SCOOBY DOO! & BATMAN:THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD REVIEW
The staff here at Retro, Cool, Nerd has been eagerly anticipating the release of Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The Brave and the Bold (BATB) is truly one of the best incarnations of Batman ever presented by bringing back some fun and light into a typically dark setting. The series itself is a love letter to the Golden Age of comics, featuring the titular Batman teaming up with "first appearance" versions of all his allies as well as foes. Despite the crisp, funny, writing, the deep bench villains that got to see daylight, and an "Outrageous" version of Aquaman that make anyone a fan- BATB only lasted 3 seasons. Now the gang over at "Mystery Inc." is joining forces with "Mystery Analysts of Gotham" to solve their biggest case yet!
To quote my good buddy A-Man.
SPOILERS AHOY!
"Dad, when's the next one come out?" is the first thing my son squealed after the film ended.
It should come as no surprise to any of our readers that Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave and the Bold is a tremendously funny feature length cartoon for all ages. Fans of both Scooby and the gang and Batman will be rushing to buy (or download) the latest offering from the Batman:The Brave And The Bold universe, and they will not be disappointed. Logging in at 115 minutes the reunion of Batman and Scooby had us laughing out loud from both the writing and and cameos through out the movie, celebrating the rich history of BOTH programs. Casual fans will recognize most of them, only hardcore fans will know who is manning the Arkham Guard station. Delightfully funny, and extremely well written Scooby Doo and Batman: BATB delivers a much deeper mystery than fans may be expecting. Even the most devoted Bat-Fans will be hard pressed to solve this case before the end.
The Movie opens with Batman, played by my favorite Batman Diedrich Bader, and his "Mystery Analysts of Gotham" have decided that "Mystery Inc." should join their ranks of detectives and help each other with unsolved cases. Vetran Frank Welker is back again to voice Shaggy and Fred, and is joined by career Shaggy Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle as Daphne, and Kate Micucci as Velma rounding out the Scooby gang.
Hilarity and intrigue ensue when the story leads us to Batman's only unsolved case. A blink and you'll miss a clue mystery, laced with Intricately choreographed action fight scenes are to elicit giggles and smiles from viewers of all ages. Especially when all this fighting is juxtaposed by Shaggy and Scooby deciding to "Eat their way out!" of a brawl in the Arkham cafeteria.
Aquaman is once again an unexpected treasure, stealing laughs and getting the best lines. Voiced by John DiMaggio, the King of Atlantis is truly the surprise stand out. His bravado and sheer love of hanging with other super heroes and battling villains is completely intoxicating, and he almost steals the show.
Scooby Doo and Batman: Brave and the Bold features more Easter eggs than a Sunday in April and we found ourselves pausing quite a bit trying to identify all the villains slugging it out during the Arkham breakout, trying to read gravestones, and name the Trophies in the Batcave. As the gang enters a graveyard long time Scooby fans will notice the familiar wolf howl from the beginning of the original series, instantly transporting them back to a Saturday morning in the 70's. Even though the final act is kind of telegraphed in the Batcave, it still delivers on action and comedy. I am hoping we get to see a few Cos-players this season doing the BAT-SCOOBY gang!
Are you enjoying the mood and melodies of this world in your ear holes? Emmy Award winning BATB universe composers Dynamic Music Partners have done it again as they seamlessly combine the two TV themes, and musical cues from both shows thru the whole film.
Retro, Cool, Nerd gives Scooby Doo and Batman: Brave and the Bold 9 out of 10 Scooby Snacks.
I can say with out a doubt that fans of both old and new Batman will enjoy this nostalgic look at some of our favorite characters. what did you think of the flick? let us know in the comments below.
Here is a clip!
