Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost (2018) Review

 

Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost (2018)

Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost sees Scooby and the gang travel to Bobby Flay’s culinary resort where a 200 year-old ghost is haunting the grounds.

Totally bought this yesterday as a joke between Heidi Wiant and I, but that being said I really liked it. I’ll admit, I’m a little biased because I love Bobby Flay and that will certainly have an impact on this review, but c’mon! Bobby Flay meets Scooby Doo!

So, this very recent movie from Hanna Barbera Productions borrows a lot from the iteration of Scooby-Doo in the What’s New Scooby Doo animated show, with the animation and coloring, as well as many of the voice actors returning to voice the characters (having never really left). The premise is also really cool, having a 200 year old ghost haunting the estate of a former Revolutionary War chef, who just so happens to be Bobby and Fred’s many great grandfather.

I know it’s gimmicky, but growing up, some of my favorite episodes of the old Scooby Doo show were the guest appearance episodes with the Harlem Globetrotters, Lurch, or even Dick Van Dyke, and so I love that they got to make a fun, food inspired episode with Bobby Flay, who is exactly how you would expect him to be in all of his pureness.

I will also be honest that this kept me guessing, never really knowing who the villain was and even if I did, how they did it was beyond a mystery to me until the very end, which is always important in series that is based in solving mysteries.

The cast featured a ton of veteran Scooby-Doo actors, including Frank Welker, Grey Griffin, Kate Micucci, and the always fantastic Matthew Lillard, as well as, of course, Bobby Flay. I love Lillard as shaggy, as he brings such a stoner-y, goofiness to the role and Weller doing double time with Scooby and Fred was super impressive.

Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost, directed by 2000s animation expert Doug Murphy, finally finds a hit in a modern Scooby Doo movie that is very obviously more innocent and child friendly, but is still a fun, food filled ride.

7/10