#its like someone watched the scooby doo live action

[scrappedtogether]

Top 3 scooby movies and why?

Hi Swishy!! Thank you for the ask!! It was so hard for me to pick but!!!

1. Zombie Island: this has some of the strongest artistic style, some of the best music, and probably the strongest overall story. Likely the only movie that I would put on for someone who had never seen Scooby Doo that I felt at least 99% confident they would enjoy. It has some really significant character developments (Fraphne esp). The Gang had split up before in the franchise and reunited to continue their mystery-solving adventures but this was the first time where a narrative had really been constructed around what could drive the Gang apart and ultimately what would lead them back together. It’s a really interesting premise for the film. This also marks probably the first time in the larger cultural consciousness that Daphne takes on a more leadership role. I’d argue (and so would others) that much of the mystery-solving work is more divided in the likes of SDWAY/TSDS/TNSDM than people give it credit for but the Daphne here is allowed to take the reign much in the same way as the Daphne from 13G and TNSDMy that most people never had the chance to see (bc those shows sadly aren’t that popular). This movie has a Very satisfying villain twist (delicious, I love Lena and Simone) and one that feels startingly mature and dark. It’s really frightening to contemplate the absolute horror of the Scooby Gang being invited into what is ultimately an island of serial killers in which the ground is completely littered with the corpses of their past victims. Besides the cat transformation scene, the reconfiguration of Morgan Moonscar into flesh could easily be the most iconic chunk of animation from the film. It’s horrifying and evocative and complex. Morgan Moonscar was a villain—just as much if not more so than the villains the Gang are ultimately tasked to defeat—but seeing the reality of his curse, the depth of his despair as he’s horrifically reformed to wander as a creature not-quite-living in hopes of sparing others this fate is despairing and terrible. I the film’s moral ambiguity. We’re called to sympathize with Lena and Simone who have suffered an unimaginable injustice in watching their village pillaged and their people devoured. They enact such atrocities not just as a means for survival but also recompense, for a world that has wronged them. We understand them, even as we shudder to think of their past actions and volley for the Gang to overcome them. In terms of animation, this really feels like Scooby Doo going back to its roots in the overall pallet and landscape design (leaving behind the then recent Scooby Doo outings with upped saturation and suburban settings like APNSD) while breaking what people consider the classic Scooby Doo formula. Obviously this was not the first canonical appearance of the supernatural within the ScoobyDooniverse but it was the first time within the larger realm of the public consciousness that the final big bad was not “unmasked.” Unpopular opinion: “The Ghost is Here” > “It’s Terror Time Again.” Tho they are both excellent. I have to restate that this is literally some of the most gorgeous animation ever seen in a Scooby Doo film and truly an all around thrilling ride. The mystery is fun, the characters are all their loveable selves, we get to watch the Gang come back together like they never were apart, and the villains in this are an absolute delight. Great laughs, great animation, great story.

2. Ghoul School: I’m pretty upfront about how much I love Scrappy and it really extends to the whole red-shirt era. I’m one of those people who doesn’t mind that the rest of the Gang’s not along for the ride (tho I do miss them) and I absolutely adore this movie. I must have watched it 10000 times growing up. I love Matches, I love all the Grimwood Girls and the Calloway Cadets and I love Legs and Miss Grimwood and (Grim) Creeper. The tone of the animation of this movie is superb. Everything is dark and damp and rotting. The world of the movie is so twisted and fascinating. There’s such a wealth of ideas here that seem to be just the writers having fun and being silly. It’s so funny that for some reason the Werewolf loves lemon juice and that Elsa Frankenteen buys her dad a charger and that Dracula gets a bat-robe and checks it out in the mirror (where he obviously can’t be seen). I love how tenderly all the Monster Fathers love their daughters. I love the genuine bonds that begin to grow between Shaggy and Scooby and the Grimwood Girls and that the Calloway Cadets come around past their initial fear and hatred of the girls to protect and befriend them. I love that this is a story about how the humanity underneath the monsters instead of humans wearing monstrous masks. I love how kitschy and campy and kooky this little movie is. The friendship moments, Don Messick’s wailing vocal (no one does it like him, sorry Frank). I love Scrappy in this cute little flick where he’s just allowed to be a character without it feeling like the showrunners are attempted to centralize him or demonize him (yes he has a smaller role in this movie than in Boo Brothers but it is SUBSTANTIALLY larger than the role he gets in The Reluctant Werewolf smh its okay tho). The costuming in this is immaculate. Perfect holiday/Halloween vibes. I’m never going to let my kids watch anything else. Thank you.

3. Cyber Chase: “Hello Cyberdream” may rank as one of the greatest of all Scooby bangers and Eric Staufer is one of a handful of Mystery Inc. adjacents who actually felt like they could fit into the core four/Gang Dynamic without it being weird and overstuffed. The use of effects in this movie is gorgeous. I love the levels and just the concept of this movie. The animation style is smooth, VA’s are on point, Bill is one of my all-time favorite villains (he’s just so dumb I love him). This movie is so unapologetically steeped within its own time period (which is something really special about the Scooby franchise as a whole). I like this movie’s fearless dedication to embracing 2000’s tech with heavy chords and chunky computers and overuse of greens. It’s beautiful. The movie feels bustling and big. I like the callbacks to other iconic Scooby villains (I esp like that it branches out by not just having WAY villains but TSDS as well, that’s ace). The Cyber Doubles are a blast. 10/10 I appreciate that people felt it was a step-down from the other movies of its era and I can understand there wasn’t as much in terms of character happening and that the monster wasn’t really “real” even though he was at least as real as Eric’s bizarre, magic-science. But it’s still so unique and fun and colorful. I love the atmospheres of each of the different levels and that the Gang has to navigate through them by working together. I love the little details of this movie’s cleverness like how Cyber Scooby is so different from his counterpart because Scooby’s the only one Eric never actually met. I like the respect and genuine adoration it pays to the early series of Scooby Doo. It’s not trying to talk down or retcon or prove that it can rewrite itself into something better. It’s calling back to remind us how much there is to love about the franchise and all the fun of the golden years and how things are different now but fundamentally the same. I think Officer Wembley is so absurdly fun and so is Professor Kaufman. I like the stakes of this movie, the life and death reality of a silly computer game.

This is so cheating but I really, really wanted to talk about a Scooby movie from the more modern DTV era so also:

4. Camp Scare: You will never hear me say a bad word about this film. It was a cultural reset. Babyface Beretti was always going to be IT. But really, this movie is stellar. Truly embraces a summer camp slasher aesthetic while keeping it clean. The Woodsman’s backstory is h o r r i f y i n g, move over Jason. I love how this movie individualizes itself through its use of genre. The use of POV shots is so superb and the way the film plays with shadows and silhouettes. The constant voiceover as the Gang relays campfire stories and invites the audience to question what exactly is so terrifying about urban legends. Genius. Another win for the soundtrack. I’ll listen to “Summertime” any day, any season. Lots of very iconic and cool moments between the Gang in this one. We love a movie where Shaggy and Scooby spend the whole time giggling in the background. But really, some very iconic Scooby&Shaggy bestie moments in this like Shaggy SMASHING A BOARD AGAINST THE MONSTER (after it goes after Scooby <- not to mention Scooby goes after the monster to protect Daphne) and shouts “Hey Fishface, like, back away from my buddy!.” Shaggy is off-the-wall in this movie. The prison break scene is *mwah.* Also some pretty iconic outfits in this and side characters (who does not love Trixie and Luke? Also Jessica!!!!) Very spooky scary villain designs in this one and the movie wasn’t afraid to embrace scale (think of the canyon scene, the dam breaking scene, and lots of the forest scenes) to emphasize how dwarfed children feel by the natural world, the intense isolation of being alone in nature, and why that’s so scary. Also, really great animation style in general. Following on the heels of Abracadabra-Doo, it marks a nice clean balance between being modern and remaining iconic in deference to the classic appearances of the characters. There’s also some great character building in this movie, for both central and side characters. I really admire Fred’s arc about growth and letting go of his pride in order to help build a better community, even if it’s not exactly the same as the one he held nostalgia for. It’s a really great reflection on childhood and growing up and allowing yourself to invent new memories instead of trying to recapture the past, told through the bent of a summer camp which of course is such an iconic image and symbol for childhood. Toward the close of the movie, it has a bit of a shift in genre to something more action-based but I think it does so pretty seamlessly and to great effect so I love it still.

[witchtryals]

TV Shows that Make My Brain Happy

Scooby Doo has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. I watched it at lunch growing up and I still watch it when my brain needs the happy chemicals today. And I would say it doesn't matter what Scooby Doo version I watch but that isn't true.

Scrappy Doo is creepy and the live action movies nailed him as a villain.

Ok, Ok, Ok.... I know.

Feel free to judge me for this one, everyone else does lol but Mountain Monsters makes my brain SO MUCH DAMN SEROTONIN. Its like the Spanish version of the Jim Adler the Texas Hammer commercial. All the tickles so happy. Its a dumb show, a bunch of hillbillies from Appalachia trying to catch Bigfoot in traps nee Wylie Coyote. Its fun.

Have you ever seen someone just "copy paste" something that worked and it just missed the mark? I still like the show, mainly because of the beauty of the Alaskan backdrop but this show was WEIRD and that's coming from me.

This is one of the best live action survival television shows ever. Period. Hard stop. No arguments will be accepted. Masters of survival, Terry Schappert - special forces, Jake Zweig - Navy Seal, John Hudson - RAF SERE instructor, and Matt Graham - "primitive" skills, take turns kidnapping each other and dropping the "victim" in a remote location where they have 100 hours to find civilization. Its a lot of fun and I've introduced this show to everyone I know because they have never heard of it.

This was an awesome show but Netflix dropped the ball. She has her own YouTube and patreon now so go check her out. She does elaborate DIYS and makes creepy and kooky a lifestyle choice. She is motivation incarnate.

These are my streaming happy chemical producers. Honorable mentions also include: The A-Team, Psych, Murder She Wrote, Tremors the Series, River Monsters, and the Addams Family.

What are your favorite TV Shows? I'm also ways mining for dopamine and searching for serotonin.

xx

[davekat-sucks]

Remember that ask you got ages about Scooby Doo? That was me im the Scooby Doo anon, everyone who says Velma is a lesbian makes me wonder how much Scooby Doo content they consumed. Like did you watch that Johnny Bravo cross over? Any of the live action movies? Mystery incorporated? HC a character as whatever but these people are fake fans, they'll argue to the ends of the earth over the sexuality of a character from a series they aren't even into. Scooby Doo was supposed to be MY autistic scene, not all these controversy seeking people The Velma show shit proving my point.

But anyway i was thinking today about how people genderbend/trans, pair characters in a close "platonic" way, or give a zillion gender identities to a character as a round about way to conserve keeping it gay because they're too scared to admit they like a straight pairing. Like you can do all of those things but its so obvious they're compensating. "It's ok to ship grimdorks now! Rose is a lesbian and June is a trans woman!!" I've even seen it with portalship going both ways, like do what you want these characters aren't real but like maybe loosen up a little too? It's not serious, they always act so weirdly defensive over it and only want you shipping characters in one way

I doubt most who claim Velma is a lesbian had seen a lot of Scooby Doo media. They may have nostalgia from the original Hana-Barbera ones when it ran on Cartoon Network/Boomerang, same for the Pup Named Scooby Doo, the Johnny Bravo one is another popular crossover, movies like Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost, Ghoul School, Alien Invaders, maybe the first live-action but never the sequel, What's New Scooby Doo and Mystery Incorporated, but I doubt they have seen all the ones that include all ones that have Scrappy as the main cast, New Scooby Doo Movies (ones featuring guest stars), the Direct-to-Video specials, movies like Boo Brothers or Reluctant Werewolf, Get a Clue, and Be Cool. And that's me being nice not to include comics or series that copies the format when it was popular under the same Hana-Barbera (things like Josie and the Pussycats, Speed Buggy, Jabberjaw, etc). I always find it strange they change their mind about certain ships if one character is genderbend to make it gay/lesbian. Like it is about the sex change that defines whether they get to be together with someone. Not like chemistry or how could they get along to help one another. Doesn't help that most genderbends barely change said personalities as most fanon just keeps the same. Not really changing it up to be separate from their original counterpart. It's insane.

[delugedecade]

Scooby-Doo (as in the 2002 Movie)

forcefully review as watched by Deluge

spoilers, obviously, but then again, I’m the one watching it for the first time.

We're finally here. The first live action movie.

They start with a rap style Scooby Doo into? Well it is early 2000s

They CGI'd Shaggy's running, lol

Of course, kid friendly movie, magic physics defying skirt on Velma

This factory is pretty skatepark shaped.

You can really hear that Lillard just doesn't have the voice just right yet.

Who the fuck? What the fuck?

Oh she owns the factory.

Fred having fans like this is weird.

All this for not going out with him. cringe

HE SAID THE THING

Damn, starting and already breaking up the band.

Oh yeah, the weed joke.

I just had to search up hydrocolonic....

Velma works at NASA.

Getting the gang back together, one awkward meeting at a time

The origin of black belt Daphne

At least Daphne had some enthusiasm in asking Velma and Fred to join.

That's a really wide middle aisle.

THERE'S A TIKI BAR ON THE PLANE?

Oh boy, Shaggy being interested in something that isn't Scoob or Food? Can't be good

People really are dumb enough to not notice the dog.

Scooby Snacks are vegetarian? Didn't they say it was meaty in Phantosaur?

I stand corrected, Phantosaur called it Meat-Berry Medley. So it is a meat substitute.

Another Weed Joke.

ROWAN ATKINSON!

Scooby really just said no to stranger danger

Some real leaps of logic from you there Daphne

Spooky monster, but also pretty bad cgi

I kinda just realized the voodoo thing might just be voodoo chicken

Mindless Zombie 'Fred Walks in', I feel there's a joke there.

Fred really does sound pretty condescending.

He pulled the himbo card. I think. With the dorky chicks line.

Wow that 'hypno' video was cringe

HE SAID THE THING! ARE YOU CHALLENGING ME!

Okay, it devolved into fart jokes...

Three suspects already, but I do feel like they're red herrings.

Again, Voodoo might just be voodoo chicken.

Daemon Ritus definitely sounds like the main lead.

Though trying to solve a mystery only to be found out sounds like a dumb idea, but i suppose pinning it on someone else is a plan

A flashback? really?

Holy shit Scrappy. HOLY SHIT IT'S GOTTA BE SCRAPPY BEHIND THIS! CHECKOV'S GUN

She's definitely drunk.

ohno there's two of them

Oh no there's three of them

HE SAID THE TITLE!

Slightly comedic CGI

I feel that the coast guard are just there thinking its a joke.

Beyotch, yo they slipped an almost swear

this is pretty wild so far.

Mary Jane is a monster by the looks of it

Nothings beats a man and his dog best friend

Hmmm

Okay yeah this CGI does look pretty bad.

Monster explode in the day

Also, they gave Velma cleavage.

OH BOY BODY SWAP

Good it didn't last too long

Never mind, Voodoo guy isn't making voodoo chicken.

Okay, Emile is bad because he knows Mary Jane's monster form

Okay, this is surprisingly touching

The power of Dance-Fu

God Fred, shut up.

Again, Best Buds between a man and his dog

The subtle hints of the original Scooby Doo Theme

A Robot?

Yep, Scrappy Doo is the villain.

Yeah Daphne Black Belt!

Yeah! Pop Rock Scooby Doo theme!

Yeah take that Scrappy

They really made a moment for each gang to have a special.

Velma finally having her moment Let's go!

Oooooh, He almost swore

I forgot this was by James Gunn

Painful going down. and about to be painful going out.

This was filmed in Queensland? Nice

Yeah, not bad. Really did feel like all the pieces of the mystery fit well while still keeping the intrigue.

9/10

@submissiveking99 @tokufan400 @freeusemuses @asexxxualauthor

[dreamstar-moonlight]

Yeah FOR REAL.

I’ve had it with these "pjo tv" fans. If I see one more person defending that dumpster fire of a show with "it's a kids' show," I'm actually gonna scream. Since when did “for kids” become a synonym for “brainless rot”?Are y'all seriously so blind and deluded that you can't distinguish between quality content and a shameless cash grab? It's infuriating how one can stomach such a pathetic excuse for entertainment and have the audacity to defend it.

To everyone out here bending over backwards to defend this garbage just because your precious "Uncle Rick" is involved this time around—what’s with the hive mind? Need validation much? A desperate desire to fit in with the crowd?

Grow a spine. You're all parroting the same drivel without taking a single moment to actually sit down and objectively analyze what you're defending.

Sure, negativity is bad, but this level of toxic positivity is downright pathetic. Calling you blind would be an insult to the visually impaired, and even they see better.

WAKE UP.

Rick’s not your "uncle." He’s a cash cow. The Rick who wrote the original books out of love for his dyslexic son, Haley? He’s long gone. Now, he’s just cranking out low-quality, mediocre junk riding on the coattails of PJO—and you’re all partly to blame for this nosedive in quality. You’ve turned him into some untouchable deity and swallow whatever crap he dishes out.

GROW THE FUCK UP!

Or at least grow a pair of eyes and enough brain cells to realize that putting someone up on a pedestal and hero-worshipping them is is nothing short of idiotic and mindless. It's embarrassingly pathetic, making you look like you've got the critical thinking skills of a goldfish. You're not fans; you're mindless sheep, blindly following without a shred of individuality or intelligence.

And while we're on the subject, let’s tackle your pathetic defense of "it's a kids' show!", shall we? Enlighten me, what exactly qualifies as a kids' show?

Better yet, give me some names.

Starting with the classics—Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes. Absolute staples of childhood entertainment. Ever heard of them? Of course, you have. These aren't just kids' shows; they’re household names around the globe.

How about Scooby-Doo? Powerpuff Girls? Samurai Jack? Each one a masterpiece, cherished by kids and adults alike. These shows have stood the test of time and are just as popular now as they were when they first aired. Scooby-Doo churns out new content every year, with a Japanese version on the way. Powerpuff Girls is not just getting a comic revival but also a new show with the original creator, Craig McCracken himself at the helm.

Ben 10? Danny Phantom? Avatar: The Last Airbender? Tell me, is there a soul in the multiverse who hasn’t heard of Ben 10? The show grossed $8 billion, and is listed among the highest-grossing shows ever.

Danny Phantom is still beloved, continuing in graphic novels and a fan-made crossover with Ben 10 called "5 Years Later" by Kuro the Ink Tank. It's so popular that even the official creators and voice cast have taken notice and appeared on their YouTube channel.

And A: TLA? If you're unaware of this goldmine, you've been living under a rock. It has continued in graphic novels, fan adaptations, and is so loved across all age groups that new movies are being made, with an ongoing live-action adaptation that, by all accounts, outshines the Percy Jackson show in quality—even without the original creators involved.

And oh, how could I forget? The Barbie movies—yet another cornerstone of kids' entertainment. Her fairytale classics have enchanted kids for generations. and let's not kid ourselves—whole families could enjoy them too. Take it from me, a grown man; when I was a kid and a Barbie movie came on, my entire family would gather around to watch. The music? Phenomenal. It introduced me to Tchaikovsky and Beethoven, and it's directly responsible for me taking up music studies myself. The animation, for its time, was spectacular and still holds up with a nostalgic, ethereal quality.

The stories were super fun, magical, and relaxing. I’ll never forget how my grandfather passed away listening to "Written in Your Heart" from The Princess and the Pauper. The impact these Barbie movies—meant for children—can have on a person speaks volumes about their magic and the love poured into them.

Finally we have My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The pinnacle of "kids' shows". This show took the world by storm, leaving everyone wondering why adults are head over heels for a show meant for 5-year-olds. It ran for 9 seasons (with a 10th in the comics), nearly 400 comics, novels, mangas, role-playing games, toys, merch of all kinds, flash games, and fan works of such a massive volume that there are specific fandoms for them—animations, PMVs, comics, you name it (ever heard of Fallout: Equestria, Equestria at War?) And guess what? Much like Ben 10, MLP: FIM MLP: FIM is listed among the highest-grossing shows of all time, raking in over $6 billion.

There you have it—these are kids' shows. What do they all have in common?

Epic storytelling that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Gripping, multi-dimensional characters who feel so real you cry for them, laugh with them, and feel every triumph and heartbreak like it’s your own. Their arcs wring emotions out of you that you never even knew you had. Creativity so wild and off-the-charts it makes you wonder, “How the fuck did they come up with that?”

Unforgettable stories that burn into your brain, living rent-free in your memory forever. Awesome action scenes that have you gripping the edge of your seat, teeth chattering, heart pounding. Fantastic world-building and immersive lore that you feel like you're right there, living in those realms.

And despite being labelled as "kids' shows," they transcend age, nature, color, gender, nationalities. People of all walks of life love them. Why? Because they’re actually GOOD. Truly good.

These shows don’t just entertain kids; they build massive, loyal fandoms that span all ages. Adults are binge-watching these shows, buying the merch, and diving into the lore because quality entertainment knows no age limit.

Now, tell me with a straight face that the Percy Jackson Disney show compares even remotely to any of these actual kids' shows I’ve just mentioned. Does it have even one-tenth of the elements these shows boast?

And it's not like Percy Jackson lacks these elements—it does, very much so—IN THE BOOKS.

But the show? Bland as unsalted butter. You can't get more vanilla than that. Stilted acting, lackluster writing, exposition-heavy narrative—basically everything OP pointed out. They even watered down the fun and exciting story into a dreary "I'm dying" snooze-fest.

So if you’re out here using “it’s a kids' show” to justify bad, lazy writing, you need to sit down and rethink your life choices.

Seriously, stop. Just STOP using that phrase as a free pass for mediocrity. You’re insulting the audience and the entire medium.

Kids deserve better. We all do. You don’t write “for kids” or “for adults”—you write a good story, period. Quality storytelling resonates with everyone, no matter their age. Focus on making something great, and the rest will take care of itself.

People using “it’s a kids show!” as a defense for the PJOTV show makes no sense to me for many reasons, and one of the reason is that if the show’s questionable quality is a result of it being for children, how then do you explain or justify the removal or weakening of so many elements that kids enjoyed about the books in the first place?

You know one thing kids like? Cool action scenes, and yet most of the action scenes in the show were pretty lackluster. They were over within seconds, and largely replaced by conversations and exposition.

You know one thing kids like? Cool outfits and cool costumes, yet the costuming for the characters, especially the gods, was extremely bland, uninteresting, and devoid of any charm or personality.

You know one thing kids like? Humor. And yet the humor in this show was also very lackluster, especially in the way of Percy, who’s supposed to be a funny, snarky, and witty protagonist, and yet this depiction of him was incredibly dry.

You know one things kids like? Relatability. And yet you watered down or even straight up excluded so many of the character’s relatable traits, especially the depiction of ADHD/dyslexia, Grover’s shyness and cynical yet funny remarks, or Annabeth’s crush on an older friend figure or hear tearing up when it was time to leave the dog, or her grabbing Percy’s hand when they first get in the Underworld because she was scared.

