In their first meeting since their last meeting, the gang from Mystery Inc is teaming up with Batman to solve the one case that Batman was unable to solve but, to do so, they have to go on the run from criminals and super heroes as they are framed for a crime they didn’t commit!
You know, this movie… it’s just delightful. I’ve missed the corny antics of Batman: The Brave and the Bold and I’ve been a big fan of Scooby Doo all my life and this is an awfully entertaining crossover with enough self-awareness to be witty and enough action to be fun to watch. A lot like The Brave and the Bold was a love letter to Silver Age Batman, this movie also serves as a love letter to classic Scooby Doo, ascots and all. It hugs it, laughs about it, but never disrespects.
And I respect that.
Yes, there are things about this movie that are infuriating: It revolves around a mystery that’s pretty obvious and then gets painfully obvious and then basically shrieks the answer into your ears, but the characters remain completely clueless about what’s going on. These are supposed to be the best detectives on Earth and yet, they’re all stupid as crap.
As a viewer, I got so frustrated I was yelling at the television like it was a flippin’ football game. It doesn’t help that the climax turns into a whirlwind of fakeouts and twists that feel more clumsy than fun.
Still, it’s harmless. As I said, it’s done with great affection and, honestly, is a lot better than it really has any right to be. The entire movie is just dripping with the absurdity that we loved from Batman: The Brave and the Bold and the two properties mesh surprisingly well. This isn’t an amazing film, but it’s awesome in its cheesiness and a welcome light-hearted Batman romp in the vein of the 60’s animated Batman movies. This movie may do it weird, but it at least had the good sense to do it right.
Jason Gaston 