Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! - TV-Y7
TV Rating: TV-Y7
Network: CW Cast: Frank Welker, Scott Menville, Mindy Cohn
Genre: Children, Cartoons, & Animation
Available on: 
DVD
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that while there's plenty of cartoon violence in this new Scooby-Doo series -- complete with baddies firing laser guns -- the effects are kept to a minimum even by 'toon standards. Bumbling bad guys may hit one another with ricochet beams, but the result is never more than singed hair or a sore butt. The old Scooby's spooky supernatural elements have been replaced by an action-oriented, spies-saving-the-world plot, but the mysteries are still easily solved by kids who've been paying attention.
Families can compare this take on Shaggy and Scooby to the original. Do you even miss Fred, Daphne, and Velma? (How about the animated celebrity guest stars?) Was it more fun when the gang unmasked a different villain in every episode, or is it better that the guys now just have a single nemesis?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: KJ Dell'Antonia
Give Shaggy a brain, Scooby-Doo snacks with the amazing transformative powers of nanotechnology, and the pair access to the unlimited funds and secret lair of a millionaire Bruce Wayne type; add in some (clean) Austin Powers-style humor; and you get this surprisingly entertaining revamp of an old series that's already been through a number of ill-conceived makeovers (remember Scrappy-Doo?).
In SHAGGY AND SCOOBY-DOO GET A CLUE, Shaggy (voiced by Scott Menville) has inherited billions from his brilliant scientist uncle, who's missing -- presumably on the run from his Dr. Evil-esque rival, Dr. Phibes. Uncle Albert's latest formula has been hidden in the recipe for Scooby snacks, which now give Scooby (Frank Welker) pretty much unlimited powers -- until he burps.
The intrepid pair must hide the formula, evade Dr. Phibes' evil minions, and search for Uncle Albert. It's all good fun and there's plenty of good, broad humor that works for most age groups (like Baddie #2's refusal to obey unless he's addressed as Secret Agent Striking Cobra, for example).
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo's animation is different from that of the earlier incarnations; here, it's been given the feel of a graphic novel (and Velma, when she appears, owes a large debt to Daria). But one of the old show's greatest strengths -- the goofy musical chase montage -- stays strong, and it's always easy enough to follow the clues and solve the mystery. This is the rare show that works for most of the cartoon-watching part of the family, although even the mild violence is too much for the youngest viewers.
Kids who enjoy the new Scooby should certainly check out the original series, Scooby Doo Where Are You!, as well as the myriad other Scooby-related media titles.
Rate It!
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ViolenceLots of laser guns from the bad guys, but they have remarkably bad aim. The beams never do anything more than knock someone (usually another baddie) off his (always his, never her) feet. |
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Social BehaviorScooby and Shaggy show admirable loyalty and the bad guys never triumph... but there are an awful lot of laser guns, and not very many female characters. |
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