You know one thing kids like? Bold personalities. Yet, so many of the gods are missing the elements that made them bold and memorable, and they just seem like nothing more than a bunch of grumpy adults.

You know one thing kids like? Mystery and suspense. And yet every chance this show had to build some, it was killed on arrival by the insistence that the characters needed to know everything.

You know one thing kids like? Funny references and fun twists. The Underworld was supposed to be set up like airport lines. The entrance was supposed to be a record studio named DOA (Dead on Arrival). Chiron was supposed to be in a fancy Italian suit and shoes. Each of the cabins and thrones on Olympus was supposed to be uniquely constructed and colorful to depict each god’s domain. And yet all of that got eliminated.

You know one thing kids like? Places and adventures that feel grand and magical. And yet, when it was time to show off grandeur at the Lotus Casino, we took away all the sky diving and reverse deer hunter games and replaced it with exposition, and activities that don’t seem magical in the slightest. And we didn’t even get to watch the characters play and be kids.

So how, just how, do y’all get off saying that we should go easy on the show because it’s “just a kid’s story”, and yet the show neutered most of the elements that endeared kids to this story in the first place?

[frodispatch]

whatre ur thoughts on the Velma show if you’ve watched it. (I saw ur user and I thought the new show was really bad and I am sad) u seem like you’re user is for old scooby doo

I haven’t actually watched the new Velma show (and i don’t really plan to, i have so much going on i don’t have time for normal television anyway),

I’ve only heard that it’s supposed to be really bad and that they make Fred a misogynist. (as someone who didn’t like fred as a kid, that still makes me sad cause he’s kind of just vibing. c’mon. like, man cries over his van. i cried when it blew up in that one movie and all that was left was the antenna ball. “this was her favorite antenna ball” *cue eight year old me sobbing at five thirty in the morning*)

but, scooby doo was my favorite thing EVER ages 6-8, and velma was actually my favorite character. (young autistic lesbian projecting.)

When I was just about to turn seven I found the movie Scooby Doo: Where’s my mummy at the library so my scooby and egypt obsessions ran in tandem for a while. I ended up getting a ton of the 70s scoobs on DVD.

i’d also go to the library for the newer movies and things like Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School, (which i miss dearly), a pup named scooby doo (which is wonderful and i still watch it), and 13 ghosts of scooby doo in all its low budget glory, with Flim Flam, Vincent Price, 80s Daphne, Scrappy, and shaggy in a red shirt for some reason.

i don’t think i should’ve been allowed to watch scooby doo and the phantasaur (which is so godly and amazing and i fucking miss it and has a guy velma!!! named WINDSOR!!! trans masc internal battle)and the live action ones as many times as i did. those were literally my favorites out of the dvds i owned and i vividly remember my dad asking me what the hell i was watching when i had phantasaur on. it’s also funny to see how oblivious I was to the raunchy humor in the live action ones, since my favorite was the one where they switch bodies, like the “i’ve got a chicks body” “i can look at myself naked” one.

But yeah, i love scooby doo and i love ranting on tumblr when i should be asleep, so, in short, my username is for old scooby doo, not the Velma show. Electric blue is also a reference to my favorite David Bowie song Sound and Vision, off of one of his Berlin albums, Low. Electric Blue rhymed with Scooby doo, so i paired them cause i love them.

anyway, thanks for the ask anon. live long and prosper 🖖

[princemonday]

somehow surfs up was both ahead of its time while also being the most early 2000s animated movie ive ever seen

[algernoninwonderland]

Miraculous’s Paris feels quite impersonal and its geography is incomprehensible most of the time, which makes it difficult to care about it whenever it’s in danger

TL;DR: Paris in Miraculous has a weird geography, and unfortunately, the show doesn’t hide it all that well, which makes it hard to believe in the city as a coherent and cohesive space. Bad lighting and poor texturing makes scenes set outdoors during the day look real bad, and while some of the famous buildings in Miraculous are pretty close to the real thing, they don’t mean much to the viewers emotionally speaking, they don’t elicit a reaction other than “huh, that’s neat”. If your heroes’ mission is to protect a city that’s just “neat”, well it’s pretty hard to care about said mission. 

When you aren’t French and you want to make a show or a film with a scene set in Paris and you want to sell it to an international audience, you put the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and cafés everywhere. And that’s fine! It’s just a backdrop, you’re not supposed to care about it all that much, because you’re going to spend 2 hours there at most and what’s more, more often than not, Paris is just a decor, not the whole conceit of the film/show.

Miraculous’s version of Paris follows that same logic, weirdly enough, even though it’s made by French people, and initially intended for a French audience. The Eiffel Tower is in a whole lot of shots, we spend a lot of time at the Louvre and near some other touristic landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Grand Palais, the Place des Vosges and the Place du Châtelet alongside the occasional metro station, they’re all decently made, at least they’re recognisable. Good job, you guys! (I’m sincere about that bit of praise, too)

It uses referential elements, i.e. things from the real-life Paris… And mashes them together in a bizarre way. Monuments are way too close to one another, or they are places they shouldn’t be. That, in and as of itself, would be fine. Paris is big. You can’t model every single Parisian street in existence, you have to make choices to stay within your budget. And with Miraculous, it kind of works…? If you don’t think about it too much, that is.

This, for instance (that’s from Animan) doesn’t make any damn sense. The Eiffel Tower should be on the other side of the Seine, not here, and the Place des Vosges isn’t that close to the water. Still, it sort of works, if you haven’t lived in Paris yourself. Which will be the case for most people watching Miraculous. It’s a show about a girl who uses a magical yoyo, so I can excuse that sort of weird stylistic choice due to budget constraints.

So, basically, Miraculous has pretty good individual sets, especially indoors sets,Marinette’s house, Agreste mansion, the school, these cool touristic locations, the Grévin museum, even, but they either feel too close to one another or like they belong to different, disjointed spaces. It’s hard to tell where each location is meant to be in relation with one another, even when our characters travel from one place to another.

And how do they travel? Well, they jump from rooftop to rooftop and the landscape stretches endlessly. Rooftops that all look the same. It’s the exact same "set” every time. That isn’t a bad stylistic choice per say, if the point you want to make is that Paris is really really big and there are lots and lots of houses that all kind of look the same, it’d work really well. It’d make the city feel a little oppressive. But you want Paris to be a space the audience cares about, right? So maybe don’t do that?

The way travelling works in Miraculous is, you jump onto a rooftop, you run you run you run and then you land and you’ve reached your destination. Each trip works the same. Doesn’t help make the various sets feel connected, no, sir. Plus, the Eiffel Tower teleports all over the place.

Can you tell me where Alya’s flat is supposed to be? No, really, can you? It’s a nice art déco building, someone probably went through lots of references to model it and it shows! Nice job, really, I mean it. But where is it?  

Well, it’s in an Autodesk Maya file in a database somewhere, but other than that… You’ll tell me if you ever figure that out, I sure wasn’t able to!

So it’s hard to believe in Paris as a kind of non-fragmented space, even more so when wide shots look like this 

and that tells you everything that can go wrong with Miraculous’s outdoors scenes. (also that shot composition isn’t bad at all but it’s weird for a scene like that)

Copy and paste your assets, benches, trees and houses, and don’t modify them one bit. The thing it, that’s fine in shots in which the camera moves a lot, it works well with certain angles, which is the reason why there are lots of chase scenes that go too fast for you to notice that there aren’t all that many “regular house” models, some with an alternate “café” ground floor which features awnings with three different colours. That’s a trick cartoons like Scooby-Doo already used in the 60s to simulate speed. That’s good when things move!

Only, sometimes you see two awnings with the exact same colour in the same, very still shot that lets you see the street in which the house models alternate in a pattern that is easy to detect. You become truly aware that this is a set created by people that feels very artificial. 

Textures in Miraculous are great when it comes to the character models. For the rest not so much. The really ugly pavement texture you see here…

… looks fine when shot from above but looks like dogshit when the camera is closer to the ground, if I may be so blunt. Everything looks worse in the daytime, because daylight is rendered rather poorly most of the time, and the textures either haven’t loaded properly or aren’t high-res enough. That pavement feels real flat, like a texture, not like pavement. Which isn’t very good. Trees often feel like plastic, dirt doesn’t look like dirt at all, more like sand. Miraculous isn’t going for a photorealistic vibe, nor should it be, but these textures just don’t work very well to represent what they are meant to represent. They seem a little off, just enough for you to notice.

Often, everything looks squeaky clean too. Norman Reynolds of Star Wars fame understood that squeaky clean props and sets and costumes aren’t very convincing and tend to feel cheap, so you need to apply a bit of weathering. And Paris isn’t exactly clean. In Miraculous, most buildings are spotless. They don’t feel like they’ve existed for long despite their 19th century architecture. Are you supposed to feel like this is a story set in a giant dollhouse starring action figures? I’m not sure that was the intended effect, there’s an episode with alive toys and the toy world looks even plasticky-er

(Nighttime scenes, on the other hand, can be really gorgeous. Sapotis’s outdoors scenes are truly magical, it’s a really nice-looking handful of scenes because you get to have a better control on the way your scene is lit. Likewise, most scenes set indoors tend to look quite good because there’s greater control over the lighting sources).

Some spaces feel familiar and friendly, homely, even, namely Marinette’s house, the houseboat to a lesser extent, these are all places you’d hate to see get destroyed, and you get a sense of where they are. Sort of. Ish. But outside of that… There aren’t any memorable streets, most monuments are just that, monumental, important imposing buildings don’t feel personal. There are no charming details about them for the camera to zoom on either. 

Miraculous’s outdoors Paris is a series of more-or-less well-made sets that are loosely connected to one another in a way the audience can’t properly process. You aren’t made to feel attached to most of these sets. Technical issues and a limited budget alongside creative choices to feature iconic touristic landmark rather than having streets that feel more intimate, unique and lived-in means that you can’t really care all that much about Miraculous’s Paris as a place.

And it’s a shame. If these two heroes are fighting to protect a city the audience isn’t made to care about, the stakes are much lower all of a sudden. 

The scene in the New-York special with that helicopter shot of all the destruction caused by Mayura’s amok didn’t feel nearly as impactful as it should have. You really ought to wonder why.

[transxfiles]

Scooby Doo? 👀

HHHHHH OKAY SO SCOOBY DOO

I CAN TALK ABT SCOOBY DOO FOR HOURS ON END BUT I WANT TO KEEP THIS ALL SOLIDLY CONTAINED TO A REASONABLY SIZED ASK SO I WILL TELL YOU ALL ABT INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS OF THE SCOOBY GANG

a quick note before we start: I am not like a professional consultant of hanna-barbera and I am not like a scooby doo historian or anything I am just absolutely completely fixated on this goofy little television show that started with Scooby-Doo Where Are You? in 1969 and grew into the wild franchise as we know it today. I've done a LOT of research on this stuff and a fair amount of it is also my own observation of things as I have watched every piece of Scooby Media other than Stay Cool, Scooby-Doo! and Scooby-Doo and the Phantasaur. anyways please buckle up and enjoy the ride!

okay so I'd like to start off with the original concept for scooby doo in which the gang was actually in a band and scooby doo was a bongo-playing dog called Too Much! (yes with an exclamation point and yes the vibes ARE immaculate I love it so much) and also in that sort of original idea Velma and Shaggy were actually siblings (although they weren’t called Velma or Shaggy at the time - all the gang had different names in the original draft before they were changed to be more conventional and memorable to appeal to tv audiences but I digress) and I feel like that really sets the tone for their relationship?? I also feel like that’s part of why when movies or tv shows or even people who aren’t making canon scooby doo content but are just making fanart n stuff make Velma and Shaggy a couple it feels so weird. it doesn’t work, especially when they try to force it in canon, because their relationship is so much of a sibling dynamic (and Velma’s also literally lesbian in original canon - where she was purposefully lesbian coded - as well as other pieces of scooby media where it was censored, including in Scooby-Doo the 2002 live action film and associated franchise, and Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated) so anyways I don’t get the deal with trying to match those two together it doesn’t fit. 

If you’re going to make a relationship that fits in with most canon Scooby Media it’s better to a) have Daphne be one part of the pairing (don’t ask me why, it’s just a pattern that I've noticed makes sense without taking away from the main plot. the only noticeable exceptions to this are the shaggy/crystal incident in Alien Invaders - THEY WERE CUTE OKAY - and the velma/marcy incident in Mystery Incorporated); b) someone from outside of the gang cannot generally be involved in the relationship (again, shaggy/crystal and velma/marcy are exempt from this); and c) the relationship cannot overpower the main plot formula of the scooby gang solving mysteries (this is part of the reason that scooby-doo 2: monsters unleashed was considered so bad by both critics and fans, in my opinion - the studio attempted to pair velma with some outside guy we’d never heard of before for no discernible reason, and then maid it so big a subplot it was practically inseparable from the main plot. of course, this did give us some ‘Velma deals with comphet’ type scenarios which were interesting to watch as a lesbian, but I digress). 

So basically some good in-gang ships are Daphne/Fred (which is first canonized by Scooby-Doo 2002), Daphne/Velma (which was supposed to be canonized by Scooby-Doo 2002 but I digress) and Daphne/Shaggy (which became popular with many die hard fans after the release of The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, in which the rest of the gang is absent but Scooby, Shaggy, and Daphne are still vibing together). Another popular ship is Shaggy/Fred, although since this has no canon source material to back it up, I don’t talk abt it as much (also I am a dyke and not really big on mlm ships... but if you’re a mlm who enjoys this ship I am rooting for you dude) but I do think it’s cute!

Some exceptions to this rule that only gang member/gang member ships can work out are Crystal/Shaggy (canon via Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders) and Velma/Marcy | Hot-Dog Water (canon via Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated; lots of canon subtext, everything short of a kiss or an ‘I love you’, later confirmed by creators who said they were working to get stuff past censors). I can’t really explain why these canon pairings are so good. they just are. (also on a somewhat related note, @HANNA BARBERA GIVE SHAGGY HIS ALIEN GIRLFRIEND BACK I WILL FISTFIGHT YOU BRING HER BACK BRING HER BACK)

similarly, a piece of Scooby Media will lose its appeal if the writers take ‘Let’s Split Up, Gang!’ too seriously and completely break the scooby gang apart for more than the looking for clues piece of the episode. this is why Scoob!, Daphne & Velma, The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, and other pieces of scooby media in which only a part of the gang appears for the majority of the film or television series are generally pretty bad and also prone to getting cancelled or panned by critics. In Scoob!’s case, this movie shows that if you focus too much on even the sweet and simple Shaggy-Scooby friendship, leaving out the rest of the gang causes an imbalance that leaves audiences feeling unsatisfied with their lack of gang-shenanigan-related content, especially if the movie itself was advertised as being a more traditionally formatted piece of scooby media (something else that Scoob! did).

adding Scrappy Doo to your piece of scooby media is yet another way to fuck up the gang’s dynamic. because scrappy doo is a walking scrap of puppy-sized arsenic. the only time that its permissible to have scrappy doo be a part of your piece of scooby media is if he is the antagonist that the gang must fight (which is actually part of why Scooby-Doo 2002 was so successful). Scrappy doo has a tendency to do poorly with general audiences because a) he’s an asshole b) he’s annoying as shit and c) I really fucking hate scrappy doo. but also there was this big marketing campaign when he was first released onto our unknowing world and he was so annoying and over workshopped and over marketed that literally everyone who knows scooby-doo fucking. hates him. I hate him you hate him and if you don’t hate him well: 

SCRAPPY DOO FANS STANS AND APOLOGISTS DO NOT INTERACT /hj

and I think that finishes up my psa for the most part on scooby doo and the gang’s interpersonal relationships?? sorry if this makes no sense I will simply Talk About Scooby Doo for a solid hour and not realize that what I'm saying is the most incoherent thing ever, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, Scooby snacks are at the door to your left, please only one per person. Mangy Mutts with Great-Dane-esq appearances may take two. Scrappy Doo Stans get out of my house.

(and if anyone ever wants to know anything else abt scooby doo please send an ask! I'm always here :D)

[that-shamrock-vibe]

Movie Review: Scoob! (Spoilers)

Spoiler Warning: Alright so this isn’t the type of movie that really warrants two separate reviews, but because it was only released recently I feel a spoiler warning is warranted as I will be talking about specific points in the movie. So if you haven’t yet seen Scoob! and don’t want anything ruined before you do, go and watch then come back.

General Reaction:

So, I’m having a hard time really getting to grips with my enjoyment level of this movie. Because while I don’t think this was a bad movie by any means, I always wouldn’t rank it as one of my favourites particularly with this new wave of nostalgia-based movies that seems to be a thing in recent years.

Maybe the problem is I am not an avid Scooby-Doo fan, a lot of people may think that is sacrilege and I did grow up watching the original Scooby-Doo shows and movies, but I wasn’t as into it as I was other Cartoon Network shows or even other Hanna-Barbera properties.

On that note, something that fascinated me about Scoob! in its promo campaign outside of it being a stunning CG-Animation movie was the inclusion of other Hanna-Barbera properties. In the trailer it is simply Dynomutt, Blue Falcon and Dick Dastardly, the former two who I believe were spin-off characters of Scooby-Doo originally and Dick Dastardly who of course is Dick Dastardly. Wacky Races and its spin-off Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines were shows I was an avid fan of, but once you see the movie and you realise that Warner Bros. Animation is really pushing for a Hanna-Barbera cinematic universe to stem from this with the amount of references and cameos of other characters and properties it is fascinating to me.

For instance, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 attempted something similar by effectively shouting about the fact that this movie was supposed to not only set up a third Spider-Man movie but also a Sinister Six movie and a Black Cat movie, then it was revealed Venom and Carnage were supposed to come into play, but then the whole thing got canned because the movie tried doing too much too soon.

Here though, they are subtle references that, unless you know the characters, don’t really register. I mean one or two are really obvious like having this universe’s version of Captain Caveman be somewhat of an antagonist here...I will be talking about him further down...but there are also just simply posters and name references that catch your eye if you know the characters. I don’t know every Hanna-Barbera character but the one that did catch my eye was a cardboard cutout of Hong-Kong Phooey.

As for the actual movie from a storytelling perspective, again I never really thought there was anything that grand about Scooby-Doo in terms of how they told a story. It was one of the first “monster of the week” shows in how formulaic it was and there was almost always a predictable formula in how each character would play their part.

In hindsight to that, I do appreciate both this movie and the first live-action Scooby-Doo movie for actually making that a satirical plot point, but in not having that much of a plot to base the movie on...I mean you can tell this is really an origin story of sorts in that if they are planning a cinematic universe this is that first rock, but unlike Iron Man they never had that hook that made you want to see the story continue.

I guess you could compare it in-house to what the DCEU did with Man of Steel. I didn’t really need more from after seeing that movie but I did want to see what this universe’s versions of some of my favourite DC Characters would be like, in a way this is similar.

It does sound stupid but the plot very much feels like a Scooby-Doo movie plot, in that the movie opens with that classic “monster of the week” unmasking, but the main threat of the movie is a real monster with some type of supernatural mystical twist.

But also, in adding the entire universe of Hanna-Barbera characters to that, you also have the most blatant in-movie Warner Bros. promo campaign with so many of the studio’s other properties being name-dropped it was borderline laughable.

In terms of the actual movie experience, this isn’t the first time I’ve watched a movie for the first time not in the cinema but knowing that the movie should have been released in cinemas rather than me simply not seeing it for any reason was rather surreal and, I do feel that this is the type of movie that warrants an audience viewing rather than just me watching it in my bedroom.

I also feel I would have enjoyed it a lot more with an audience, particularly an audience that doesn’t mind slightly dated, cheesy or somewhat really obvious plot points at times. I kind of predicted every major plot twist in this movie, although a couple of them I feel the audience is supposed to know from the get go otherwise why make it so obviously unless your pandering to a really young audience that don’t have two brain cells to rub together and tell that Fred with a really sinister grin full-naming Scooby is really the main villain in disguise particularly when you just saw him do the same thing ten minutes before.

But anyway, rather then going character by character in this spoilery section I’m going to break it down into what I liked and what I didn’t like. There was nothing I loved but also nothing I hated.

What I Liked:

But in terms of the overall message of the movie, Scoob! really hammers home that old-school notion of Man’s Best Friend, and not just with Shaggy and Scooby which is all I will say on that.

Alright so this movie is obviously called Scoob! and focuses on Scooby as effectively the main character as well as his friendship with Shaggy. The two really are one character in that you can’t really imagine one without the other, and the movie really explores that in both good and bad ways...we’ll get to the bad.

As a dog lover and dog owner myself, this movie really spoke to me on that level and the bond that Shaggy and Scooby share I finally understood. In all other media for me it’s more a case of Scooby and Shaggy just being friends but here that bond goes deeper because you see them meet and you see them essentially become family.

I really didn’t like the plot device of making them fall out only to have them make up later, it just is a very lazy trope at this point particularly as I’ve already seen it in a Scooby-Doo property before.

But they do kind of explain why it is necessary and why it happens because while they do have their friends at Mystery Inc. Shaggy and Scooby had no one before having each other, so when one feels like they’re drifting apart something flips and they get very possessive.

Also that ending, I mentioned this movie has a lot of things thrown in but while Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros. references are kind of in sync with this movie, how about Greek mythology to the point where they effectively summon the Underworld to Earth!

I’m a massive Greek mythology fan, and seeing the main monster of this movie actually being from Greek mythology and animated so beautifully is why this is in the good section, even if the Underworld actually looked like the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin.

The voice cast for this movie is also unexpectedly brilliant. A lot of people may complain that the original cast who are still all alive, I think, weren’t asked back but outside of Frank Welker as Scooby I don’t think you really need them.

Zac Efron is one of those actors at the moment that can do no wrong for me, he can do comedy, he can do musical, he can do drama, he can do serious gritty drama. I really loved him as Fred here.

Will Forte didn’t fool me into thinking it was Matthew Lillard returning to the role because I feel his voice here wasn’t as squeeky or high as Lillard’s, but he still did a great job, Ian Armitage voicing the kid version was great too.

Gina Rodriguez is a choice for Velma not just because like a lot of these characters the classic Velma’s voice is very distinct and almost iconic but to actively race-bend the character and make her Latina I thought added some much needed diversity to this movie and the Hanna-Barbera universe in general.

Jason Isaacs as Dick Dastardly was really a fantastic choice both for the actor and for the character. There were times particularly towards the start when he made Dick sound like Captain Hook and even his design here is very Captain Hook/Gru esk rather than the lanky Dick Dastardly design, and I was missing his classic hat. But for me Jason Isaacs is at his best when he’s playing a villain.

On that note, Dee Dee Sykes and Dynomutt I thought were absolutely wonderful here, I’d actually say these two and Dick Dastardly were my favourite characters. All the D’s apparently.

Not only was it a teachable moment for me because I had to look up someone I was pretty sure was someone I thought they were in terms of me knowing Dee Dee originated in Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, but here was on Blue Falcon’s crew with Dynomutt and no reference to Captain Caveman whatsoever I was okay with.

