dinkley_rogers | "Big Top Scooby Doo": Spoiler-free review

Big Top Scooby Doo doesn't come out on DVD until October. But Amazon is offering it up for a 48-hour rental. I couldn't wait, so I paid the rental price ($3.99) and watched it early.

Just like all the recent DTV movies, Big Top Scooby Doo kicks off with an action sequence featuring the film's monster...

...followed by a theme song that is accompanied by goofy animation. Big Top opts to use a different "wacky animation" style than the previous 4 movies in this series. Instead of cartoony, stylized 2D animation; it uses a paper-cut/stop-motion style. And the song that goes along with it is a "spooky circus" song that sounds like someone trying to mimic the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack (the singer even sounds like Danny Elfman). It's not all that great (this series hasn't had a great soundtrack since Camp Scare). But it fits the tone of the film and it goes with the visuals.

.....*sigh* I really want to praise this movie for trying a new art/animation style for the opening titles. But...just look at what they did to poor Velma!!!

Considering how much she's sexed up in these recent movies, it's odd that they opted to make her look like a middle-aged Tammy Faye Baker here. Plus, since when does Velma wear makeup anyway!?

Anyhoo, the movie involves the gang taking a trip to Atlantic City. Everyone wants to party. But Fred drags them to the Celestia Circus [insert My Little Pony joke here] because he's a dork and that's his idea of "partying".
I love Fred in this movie. It does a good job of making him dorky and naive without making him come across as an idiot.

Everyone gets to wear wacky circus costumes.

And Shaggy cos-plays as Doctor Facilier.

My favorite aspect of the movie is this: There is ZERO romantic side-plot nonsense!!!!
Neither Shaggy nor Velma get a one-shot love interest that shows up just to be a plot device and is never spoken of again! And we aren't subjected to Daphne and/or Fred acting like jealous dimwits every time a member of the opposite sex says "hello". The lack of awkward romance means we get to see more of the gang acting like a team of friends instead of two sets of couples and a lonely, nerdy girl. And this focus on friendship makes me happy.
Honestly, the only people who'll see "shipping" in this thing are the obsessive, starry-eyed fan-twits who desperately seek it out even when it clearly doesn't exist.

What!? Stop looking at me like that!!!! XD

I wish I could gush about this movie some more, post every screenshot I took, and do another one of my crazy in-depth reviews. But going on would spoil the plot and I REALLY want every Scooby fan (and every open-minded non-fan) to experience this movie without spoilers. The mystery and plot are solid and I think Big Top Scooby Doo is the best out of all the newer Scooby DTVs. Heck, I think it's on par with Zombie Island! It's THAT awesome!

So, just to tide you guys over until the DVD comes out in October (or you manage to catch it on Cartoon Network. Whatever comes first), I've posted some random, spoiler-free screen shots that I think are cool/hilarious/whatever when their proper context is taken away. Enjoy!

Can't sleep, clown will eat me. Can't sleep, clown will eat me. Can't sleep, clown will eat me....

Oh, by the way, welcome to your nightmares for the next few days....

....now I won't have to suffer alone (MWA HA HA!)

Seriously, I did you a favor by preparing you for that nightmare scene. It'll scare the crap out of you if you're blind-sided by it in the actual movie (trust me, I know >_< ).
Here, I'll make it up to you with something cute: