Being a huge 'Scooby Doo' fan for goodness knows how long, any new show, special or film would be watched with great anticipation. While 'Scooby Doo Where Are You' is still the jewel of the crown of the franchise, it was interesting to see 'Scooby Doo' rendered in Lego.
'Lego Scooby Doo', as said with the previous episodes, was something found quite by accident after watching the short special 'Knight Time Terror' and the two Lego-rendered 'Scooby Doo' films 'Haunted Hollywood' and 'Blowout Beach Bash'. After being pleasantly surprised by 'Knight Time Terror' and 'Blowout Beach Bash' (was mixed on 'Haunted Hollywood'), it made me interested to see more Lego 'Scooby Doo', having seen other films lately following the Lego animation trend and doing it remarkably well. They are very short episodes, but is quite an interesting and remarkably very well done little series even if different than expected, being more encounters with monsters with lots of fun and spooky atmosphere rather than a mystery with an unmasking.
It's not a perfect series, for my tastes all the episodes are too short (the longest being only under a minute and a half), while some are rushed and some have abrupt endings. The stories are still a lot of fun and are very rich in atmosphere but do expect stories that are slight and a vast majority of them being mystery-light ("Ghoul on Wheels", "The Getaway" and "Impossible Imposters" are the closest we get to mysteries), but as the stories, visuals and humour are so well done this wasn't a problem to me.
Nor that Fred, Velma and Daphne didn't appear in several of the episodes, because Shaggy and Scooby were always more interesting and are more than compelling enough characters to carry an episode single-handedly when the material is good (which it is here). Shaggy and Scooby are very lovable characters, some may say that Shaggy is unusually savage in "Nice Ride" but considering that their opponent is a jerk and also the invention is one of the coolest things seen in a long time one kind of roots for him. Their friendship is charming and affecting. Fred, Velma and Daphne are not devoid of personality, Fred actually being as funny as Scooby and Shaggy in "Mystery Machine Mash Up", and the interaction between the gang in their appearances is delightful.
A lot of the episodes have a very spooky atmosphere, especially "Doorway Debacle", both the Mummy in the museum episodes, "Creaky Creep Out" and "Scary Sleepover". A lot of the villains are very creepy, even in Lego. Many episodes are very funny, notable "Trick and Treat" (Shaggy and Scooby's Halloween disguises are a hoot), "Mystery Machine Mash Up" (both the different Mystery Machine forms and Fred's excuses) and "Wicked Warehouse Pursuit". "Ghoul on Wheels" and "Creaky Creep Out" both end on a bad pun, but the episodes themselves actually cleverly acknowledge that they're bad (but also very endearingly goofy and classic 'Scooby Doo'), like in the gang's reaction in "Ghoul on Wheels".
Some have really cool inventions, especially "Nice Ride" and "If You Build It, Pizza Will Come", which would be a less expensive alternative to having pizza than going to a restaurant or taking away. Some make very imaginative use of their setting, "Doorway Debacle" is a standout in this regard, and "Impossible Imposters" is particularly clever of the stories.
Many of the episodes have very atmospheric and elaborate settings, standouts being the ones for "Doorway Debacle", both the Mummy in the museum episodes, "Creaky Creep Out" and "Scary Sleepover". Animation-wise, the animation is very nicely done. It's very colourful and atmospheric and the music is dynamic and whimsical with a nice haunted house vibe too with the main theme. Voice acting is good.
Overall, very well done series if not perfect. 8/10 Bethany Cox