Also, I cannot believe I am saying this but, this movie actually made me like a Ken Jeong performance. I cannot stand this man, I do not find him funny, I do not find him entertaining, yet something about him voicing Dynomutt who originally I swear what meant to have the brain capacity I associate with Ken Jeong, but to make me like the character was impressive.

The final thing on my good list to mention is that opening sequence, after the very heartwarming opening scene of Scooby and Shaggy meeting and a Halloween setting of the team first coming together to battle a monster of the week in a It inspired haunted house, they show a shot-for-shot remake of the opening credits for the OG cartoon which is rather clever.

The only other voice actor to mention in the good section for me is Simon Cowell, not only do they have Simon playing himself in such a brilliant way but also his son Eric also voices a character, very brief and not central to the plot, but really a cute moment. Also I don’t know why but Simon in voice over sounds almost like a parody to Simon in live-action.

What I Didn’t Like:

Alright so these are really knitpicks but I think they’re worth noting in terms of moving this universe forward.

Scooby Doo is a dog, a talking dog yes but a dog none the less...so why the heck does he talk so much. I mean granted this is a universe with a robotic dog and a biped martial arts vigilante dog...but they never genuinely explain how Scooby can talk and while it’s understandable in the original cartoons as it’s mostly groans and the odd mispronounced word...here he was having monologues...also as a puppy he should have had a puppy voice, just saying.

As mentioned, I never really got into this franchise when I was younger so outside of Scooby and Shaggy I don’t really know these characters...but was Fred always so weirdly obsessed with the Mystery Machine? I get being happy with your vehicle but I thought Fred and Daphne were supposed to be the ship of this property...not Fred and the van.

I really really really really really really really really did not like the cop out ending they had, I didn’t let them get away with it in Stitch Has a Glitch and I am not letting them get away with it here. This big dramatic heartstring pulling thing happens, yet it’s almost immediately rectified with no solid explanation other then “we need to wrap things up”.

So to see one of these properties not authentically translate I thought was annoying, by which I mean Captain Caveman. Looks wise he is on point and I am fully aware that Mel Blanc is not going to rise up from the grave to voice him again, but the very essence of him being a caveman in his speech was not there for me here.

It would have been better if they allowed some time to go past and let the heroes stew in their sorrow before somehow discovering a way to fix things, but no it is literally as soon as the bad thing happens we are supposed to believe this was thought out?

My final thing is this. The Hanna-Barbera properties I grew up with are Scooby-Doo which I liked, Top Cat which I loved, Wacky Races which I loved, The Jetsons which I wasn’t as acquainted with as I would have liked to be, The Flinstones which I loved, Hong Kong Phooey which I liked and Captain Cavemani which I liked.

I’m sure Tracy Morgan is a likeable comedian, but then play on the comedy of the character and have him be like he originally was.

Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe:

I would love to see The Flinstones, Top Cat and the other Wacky Racers get this movie treatment. In fact if they market it correctly, Warner Bros. Animation could have a different genre movie for each property, be that comedy for Flinstones, action for Hong Kong Phooey, maybe a heist movie for Top Cat, sci-fi for the Jetsons, the list goes on.

As mentioned before, I do not see that groundwork for a cinematic universe here. Rather than it showing signs of being like the MCU I think it does stick more in-house as the DCEU by simply giving me the want to see other Hanna-Barbera characters inhabit this universe.

Do I feel this is the start of something big? No, do I feel there is potential here absolutely.

Overall I rate the movie a solid 7/10, it’s enjoyable, it’s cute, it’s family-friendly and I believe that’s its USP. It’s not a groundbreaking movie but it does have that cinematic universe potential and, as mentioned, I do look forward to see if more Hanna-Barbera properties get the same treatment.

So that’s my review of Scoob! What did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Movie Reviews and other posts.

[magiccallie]

So I wrote down my thoughts as i watched through most of Season 2 of Scooby Doo Mystery Inc, and would like to share them, major spoilers below cut

Notes of Season 2 of Scooby Mystery Inc Shout out to this jock bully(?) who upon encountering a monster threatening a girl, did no hesitate to take on said monster, recuse said girl, and protect her as they escape Fred really needs to talk to someone about his new parents, who are now living in his house with him???? The house of the man who took him from them?????? Bronson might not be exactly straight looking at how he acted around the old mayor vs the new one, but *shrugs* Jock Strikes again, is this gunna be the twist? That''s a really douchy twist to pull a stunt like this Love how-I mean this is just the plan. He wanted girls too so he set up the same scenario. Is this extra set up by the parents to get him to trust them that is some next level douchery/ Scratch that on Bronson, omg Oh shit starting with a furry attack this is going to be a weird episode the gang's meta knowledge coupled with their sure willingness to go along with tropes and shit makes for great dialogue oh *oh* this is the episode where we get a peak to see just how big the picture is, love the lore building. knew this episode was gunna be good is that a demon? the furry isnt the mosnter??? ummm...weve been getting hints, are things getting real? so we've established motive for why someone whould want this plavce closed, but actually tangent but dont a lot of these monsters that they encounter seem like, weirdly powerful and mobile for costumes oh there's the furry that red aura is a...the things that happen around it are something deeper it seems. fascinating. is the red just representative of fire hallucinations? those seemed a bit real in effect for hallucinations... this guy, like my manager, needs to hire a little more staff occult magic book falls from the library to gang, and no one is as concerned as they should be nazi robot nazi robot get BJ on the phone Cassidy is the kinda retired PC that the players can strive to be Shit is getting real quick isnt it. Wait is that a seal. does Cassidy die? I know about a certain other death that makes me sad, but i dont want Cassidy to die too this episode is a rollercoaster of odd events weird hologram disguise for Paraclese is nifty Seeing the tragic fate of past groups is...well obviously sad oh dear, she does die huh its super low key, but it plays at the terrifying corrupting ordeal of the eldritchstuff really well with the lore notes bear troubles oh that badge...is that where they buried him? that's...kinda grim they have stealth suits and killer nazi robots? why have the evil guys not won yet? there is a bomb and they are not evacuating. There is a BOMB and they are not evacuating oh the bear can talk, how dare i assume that a bear is incapable of speech the bear is a twunk, scratch that, still a bear, is...he doing a christiphor walkin impersonation? aaand that’s enough for tonight, starting fresh later We're back, 13 more episodes oh so were getting into why i don’t like astrology Enigma machine omg. sorry, im a sucker for bits like that i wanna have long white hair too, i could rock that look How does Paraclese still have an accent after all these years? It is like destiny's Rasputin and just a stubborn superiority complex? something about visiting villains you can talk to in a prison is-ohp thats just all of um huh, cameo episode- err, anyways, it just paints a delightful scene about the relationship of the protags and antags and villainy as a whole in the world well this is horrific, throw some brownish red stuff around and it would be a silent hill scene update: still gay Thirteen more episodes and they have the disk...that does not bode well for what is going to happen the writer's willingness to reference other hannah barbara characters/shows is great oooo anticaptilism, BF is scoring points excuse me???? cyborg dragon girl???? he cant even call her by her name through most of the episode wtf??????? see now im at the point i gotta ask, is this a real ghost thing, or a fake ghost thing? ah i understand now youd think he would be more willing to explain to th-there we go so the animal companians are more suceptible, but they all have the risk Paraclese talking about these cattle is every gm talking about their homebrew monsters omg writers wth was that conclusion for the cattle im dying sk-ska zombies. ska. zombies. i can pick it up oh like the dancing plauge but worse, nifty these ghosts are rude boys, like, thats actually one of their names. And just caught that it the band name is skatastic oh they mentioned the dancing plauge, thank you wtf 101 the 'lighthearted' tone of this episode speaks dark tidings about the horrors to come aaah, hex girls, omg oh damn, update again: still hella gay bards duels be like, but for real loving this more and more young me is crazy about having the hex girls interact with a magicy thing like the disks, the rest of me is concerned at the events that are taking place scooby agrees, and his dog girl friend...well that was something Ricky displaying increasing regrets is not going to do good things for his lifeespectancy ohp then he drags in the other two well, i didnt see that coming for the criminal identity this little girl just had her mom ditch her for a stranger that robbed them, the heck i should probably eat dinner at some point, or like, anything at somepoint... calling it now, this guy is a circus performer/stunt driver, and if he is the random hired british poolboy it is a fake accent he's lureing women away with emotional intemacy. thats funny in itself, btu that they accept so readily still isnt normal oh and apparently kinks, lured with kinks so hes going to be the librarian dude then?? maybe? k, so at least i got that o.o O.O, well, that was quite the lead up and explanation food on plate, depresso in heart, ready to continue so they have to know right? like, this is a planned trap since Fred is 'the only one who knows where it is' doesnt explain Fred though, or how the fake acts "jeepies you found my scarf" oh there it is, they are after the info from him and its all fake, not some hell vision to show why he has to suceed Fred knew first? good on him plastic surgery, holy crap, next level villainy here holy shit they're all in puragoty thanks to the corrpution?????? Going back to early about the horrifying nature of all this. it is just so immensly sad watching them go through these bits. Cool, but sad. Velma demonstrating why thinking and understanding are not always good in eldritch horror games so he's got a guilt complex? heart felt talk with Mayor Dad awwww, poor Velma doesnt think she's pretty guessing...well id say the wife of Enrique but that seems too easy some how, stiill shes the only offered suspect beside Enrique himself thus far *deep sigh* i will never guess any culprit i bother to write down correctly would be a real move of the writers to Uzumaki the town two day deadline given, props to velma for having the foresight to model the disks in a digital format incase theyre lost mad max mystery machine sounds like a doom metal synth wave fusion song things are going too well... How many giant evil doors will this lair have? alchemy. of course. should have guessed. is...is this the episode where Marcie...oh no oh at least shes trying good on her, she's going down in style and flame... oh. ya know, even knowing it was coming and talking it up a sentence before, not a happy event this is a nifty dungeon last episode, hell of an opening/recap wh-what fghaseguk this went batshit didnt it. i wish i had the willingness to write at unhinged as these writers one more media that i am surpised didnt end in a poly relationship this climax is eerily familiar to the live action movies at times and then they all died and went to heaven aww Rickee and Cassidy *and* Velma and Marcie, aww, my heart will heart to think about that one for long, but awwwww Miskatonik University, or however the heck it is said. i thought it was going to be a one off joke but wasn't expecting that.

[scar0tissue]

Something I want to talk about: Scooby Doo!

I can not express enough how much I love this franchise. I grew up with it and I still get giddy when the theme song comes on, for me it is a amazing package of my childhood sent right back to me whenether I see the gang. But what I want to focus on with the new movie out are exactly that, the movies. I love these movies. But I will say that some of them are less than worth a watch: so as a self proclaimed Scooby Doo enthusiast I will give short (and bad) reviews based on my memory of them and tell you whether I think they're worth a watch. By the way , this is in no particular order. And this will also probably not contain every movie, just the ones I have memory of.

NOTE: these are my opinions, these are based on my experience and what they are like to me.

1. Zombie Island: (I know I said in no particular order, but I had to put in my top 3).what a place to start, a fantastic movie that captures the feeling a Scooby Doo movie should have. Unlike most Scooby Doo movies this one is actually on the scarier side of things, there is a real sense that things may go wrong for the gang and it is a good spice up of the regular formula Scooby Doo has. I say that this movie is well worth a watch.

2. The Witches Ghost: I don't actually know if this followed the zombie Island chronologically or by release, but for me it always felt like the next movie to watch. The opening sequence to this movie always takes me back to when I was a child and would by at my grandmother's house and we would watch this. The movie is very interesting with more plot twists than your average Scooby Doo episode. It is in my opinion on par with zombie Island. Once again I say this movie is well worth a watch.

