By Chris Kavan - 03/24/20 at 11:58 PM CT
Theaters may be closed nationwide (and in several countries) but the ratings must go on. That being said, this week doesn't provide the most robust of offerings with but a single wide release - or at least it was at one point. Like oh so many films of late the animated Scoob! (and updated take on the classic Scooby-Doo) has been indefinitely shelved. I'm assuming it will come out in theaters at some point, but, who knows - maybe it will go straight to VOD (like Trolls 2) or maybe be picked up by a streaming service (as Netflix did for The Lovebirds). In any case, I'll still cover it as it's the only big film in the bunch.
All that is old is new again - that should be Hollywood's new motto. So many IPs have been updated, rebooted or remade, it's enough to make one's head spin. The overall effort, however, is certainly hit-or-miss. Sure, you can get a lot of money out of Transformers, but then you have something like Robocop that should have remained an original, nothing more. So what to expect from Scoob! - which serves as both an origin story and the first big-screen animated version of the beloved Saturday morning staple. The origin shows how inseperable pals Shaggy and Scooby found each other - and became part of the gang with Fred, Velma and Daphne, the Mystery Machine amateur crime-stoppers who are ever so good at uncovering spooky mysteries. The film doesn't skimp on casting with Will Forte as the adult Shaggy (Iain Armitage as the young version), Zac Efron as Fred (Pierce Gagnon as the young version), Amanda Seyfried as Daphne (with Mckenna Grace voicing the young version), Gina Rodriguez as Velma (Ariana Greenblatt as the young version) as well as Mark Wahlberg voicing Blue Falcon, Jason Isaacs voicing Dick Dastardly, Ken Jeong as Dynomutt, Kiersey Clemons as Dee Dee Skyes and Tracy Morgan as Captain Cavemna. Of course, Scooby himself is voiced by the iconic Frank Welker, who is known for voicing both Scooby and Fred in various animated versions of Scooby-Doo. Besides serving as an origin story, the film is also described as the treat-loving lovable pooch finding his destiny - which turns out much bigger than anyone could imagine. If the film can find that sweet spot where nostalgia and pleasing families meet - it could be pretty big. The live-action version that came out in 2002 was fun in its own right, but, come on, this was meant to be animated. It may be awhile before we can gauge the reaction but if it hits the right notes, I don't see why it won't be popular, at least with the family crowd. Rated PG for some action, language and rude/suggestive humor.
And with that, the main course has been served, but enjoy your dessert below wherein you shall find the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin:
HOW TO BUILD A GIRL
Rated R for sexual content, language throughout and some teen drinking.
THE OUTPOST
Rated R for war violence and grisly images, pervasive language, and sexual references.
REBUILDING PARADISE
Rated PG-13 for intense scenes of peril, thematic elements and some strong language.
SCOOB!
Rated PG for some action, language and rude/suggestive humor.
SEIZED
Rated R for violence throughout, sexual material/nudity, and language.
SHIRLEY
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and brief disturbing images.
SNIPER: ASSASSIN'S END
Rated R for bloody violence and some language.
WELCOME TO SUDDEN DEATH
Rated R for some bloody violence, and language.
