Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins

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Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins
Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009).jpg
DVD cover
GenreComedy horror
Based onScooby-Doo
by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears
Screenplay by
  • Daniel Altiere
  • Steven Altiere
Directed byBrian Levant
Starring
Music byDavid Newman
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers
CinematographyJan Kiesser
EditorEric Osmond
Running time82 minutes
Production companyWarner Premiere
DistributorWarner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original networkCartoon Network
Original release
  • September 13, 2009 (2009-09-13)

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins is a 2009 American made-for-television comedy horror mystery film directed by Brian Levant. It is the third installment and the first prequel to the Scooby-Doo live-action film series, revealing how the Mystery Inc. gang met and the events of their first case. The live-action cast features Robbie Amell as Fred, Kate Melton as Daphne, Hayley Kiyoko as Velma and Nick Palatas as Shaggy. Scooby-Doo was created using computer-generated imagery and his voice is provided by Frank Welker, who was a cast member of the animated series. A sequel, Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, was released in October 2010.

Plot[]

In Coolsville, Ohio, a pet adoption fair is held. Scooby-Doo is up for adoption, but nobody wants him. Later, on the way back to the pound, Scooby is accidentally left behind. Seeking shelter from a rainstorm, he comes across a graveyard where he witnesses two ghosts rise from their graves. Scooby panics and runs away, ending up in the bedroom of Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, a clumsy and geeky outcast. The two quickly bond and Shaggy adopts Scooby.

Later, Shaggy tries to smuggle Scooby onto the school bus, but a fight between Shaggy, Scooby, and some bullies breaks out which causes the bus to crash into a flagpole, which falls on Vice Principal Grimes' car, damaging its windshield. Because of the fight on the bus and the damage to Grimes' car, Shaggy is sent to the library for detention, along with three others: Fred Jones, the quarterback of the football team; Velma Dinkley, a science nerd; and Daphne Blake, a wealthy drama club student. They bond somewhat over a shared interest in mysteries, but quickly get on each other's nerves. The ghosts suddenly appear and chase them to the gym where a pep rally is taking place. A masked figure in a cloak known as the Specter appears, demanding everyone to leave. The stamp-collecting Principal Deedle decides to close the school, but Grimes deems it a prank and suspends the quartet as he refuses to believe that there are ghosts in the school.

The gang tries to clear their names by investigating the ghosts at the school, but Shaggy and Scooby-Doo end up being locked in the cafeteria freezers. They are freed the next morning by Grimes, who turns the gang's suspension to an expulsion, and threatens to have them arrested if they are caught sneaking into the school again. Assuming the school librarian and janitor might be trying to close the school after Shaggy remembered overhearing them complaining about it, they use Daphne's knowledge of theatrical costuming to sneak into the school, but they are exonerated when Velma discovers a spell book was recently checked out by Grimes, making them think Grimes is their prime suspect. Searching at night at Grimes' house, they learn that the school grounds were once used by Coolsville Academy, a prep school that was destroyed during a flood the same day they intended to bury a time capsule of the school's history; the gang concludes the ghosts are trying to get their school shut down so they can search for the time capsule unimpeded. The ghosts attack again, and the teens are knocked out. The Specter, keeping Scooby and Grimes as prisoners, forces the gang to search underground for the time capsule. Unable to find the capsule, they trick the Specter into coming down to carry the capsule out of the hole, but the plan backfires when they try to lock him up in a flooded room, and the Specter acquires the capsule.

Stealing the capsule back, the gang uses the spell book to banish the ghosts. Scooby breaks free of his restraints and arrives just in time to subdue the Specter, who is soon revealed to be Deedle. It is then revealed that a stamp misprint was hidden within the time capsule, something that would have been worth a fortune. Determined to obtain the misprint, Deedle used the spell book to summon the ghosts to have the school evacuated so he can accomplish his goal.

After Deedle's crimes are reported to the police and the superintendent, the group is re-enrolled into Coolsville High and publicly congratulated by Grimes, who becomes the new principal and also apologizes to the gang for falsely accusing them before announcing the official burial of the time capsule. Just as they begin digging, Shaggy accidentally throws his shovel, which lands on Grimes' car, once again damaging its windshield. Instead of giving him a detention, Grimes forgives Shaggy, stating that accidents happen. The group decide to stay together and solve mysteries, and they head off to "investigate some strange goings-on at the Coolsville museum", a reference to the first episode of Scooby-Doo Where Are You! and their first villain, the Black Knight Ghost.

Cast[]

Production[]

Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, including Templeton Secondary School from August 4, 2008.[1]

The music is scored by David Newman, who had previously scored the theatrical films Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). The film is dedicated to Lorena Gale, who died during production.

Release[]

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins aired on Cartoon Network on September 13, 2009. Warner Home Video released it on DVD and Blu-ray on September 22, 2009.[2] It has also been released as Scooby-Doo 3 and Scooby-Doo 3: The Mystery Begins.[citation needed]

Reception[]

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins was the most-watched telecast in Cartoon Network history. It had 6.1 million viewers, outdistancing the previous high of 3.9 million viewers that tuned into the premiere of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.[3]

Variety called it a "surprisingly effective origin story",[4] and the Los Angeles Times wrote that it is "a first-rate family film and an excellent, faithful take on Scooby-Doo rounded out by a surprising amount of human feeling".[5]

Sequel[]

Main article: Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster

Due to the success of Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, a sequel went into development in October 2009. Titled Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, principal photography commenced on March 15, 2010 in various locations around Southern California. The sequel aired on October 16, 2010 and was released on DVD in 2011.

References[]

  1. ^ "Metro News". Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2008.
  2. ^ "Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins DVD release date".
  3. ^ "'Scooby-Doo' Movie Scares Up Record Ratings For Cartoon Network".
  4. ^ Lowry, Brian (September 10, 2009). "Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  5. ^ Lloyd, Robert (September 11, 2009). "Review: The Scooby-Doo gang meddles again; Cartoon Network's new movie goes back to when Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred met". Los Angeles Times. p. D21 – via Proquest.

External links[]

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