3. Pirates Ahoy!: Oh the memories with this. If you ever want a pure example of a great Scooby Doo movie, look no further than this pirate themed adventure. It has everything zombies, pirates , and Scooby and shaggy dancing like chickens. It also has one of my favourite side characters in the form of the scientist that comes aboard. I don't want to spoil any of this movie as I would put this near top spot. If you want to watch any Scooby Doo movie , watch this and get to scrubbing the deck ya sea dogs.

The Loch Ness Monster: this movie ,while not my absolute favourite, holds a special place in my heart as it is the closest I beleive a Scooby Doo movie has ever been to where I live. It takes the classic legend of the loch Ness, and manages to make a mystery movie that can only be described as amazing. Definetly a good watch.

Where's my Mummy: it knows what it is , it has asthetic (did I spell it right?) It has pyramids, sand , mummy's , Pharos, and more. Worth a watch and honestly a cut above the rest.

Aloha, Scooby Doo: I would once again say the same as with the previous review. It knows what it is , the dancing, the volcanos and the surfing. A regular old mystery with that extra volcano god/demon mixed in. worth a watch.

The samurai sword: Robo ghost samurais, do I need say any more? Watch it.

Alien Invaders: Ok, this is a very interesting movie. The design of the aliens as well as the whole setting makes for a great movie. It has good pacing and also a better love story than twilight. Worth a watch.

Monster of Mexico: watch this, it may be old, but watch it. It is an absolutely fantastic price of media that encapsulates what Scooby Doo is at its core. The gang going somewhere nice just to find themselves slap bang in the middle of a regular old mystery. Worth a watch.

Chill Out Scooby Doo: do you know what surprised me , is the amount of winter/snow based movies in the Scooby Doo franchise. But I will say this one stands out. It is interesting and good to watch. I would say it's worth a watch.

Goblin King: goblins , ghouls and whatever creepy will pop up in this movie , creepy and fun, definetly a good watch. Especially the end.

Abracadabra Doo: this is what I think was the high point of Scooby Doo was in the 2010's before mystery incorporated came out. This was a good movie which mixed magic, mythology, and mystery together well. A really good watch, but I can see how some may not like it.

Legend of the Phantasaur: Dino's and bikers , all against shaggy. Who will win, great movie, worth a watch if your devoted enough, but may be a bore for some people.

Cyber Chase: cyber Chase is more like a fan fiction than anything else, it is fan service. You see some fan favourite monsters, the gang teams up with a parallel version of themselves and it comes to a climax. It is a good watch for nostalgia, but I would say it may not look the best to people that don't have all that many memories of Scooby Doo.

Camp Scare: this , for me, perfectly embodies the old tradition of a summer camp, at least idealised. The end is an amazing watch and it has a pretty good feel for most of it. Especially Fred with his never ending optimism. Worth a watch. But like me, may not be the best if you have bad memories of summer camp.

Too be completely honest, most movies past this point in the animated section are boring or downright bad. But there may be hope with a Scooby Doo movie with king Arthur coming out this year.

Honourable Mentions for animated movies:

Music of the vampire.

Legend of the vampire.

Big top.

Stage Fright.

Wrestlmania mystery.

In this list I have put the ones on dvd I remember, but I do remember also some VHS ones that I don't know If you can or can't get them today. But all of them are worth watching, these are: Boo Brothers , ghoul school, the reluctant werewolf, and Arabian Nights.

Now live action.

These movies I would say are more comedy's than anything else. While they do have touching moments , you'll probably find yourself laughing more than anything else. So here we go:

Scooby Doo: an island with weird monster people and bad CGI? Sign me up. A good watch but as I mentioned earlier, more so for the comedy.

Scooby Doo 2, Monsters Unleashed: actually a good movie, good villains and genuinely good moments. The effects I would say are better than the first one and the characters it introduces are pretty good. Also Daphne sasses everyone. Definitely worth a watch.

Scooby Doo! The Mystery begins + Curse of the lake monster: I have grouped these both into one because I just think they're bad, I watched them for free on Amazon and I still think I need money back. They are nothing compared to the original live action. Also , Fred is a brunette , how did nobody seem to realise this while making this. Not worth watching.

Once again, post 2015 nothing was really worth watching, but I can't speak for the live action Daphne and Velma movie, I don't even know if this can be classified as a Scooby Doo movie because I dont beleive he's in it. But I have not watched it and therefore cant give a proper review for it. So for the sake of simplicity, I will say it's worth a watch.

I think this wraps this up. I am in no way a professional reviewer, I am just someone who likes Scooby Doo , a lot. I don't own any of the images in this post.

Stay home and stay safe, much love my friends.

Best wishes.

[pollylynn]

Title: Man’s Best WC: 1000

Royal the dog absolutely lives up to the hype. 

He’s wanted a dog for literally as long as he can remember, but as a near-transient latchkey kid, as a suddenly wealthy playboy with a recently broken heart, as a not-quite-single father with a volatile ex, it was never in the cards. And he knows—in the grown-up part of his brain that he likes to keep shut up pretty tight, he knows—that Royal is just a loaner. He knows that joint custody with Beckett is just temporary, and still . . . everything about Royal the dog not only meets, but exceeds expectations. 

“You’re going to have such a good time at Beckett’s. She’s going to love you,” he tells him. The clock is ticking on, metaphorically, and he’s strangely nervous about the prospect of the impending handoff. “And you’ll have all your things. Mr Squeaky and everything.” All his things now comprises the little Ryan had thought to grab from Francisco’s apartment plus an overflowing bag of obviously necessary supplies he himself had picked up on the way home. “So you don’t have to be sad or stressed out about spending the night there.”

Royal is sitting with his ears perked up, waiting for the next little bit of steak. He could not look less sad or stressed out if he were a one-dog jazz band, but his mother is out and Alexis has orchestrated yet another Get Dad Ready for College Separation dry run, so it’s nice to have someone to talk to.

“She’s pretty great.” He finishes cutting the long, fatty strip of meat into minuscule pieces and moves them around the plate. Royal’s eyes follow with interest, but his poised Sit never wavers. “Better than ever lately.” 

Without warning, he snatches a morsel of ribeye from the plate and tosses it in a high, lazy arc. 

“Air Royal!” he shouts, and the dog launches himself straight up. His jaws neatly snatch the treat at the peak of its ascent. He lands on four skidding paws and careens into Castle’s knees. “That’s good! You’re doing so good with your new trick.” The dog leans heavily against him, clearly relishing the solid thumps to his flanks and the extra reassurance that he’s done well. “Just so you know, though, that might be a trick for here. You might want to lead with the sit, stay, leave it at Beckett’s. You totally crush those.”  

Royal’s head tilts to the side in the classic dog interrogation pose. He caves immediately, of course, and wonders if she’d buy the argument that they definitely have to keep the dog, because he’d be an absolutely beast in the box. 

“Literally,” he says out loud as he administers a vigorous chin scratch. “You’d be a literal beast that even the most hardened criminals could not resist.” 

Royal rests a heavy snout against his thigh, happily enough, but there’s still a question in the liquid brown eyes. Or maybe he just needs it to be a question. Maybe he just needs someone to talk to about her. 

“It’s all about patience with Beckett,” he explains. “No sudden movements.” 

He combs the backs of his fingernails upward from the wet black nose to the broad expanse  of fur between those liquid brown eyes. He laughs as they almost cross as he tries to follow the motion of his fingers. But then the golden lids flutter closed. Royal huffs out a moist, gratified breath. 

“I don’t know though.” His fingers move in circles now, hypnotic. 

There’s something about the warmth and absolute nearness of another creature—something about the presence of another being who is content to receive all the affection he’s eager to lavish—that’s put him in a yearning, contemplative mood,

“Maybe she—“ His hand stops, mid-circle. Royal’s eyes flick open in reproach. He mouths sorry and resumes his duties. “She’s a lot better than she was. She smiles more, and she doesn’t look so tired all the time.” He risks a break in the Royal’s New Favorite Pet action and lifts the dog’s chin. “She’s thinking about getting a dog! That’s pretty cool, right?” 

Royal’s tongue lolls. His paws do an eager dance in place, as though the swell of hope and affection and sheer love in Castle’s own body is contagious. It is, he supposes. It’s part of the beauty of dogs. 

He snags another piece of meat from the plate that he’s nearly forgotten about. Royal has definitely not forgotten about it. A tiny whine escapes him and he looks immediately embarrassed. Castle fakes a few tosses straight overhead, then whips the morsels on a line drive across the room. Royal races after it, his feet scrabbling at the floor comically like Scooby Doo trying to get a running start. He hits the breakfast bar and comes galloping back, ready for more—ready for anything, and maybe that contagious thing works both ways.  

“Maybe she’s ready for a sudden move,” he says.”What do you think, boy?” 

Royal ducks into a playful bow with his wriggling butt high in the air. It’s a doggy Yes if he ever saw one. It gives him courage. It buoys him up all the way from Soho to Tribeca. It makes him bold. He gushes about Royal, and he knows she likes it, even though she rolls her eyes. He knows she’s excited about having a dog—sharing custody—even if they both know he’s a loaner. 

She’s excited, and it’s contagious.

He makes a sudden move. He reaches for her hand and holds it fast. He traces hypnotic circles on her skin. He watches her intently—intently—and she’s not quite ready for it. But she’s not not ready, either. He feels her pulse pounding and the way her skin warms under his touch. He feels the swell of hope and affection in her, and now he knows. It’s about patience, yes, but not just that.

That’s the beauty of dogs. 

A/N: This was supposed to be about Mr. Squeaky telling no tails. But it ended up being about ribeye and hands and seizing the day and petting all the dogs. ALL THE DOGS. Hmmm.

images via homeofthenutty

[dexi-green]

Rise of Skywalker was good. Rant/Appreciation, spoilers ahead. Super long and rambling. This is all personal opinion, if you disliked it, thats fine. If you disagree, great.

First some quick points, then the longer stuff.

I loved Babu Frik and D-O

We finally got to see the Knights of Ren in action!

Also all those Star Destroyers?? Like those things are gotdamn huge... and that many of them? Actually scary honestly.

LANDO LANDO LANDO! LANDO AND CHEWIE IN THE FALCON!!

WEDGE!!!

CHEWIE GETS HIS MEDAL!!!

Also not gonna lie.. I wanted to see a gungan. Put some respect on Jar Jar. Or confirm the Darth Jar Jar theory you cowards.

We got to see a proper version of Rey’s version of Luke’s Dark Side cave vision (The TLJ one just wasn’t it for me. The mirrors..okay...)

Storm Troopers fly now... Did they steal stuff from some Mandalorians. Mandalorians are like..the only ones ever to have jet packs like that (that I’m aware of). Maybe the Mandalorian show will see some leftover imperials stealing Mandalorian armor, which they will replicate (obviously badly, because there stuff is no beskar).

I was so happy to see the interactions between Leia and Connix, because I just loved to see Billie with her mom <3 I’m so glad they gave her a role and just kept expanding it.

Hux... I love the back and forth between him and General Pryde, (I was hoping Richard E Grant would’ve played Thrawn but alas...) wondering who the mole is, and OF COURSE ITS HUX! Because he just wants to see Kylo lose. We love it.. I’m kinda sad he was taken out so quick, but it was good while it lasted.

How they tried to push Poe into some kind of.. not relationship, but not too subtlety trying to tell the audience, no he’s not gay, in like...just a bad writing way, like okay gosh, he’s straight (Also Poe was a drug runner...). That LGBTQ “representation” was trash, but definitely better than Endgame’s so-called representation.

