all that's changed.

The script writers do seem to keep up with the times, seeing that this new adventure takes place at a magic school that is reminiscent of Harry Potter's Hogwarts. It also features a very cool gryphon that flies around snapping at everyone and causing all kinds of ruckus. The story has all the right elements you've come to expect from a Scooby-Doo movie: a big and dark house or mansion, the eccentric cast of suspects, and a creepy or foggy landscape. There's even a foreboding groundskeeper, voiced by John DiMaggio (Bender on Futurama, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ben 10), who is constantly warning everyone of impending danger.

Speaking of the cast, Matthew Lillard has picked up duties from longtime voice talent and radio DJ Kasey Kasem. Lillard does a great job, as if anyone ever had any doubt he could after playing the part in the two original live-action Scooby-Doo films. Frank Welker returns once again to voice both Scooby and Fred, thankfully. Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life) again voices Velma. There's also some really cool guest voices, like John Stephenson (the narrator of Dragnet, Wacky Races, The Flintstones), Olivia Hack (The Brady Bunch movies, Hey Arnold! The Movie, Open Season 2), and Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development, The Larry Sanders Show, Hellboy 1 & 2).

The animation is the same comfortable look that we've come to expect. It's pretty much the look of What's New, Scooby Doo? A mix of the classic feel of the original television show and new animation technology. Thankfully, it doesn't look like the horrific animation of Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! I definitely enjoyed this new entry in the Scooby series. Your kids will love it and it will keep their attention. This is good and entertaining family fun.

Possibly the best animation of any yet

[ericstevenson · 8/10 · 26 March 2018]

The funniest thing about the "Scooby-Doo" franchise is that is started off by always having the monster be fake in every episode. People ended up complaining that the series was too formulaic. In the later 1990s they made a ton of direct to video movies where the monsters were real. They made so many it got to the point where people complained that this idea had become too formulaic as well. The latter animated movies went back to the original formula. It can be hard to stretch this idea out to a full length movie, but they did it quite well here.

The best part is that we're introduced to Velma's sister, Madeyln who has a crush on Shaggy. Madeylin's quite a likeable character with a very cute design. This movie even addresses one problem that the Scooby-Doo franchise has. Why is it that the villains are able to come up with these elaborate costumes and illusions when they could simply use them to become successful on their own? Here, the villain reveals that he wanted his brother to sell their school so he could get the money to start his own magician business. I yearn for the days of theatrically released 2D films as this was certainly enjoyable enough to be shown there. ***

Much better animation saves another weak story...

[cartoonpow · 8/10 · 20 February 2010]

The opening credit titles were a breath of fresh air and they had a flair that matched John K.'s "Ren & Stimpy" cartoon in the look of it. The music had a nice throwback to the original 69 series as well.

As for the main animation throughout, it's simply some of the cleanest and tightest that has ever been done yet for a Scooby-Doo production! The turns and inbetweens look well done and the background paints have an air of mystery that match the brilliance of the original series in '69! The CGI Mystery Machine was produced and worked a lot better than in previous versions and there wasn't an overuse of CGI overall as there was in "Samarai Sword" which was horrible. Digital eMation Inc did a superb job on the production. Too bad we have to send the work out to Korea as usual though. Can we make anything in this country???? As for story, and having worked on Scooby stuff for 10 years of my professional career, the story once again shows how creatively bankrupt the Scooby-Doo series has been. Once it was a guy in a costume and once that was worn out they had to use real supernatural elements which shows that it "jumped the shark" decades ago. The last batch of movies has been really bad. Scooby stories should just be hacked out as apparently there is nowhere to take the characters and as a brand maybe it's for the best since these are made for kids. It's a strict formula and usually these things hit the bulletpoints as to what happens when and where in the story. WB won't allow a lot of new ideas to mess up the brand so it will just continue. It is their golden calf so I'll let it lie, since six-year-olds won't notice the sameness till they watch them when they are older. As an aside, the romance of Daphne and Fred had taken a noticeable turn. She had at least one hand on Fred in most of the scenes and flirted with him more than in any other picture. She sure is fighting for her man in this one...

As for the voices, it was adequate. Welker was more on point and Scooby's voice didn't have a touch of Fred's voice in it as it did in "Samuarai Sword". He's getting older too, so I wonder who will replace him at some point. You can only use ProTools on a voice and speed up the tape to make them sound younger for so long.

Matthew Lillard was watered down Shaggy and had no pep. Bad casting choice for sure, but tying him to the animated from the live-action Scooby is a good marketing decision. This is a problem though of hiring an actor as opposed to a voice actor. Actors can't voice act worth a damn! Didn't Matt Damon and Brad Pitt animated ventures tell the studios anything??? There is a difference and why Mel Blanc was a genius. They should have gotten Scott Innes to play Shaggy it since he still does all the licensing work as Shaggy and Scooby, plus he sounds closer to Casey than anyone else. Billy West is the reason I can't watch "Zombie Island" and he was the worst Shaggy ever so thankfully he wasn't cast! Maybe Lillard will improve since he'll be in the new series, "Mystery Inc" as well.

All in all, a great clean piece of slicker animation which makes it stand out from the normal drivel.

The greatest and funniest spoof since Zombie Island!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stephenchase-63504 · 10/10 · 16 March 2021]

Funny, original and full of music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An Honest Review

[generationofswine · 9/10 · 1 April 2017]

Were they going for a scary sorta Vegas style harry Potter Parody here? I'm an adult, so I can't be sure---well, unless you talk to my family, co-workers, or girlfriend I'm an adult--so i can't be sure, but I think there was even a "Lord of Illusions" reference here. It's a kids film, but I'm pretty sure I was it.

Anyway, the plot at heart is total Scooby Gang. The knock-off Hogwarts is fun. It's just an enjoyable film...even if it's a film that sits so odd, watching it as an adult and expecting a child's cartoon.

Not bad....Not bad at all

[shiz101 · 8/10 · 17 April 2010]

I have to say, this movie really surprised me. After 40 odd years of an awesome show I was wondering if they would better some of the other movies such as "Aloha Scooby Doo!". After watching it, I have to say this is up there with the best.

The new animation technology used really hits you and seems to give a darker impression of everything. The plot really suits this and uses the darker effect to enhance itself. Talking about the plot, I have to say this is where I was the most surprised. In the past few years I personally feel that the plots have gotten almost a little bit desperate, as though the producers were doing anything for originality. Movies such as "Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase" are examples of this sort of thing and generally didn't go down too well for me. However, the plot here was actually quite good. It looks like they have solved the puzzle for originality...well almost. I still have a few bones to pick. Bringing love into the plot seems just a bit over the top for me, especially with the romantic scene (naturally it is not explicit in any way).

It's sad that the previous voice of Shaggy has gone but his replacement is quite good. The gang also look fantastic in their original clothing.

The first scooby doo cartoon movie "Scooby Doo on Zombie Island" was quite a hit, not only in my books either. Abracadabra Doo seems like a return to the plot style and darkness of that successful movie and wins my vote as being a must watch.