I also wished we woulda got more (legacy) cameos, especially in the final battle when all the ships arrive. Maybe the Ghost Crew (I think you can see the ship though), or a character from the Mandalorian show (I was hoping for more tie-in’s in general (baby yoda), but The Mandalorian did sorta set up the force healing ability). My foolish soul was hoping for a super old old clone or a super old and scarred up Mace Windu, or just super old Ahsoka, but this film 100% confirmed no going back that they are totally dead with their voices amongst the other dead jedi :/ I can’t have everything and thats alright. I’m just glad they were in there in some capacity.

JJ has said that the thing Finn was going to tell Rey was that he was force sensitive (none of the good ships flew sadly imo) but that is still...amazing to me. I love it so much. Especially with that exchange between him and Han in TFA “We’ll use the force.” “That’s not how the force works.”. Hopefully he got or gets the chance to tell Rey because then she could train him and <3 Also I think that now makes it go back to no non-force sensitive people have used a lightsaber in the films (aside from Grievous). I loved the inclusion of Jannah and the other storm trooper deserters. Not only because of the kinship with Finn, but also... They are on a moon of Endor... So moon of the Endor system inhabitants, with slightly primitive techniques and tools and things come to help in the final battle? I love it. Putting some respeck on the Ewoks (also we see Ewoks?!?! Specifically Wickett <3) (Also I noticed a Fire, Water, Earth theme. The final battle in the prequels was in fire/lava. The final battle in the original trilogy was on the forest moon of endor, and while not the final battle, Kef Bir is the ocean moon of endor)

Palpatine doing what we all knew he was, using bodies to live through. I mean thats why he always had apprentices, just so he could skip over to them when his body got gross and weak, or at the very least work through them. I definitely wanna know more about the whole Snoke operation. We knew it was insane for some rando to be that powerful to be whispering and seducing Ben to the dark side from birth. And the cloning? like please, tell me more. I loved Palpatine’s exclamation of “Return of the Sith!” as an obvious nod to the films Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith, but also the fact Return was going to be Revenge of the Jedi.

I LOVE LOVEDDDD the small scene of Luke training Leia. Yeah the CGI on their faces wasn’t the best but just being able to see it and knowing that he did go forward and train her as well as other students was everything to me. I’ve always wanted Leia’s force abilities to be more acknowledged outside of the comics, so you know I went crazy in the scene from TLJ (for multiple reasons). Leia training Rey?! Rey referring to her (and Luke) as her jedi masters?! we love to see it <3 Rey going back to Tatooine, back to the moisture farm (I could just hear Aunt Beru calling out for Luke (but also him calling for her and uncle owen when they got disintegrated..oop)). Calling herself a Skywalker, AND SEEING LUKE AND LEIA’S FORCE GHOST!! WE LOVE TO SEE IT (but hate it because it’s the end). THE TWIN SUNS AS THE SAGA ENDS WHERE IT BEGAN!!

The voices of the Jedi at the end?!? I cried. I mean there was Anakin, Obi-Wan (both old and young), Qui Gon, Mace Windu, Yoda, and Luke of course, but also Aaayla Secura, Luminara, Adi Gallia, KANAN JARRUS (who is voice by Freddie Prinze Jr. aka the best Fred Scooby Doo could ask for) , AHSOKA TANO!!! Nothing I want more than more Ahsoka <3 I would’ve loved to see them all show up as Force Ghosts at the end ala the ghosts of Harry’s family in Harry Potter Goblet of Fire/Deathly Hallows but I understand why they opted for voices only. Also no Ki-Adi-Mundi because while everyone was saying, “Rey, You can do it! We are with you!” he just woulda been like, “But...what about the droid attack on the wookiees?”

Han!! Han!! When he appeared to Kylo, after Leia pulled him back as much as she could, and Rey healed him and inched him further, and then of course, Han finished the job. Leia asked him to bring him back and he did in the end. The person he seemingly hated the most (maybe thats tied with Luke. I honestly would’ve liked to see some kinda of thing between Luke and Ben, some reconciliation). The famous Solo “I know” which we all know means I love you. like come onnnnn <3 AND Ben and Leia’s bodies becoming one with the force... but Leia only after Ben... like she was holding on, waiting for him <3 This really made me like Ben/Kylo a bit more, obviously the light side Ben more, because Kylo is actual trash imo.

I cried when Chewie cried for Leia. Her death was sad on it’s own, but Chewie just broke me. He had a happy family, then Ben went bad, Han and Leia split, and Luke left, then when he thinks everything is coming back together, He lost Han, then he lost Luke, now Leia? If you actually watch him he just collapses to the ground, throwing his arms, sobbing... AND HAVING TO SEE HIM IN SHACKLES!?!? And not like “oh we gotta trick these guards” but actually captured and shackled, After all the wookiees being captured and enslaved and he how he had to deal with that...come on man....

I cried when Luke pulled his X-wing out of the water. We all saw it submerged in TLJ, waiting for that moment when someone would do it. The fact that he does it, when he couldn’t back when it happened on Dagobah. It shows how much he’s grown, showed him stepping into Yoda’s role even more fully. He never got to leave that island in it, but Rey did. Plus Rey wearing his Rebel helmet like she wore the helmet in TFA?! Honestly... Two “nobodies” from nowhere sand planets who become the hope and saviors of the galaxy (you could include Anakin in that as well, but he just...kinda sparked the hope in Luke and was his savior so...indirectly the hope and savior).

The only thing I didn't like was the Ben and Rey kiss at the end but luckily it wasn't drawn out and he died right after. Cause you really expect me to believe that within the same movie of him pushing her to her limits and making her believe she killed a friend that she gone be like...oh but you still cute tho?  Also while re-watching everything and watching the prequels last month I remembered how Palpatine influenced the midichlorians/force to make Anakin in Shmi (it might not be canonized though, I’m not sure...). Obviously he’s not a biological father but...he is responsible...so that in a way makes him Kylo's grandfather in a sense. Rey is Sheev’s biological granddaughter so...big yikes. To me Kylo/Ben and Rey have a much better dynamic as brother and sister anyway.. I think a brother and sister bond suit them so much better. A rhyme of Luke and Leia, and the forged sibling bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin. It has pieces of both and would have been beautiful for it to play out that way. About Rey pulling her family in Ben Solo back to the light. I mean she even thought of Han, Leia, and Luke as parental figures... but luke and leia kissed so :/  guess just a family thing. 

Running themes in all of star wars is hope, family, and who you are. In this, the prequels were the darkest. They end in a family divided, hope seemingly lost, and giving into the worst parts of yourself. The original trilogy was about finding the hope in the darkest times, becoming more than you think of yourself, and that family can overcome anything together. This trilogy was about clinging onto hope that you can find and making it a beacon for others, becoming more than what you and others think of you, "subverting destiny", and the fact that family isn't blood, not always. Just because someone tells you you're a monster, just because you started to believe it, doesn't mean you are. Once you have hope you hold onto it with everything you have, no matter how many times you fail or slip.

Rey being a Palpatine isn't "the bad guys bloodline living while the good guys die out". It isn't about bloodlines. Sure Kylo and Vader's terrible deeds will live on in infamy, but so will the entire rebellion's. Instead of being like, "oh well by blood I'm a Palpatine so I gotta use that last name" she made a conscious choice to go by Skywalker, because of what the Skywalker family meant to her and the galaxy, so that their deeds live on and not Palpatine. He will become a bad memory, a scar on history, while Skywalker’s, the positive idea of them, will continue to live and spark hope year and years into the future. Her blood isn't tainted and her grandfathers nature isn't hers, if it was she really would be the empress on the sith throne after Palpatine's death. She would've took Kylo's hand and offers before. Its the same with Kylo. He succumbed to what Rey was actively fighting against. Its the idea its harder to be good than bad.

Palpatine's bloodline living on means nothing unless Rey decided to make it mean something. But she didn't. As far as I'm concerned the only thing the bloodline might've impacted is her connection to the force and how strong it was naturally (like Kylo because of Leia (maybe Han..debatable, i like to believe he’s a little force sensitive) and her and Luke's connection to it because of Anakin). Her parents also actively fought against Palpatine as far as we know, Luke and Leia fought against Vader like... To say oh your parent was like this so you are gonna turn out the same? Yikes. Also Finn and the other stormtrooper deserters? Literally brainwashed from such a young age to be killers but they said no? It seems like the theme was you can fight against your destiny or like Yoda said about the future being hard to see because its constantly moving so "destiny" is kinda just a trash idea, be who you are or the person you want to be, not what others tell you.

Also I see some people saying it destroyed Anakin's legacy, and I have to disagree. To the fan's Anakin's legacy was never killing Palpatine. Sure that was the action, but the act was saving Luke. It was coming back from the dark to the light to save his son and in a way, the rest of the galaxy, at least for a time, it was betraying his master. It was the why he did it, not the how. Not only did he save Luke's life, but he fueled Luke to go forward and continue down the path of hope and light as long as he could. Anakin's true legacy lives on in Luke and Leia and the Rebellion. Palpatine's return doesn't diminish Anakin's sacrifice. Because it wasn’t about just destroying Palpatine. Anakin/Vader's thoughts went to Padme and Luke, and the prophecy of bringing balance, he knew he had to do something. When Luke takes off his helmet when Anakin is dying he thinks, “The boy was good, and the boy had come from him–so there must have been good in him, too. He smiled up again at his son, and for the first time, loved him. And for the first time in many long years, loved himself again, as well.” (coming from the novelization of Return). As long as Luke lived, and Luke's legacy lives on, so does Anakin's and so does Anakin’s return to the light. Anakin's legacy and impact, the good and the bad, will continue. Maybe the people of that galaxy won't know of the person named Anakin compared to sith lord Darth Vader, but his impact will always be there.

Yeah they aren’t always the most perfectly written stories with the best effects and yadda yadda, I know there are some missteps and less then stellar things in this films, but they are here to entertain, and I’m entertained. There is probably so much I’m missing, and I really want to go see it again, and can’t wait till it’s out on DVD or streaming services... 

It was a beautiful film that did the best it could to end a saga thats bigger than anything ever, thats been going on for years, something that is unheard of and never been done. I just want to honor the history, the memory, and the work it all took. I just love these films so much. <3 Also, always remembering Carrie, Peter M. and Peter C., Christoper, and Kenny, and all other actors and crew who have passed who lent their time and effort to all of these films and this entire franchise <3 

[boldlygowriting]

The 5 Man Band vs. the 5+ Man Band

I was inspired by this video by Overly Sarcastic Productions. They do an excellent job of explaining what a 5 Man Band is and its origin. If you want any extra information about tropes, you should check out their Trope Talk series on YouTube. 

Anyway, let’s get into this!

Essentially, the video describes the 5 Man Band as a cohesive group of five characters with each character falling under one of the following categories: 

Leader

Lancer: the second in command 

Heart: the soft, emotional center of the group 

Brain

Tank: the muscle of the group or expert fighter, has some powerful influence of some kind.

Although almost any of these can be switched out for comedic relief. 

AND sometimes roles can be added and switched out for what you want. For example, in a non-action setting. 

A brain 

A beauty

A jock 

A rebel 

A recluse. 

Some examples of the 5 Man Band you might be familiar with are: the Teen Titans, the Voltron team, Scooby-Doo, and Power Rangers (not including the Black or Green Ranger depending on which iteration you’re looking at), and the Breakfast Club.  

As a writer who’s currently putting together their own group of characters for a sci-fi superhero story, it seemed like a 5 Man Band was perfect for building a team. It offers a pretty simple template for making a balanced team, building your characters’ traits, and abilities or skills. But I knew from the beginning, I wanted 6 characters for my team, not 5, which led me to a new question:

What’s the difference between a 5 Man Band and a 6 or 7 Man Band? And, is one better than the other? 

I found out...well...technically, the 5 Man Band is better...but don’t click off yet! I’m not deleting one of my characters, I’m not discouraged and you shouldn’t be either. 

The reason why 5 Man Bands are technically better, is because everyone has a distinct role and some people can hold two. If you’re familiar with any of the 5 man band I listed above, you can clearly distinguish the role of each character and if not, they might be holding two: For example, look at the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie. 

Fred is clearly the leader, Velma is the brain (but I also put her in the lancer position), Scooby is the heart, Daphne is a tank (go Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Shaggy is comedic relief. You can play around with the 5 Man Band and how you can decide if you’d like to or need to add an additional character.  

You can swap out downplay these traits as needed as well, like how Velma is known for being smart, but she’s clearly the one who helps out the most when solving the mystery between her brainstorming with Fred and deciphering the pyramid, she’s clearly second in command. Also, Lancers are known for being the one that eventually forges out on their own, and Velma was the first split at the beginning of the movie. 

That’s what makes the 5 Man Band great in comparison to 6 man band, characters can do “double duty” and end up more layered and helpful because of it. 

 In a 5 Man Band, everyone has a distinct role which can help you build their personality and if you want to give them more oomph, you have room to. I’ve found once you exceed 5 the importance of each member gets a little muddled. 

Two mainstream superhero groups started off as 6 man bands: The original Avengers (2012--not in the comic books, that’s a whole other story) consisted of 6 characters, and the live-action Justice League (2017) also had 6 members. 

Although, not a superhero group, the flock from one of my favorite book series, Maximum Ride, consisted of 6 characters. 

Looking at the Justice League, almost everyone is doing double-roles and I suspect, besides the writing that’s part of the reason why I didn’t really see them as a team. Aside from the fact that I thought it was an okay movie at best. 

Batman and Superman can both serve as leaders. Although, after they revive Superman, it’s clear he’s moved to Lancer status. But you never get the sense of knowing who exactly is in charge. 

Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Superman all fit the definition of the tank and although Wonder Woman could be considered the heart, she’s not really portrayed with those traits in this film as much as she is in her solo film. The Flash is clearly comedic relief. No one, in particular, is considered the brain despite Bruce Wayne’s intellect and Barry being a genius, unless you count Cyborg, who I would only place into this role because he has expert knowledge of the Motherbox. 

Otherwise, he’s pretty unimportant. 

The problem is that some characters are pulling more weight than others making the team unbalanced, less interesting and less fleshed out. I didn’t really care about any of them. 

Of course, you could totally argue that Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman have their own stand-alone films, so of course, they do more, but just because some characters are more popular doesn’t mean they should make the other characters you added less interesting or less developed. What’s the point of adding underdeveloped and less interesting characters? 

A poorly written group can be top-heavy and leave some of its characters in the dust (eg. Cyborg). 

Does that mean that all 6+ man bands are going to be horrible and you’ll only care about half the characters? NO, definitely not. You can have the same problem with a 5 man band if you’re not paying attention, it’s just more likely in a 6+ character group. 

My MC, Hal, is the Leader.  His cousin Xavier is the Lancer, who also doubles as primary comedic relief. Evelyn is their Heart. Reyka is the Tank. Aren is the brain. And Jack is something I call ‘the dissenter; someone who is not a natural team player, but has a common goal with the main group and may act as their foil.

On top of their given roles in the team, I know that each has fleshed out backstories, hopes, wants, dreams, etc, that are as equally known as Hal’s. Everyone is treating each character like a person and not a trait, role, or plot point. 

 In 6+ man bands, it can get overwhelming to flesh out each character which is how you end up with top-heavy teams and forgettable characters. But it doesn’t take much to write a few scenes to flesh them out, especially on a team, because they’re teammates for Pete’s sake! Have them learn about each other, do some team building, something! 

Now that that’s covered that explained with 5 Man Bands are technically better, here’s where they’re technically not. A poorly made 5 man band reduces them to their roles. The brain is just the brain and only really talks about their area of expertise. The Leader is the perfect hero with blonde hair and blue eyes and is never wrong. The comedic relief only spits one-liners. Etc. No one wants to read or watch a one-dimensional character. In that case, do the same thing you’d do with empty characters, fill them up with personality. Start giving them some good traits and bad traits outside of their role, hell, maybe even some traits that contradict their given role. 

They both have the pitfall of empty, boring characters. The goal is to not have that. Most important, in a group of any size, make characters that play a specific role in the group not just in completing the mission (or whatever your end is).  

I’ll be using Teen Titans as an example. Robin and Raven have trouble letting go of things and having fun, Cyborg and Beast Boy obviously don’t and can get each of them to lighten up when they need to—or in Raven’s case express some emotions. If anyone needs a hug or a fun day, Starfire is there for support. Raven has a sobering attitude which is good for when any one of the team members needs to look at something seriously. Robin also offers this, but as a leader, it’s more centering, where Raven’s can be a bit depressing. They work, not just as a superhero team, but as a group of friends. 

The point of any group is to have characters that operate best as a unit and complement each other while having each having a distinct personality. They’re individuals that also fit well together in a team and, hopefully, as friends. 

If you want, let me know what your favorite Man Band is and what it’s from! 

[socialyawkdude]

The Road So Far: A Overview of Supernatural

Hello, again my socially awkward friends and its time again for another review. Well, it's not a review in the normal sense, it is more of an overview. What is this mystery show, at that I will be covering? If the title didn't give it away let me give you a little background on the show.

Premiering on September 13, 2005, on The WB network; it is the longest-running American fantasy tv show. That isn't the only thing, this show is the last remaining original WB network show remaining. Yeah, I'm talking about the tv show supernatural. I'm guessing that you already know that supernatural's 15th season will be the last.

When the news of the final season, came across the wire, I was shocked. I had just recently started watching again, in season 13. Supernatural has always been my go-to show, in times of boredom. Hey, how could it not be? Supernatural has been in Syndication since January of 2010 and i could always find a episode, at the most random times. 

All good things must come to an end and supernatural was going to end at some point. Which brings us to present day and I'm doing a full-on binge of supernatural. The current goal is to watch every single episode of supernatural by the October 10th, 2019 premiere date. Currently, I'm in season 8 around episode 16.

So in honor of the final season, I'm going to my 10 favorite supernatural episodes.

10. Season 7 Episode 20: The girl with the dungeons and dragons tattoo

FELICIA DAY ("THE GUILD," "EUREKA") GUEST STARS - Dick Roman (James Patrick Stuart) acquires Frank's hard drive that contains sensitive information about the Winchesters and gives it to an unsuspecting brilliant hacker named Charlie (guest star Day) telling her she has 48 hours to crack the firewall or she is fired. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are tipped off that Dick has the hard drive and race to get to Charlie before she breaks the code. Meanwhile, Bobby (Jim Beaver) tries to help the brothers, but his rage towards Dick for killing him starts to get in the way.

9. Season 8 Episode 11: LARP and the real girl

FELICIA DAY RETURNS! - Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate the mysterious deaths of two LARPers (Live Action Role Playing) who were playing a game entitled Moondoor. The guys are thrilled to discover the Queen of Moondoor is none other than Charlie (guest star Felicia Day). The three learn that a fairy (guest star Tiffany Dupont) has been commandeered to harm people and the only way to stop her is to find her master.

8. Season 8 Episode: Pac-Man Forever

DEAN INTRODUCES CHARLIE TO CHEAP PANTSUITS - Concerned about the physical toll the second trial took on Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) benches his brother from hunting until he heals up. So, when geektastic hacker Charlie (guest star Felicia Day) stumbles upon a case and finds the boys, Dean decides it's time to teach Charlie how to be a hunter-in-training. While happy to see "her highness," the boys suspect Charlie is hiding something; a secret that could get her killed.

Supernatural was my introduction to the wonderful Felicia Day. If it wasn’t for supernatural, i would’ve never have never ave seen The guild.

7. Season 12 Episode 6: Celebrating the life of Asa Fox

THREE WINCHESTERS ARE BETTER THAN ONE – When hunters gather together to celebrate the life and tragic death of one of their own, Sam (Jared Padalecki) Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Mary (guest star Samantha Smith) must take action when a demon starts picking off hunters one by one.

My favorite moment I love the most about this episode is hearing Man in a Box by Alice in Chains. In my opinion, this one song made this episode.

6. Season 11 Episode 4: Baby

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER — Seen entirely from the POV of the Impala, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) go on a road trip to fight monsters and demons

5. Season 13 Episode 16: Scoobynatural

JINKIES! "SUPERNATURAL" GETS ANIMATED WHEN SAM, DEAN, AND CASTIEL ARE TRANSPORTED INTO THE WORLD OF SCOOBY-DOO – Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Castiel (Misha Collins) are transported into the animated world of Scooby-Doo where they join forces with the Scooby gang to solve a ghostly mystery.

Try and watch this episode and not think its awesome.

4. Season 13 Episode 10: Wayward Sisters

KATHRYN NEWTON, KIM RHODES, KATHERINE RAMDEEN, BRIANA BUCKMASTER, CLARK BACKO AND YADIRA GUEVARA-PRIP RETURN – When Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) go missing, Jody Mills (guest star Kim Rhodes) calls Claire Novak (guest star Kathryn Newton), the rebellious rogue hunter, and tells her it is time to come home – they need to find the Winchesters. Claire returns and reunites with Alex Jones (guest star Katherine Ramdeen), who has stayed behind with Jody and tries to balance a "normal" life with being a part-time hunter. While Jody is happy to have Claire home again, she's plagued by Patience's (guest star Clark Backo) disturbing vision involving her adopted daughter. Claire and Alex search for Kaia Nieves (guest star Yadira Guevara-Prip), the dreamcatcher responsible for opening the rift that Sam and Dean went through, as she holds the key to their whereabouts. Jody calls her friend, Donna Hanscom (guest star Briana Buckmaster), to round out the team and the women head off on the most important hunt of their lives.

3. Season 5 Episode 5: Fallen Idols

PARIS HILTON GUEST STARS - Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) decide to start hunting together again and their first case leads them to a small town whose inhabitants are being killed by famous dead icons like Abraham Lincoln and James Dean's car. However, after two teenage girls come forward and claim their friend was kidnapped by Paris Hilton (in a cameo role as herself), the brothers aren't sure what they are hunting anymore.

his one is pretty simple, I get to watch Paris Hilton get shived.

2. Season 12 Episode: Don't call me Shurley

ROB BENEDICT RETURNS – Amara (guest star Emily Swallow) unleashes a dark fog on a small town, causing everyone to go mad. Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) realize this is a stronger version of the original black vein virus Amara previously unleashed. They team up with the sheriff to protect the town but their old remedy no longer works. Meanwhile, Chuck (Rob Benedict) returns with an interesting proposal.

Chuck is god! What else can I say? I had my suspicions, that something was up with chuck, but it wasn’t this. Also Rob Benedict’s cover of fare thee well, blew me away.

1. Season 4 Episode 8: Wishful thinking.

A WISHING WELL THAT REALLY WORKS BRINGS CHAOS - Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate a small town where the wishing well really works. A teddy bear comes to life, someone wins the lottery and the town geek gets a hot girlfriend. The brothers realize that while everyone is happy now, the end result will be disastrous. 

My all time favorite episode of supernatural. Why is this season 4 episode ,y favorite?, you ask. Well, the answer to that question is quite simple, really. Teddy! Seeing a giant teddy bear try to blow his brains out, with a shotgun, always has me on the floor.

So there is my top 10 list of supernatural episodes.  What are your favorite episodes? I would love to read your own top 10 list. Like always; don't forget to like, share, follow, and reblog. until the next time we meet, stay awkward my friends.