SCCOBY DOO AND THE SPOOKY SCARECROW/MECHA MUTT MENACE/ GHASTLY GOALS (2012-14)

   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*

MYTHICITY: (1) *poor* (2) *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *comedy*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *psychological*                                                                                                                                              Here are three more of the 22-minute DTV Scooby-sodes to add to my previous review of SCOOBY DOO AND THE BEACH BEASTIE.                                                                                                   

The least of the three is SPOOKY SCARECROW. The writers don't even try to concoct a half-decent juvenile mystery, and as there are only two real candidates for the transgressor playing the role of cursed scarecrow "Corncob Clem," it's not hard to guess that it's going to be the one not voiced by celeb Wendy Malick. In addition, Clem never does anything that a man in a costume could not do, so even a kid who never saw any Scooby-Doos before this one would probably not be surprised by The Reveal.                                                       

 There's not any sort of spooky mystery going on here. Mystery Inc attends some sort of non-scholastic "science fair" competition, with Fred entering one of his super-sophisticated traps. A fully adult scientist has entered a giant robot dog that has supposedly been designed for Mars exploration. (Shouldn't there be some sort of limits on the amount of money spent on these competitive exhibitions?) Some nefarious schemer reprograms the huge "Mecha-Mutt" to go on a rampage, and there's some blather about a "Space Spectre" that might be responsible. But of course it's a human villain, and there's only one real suspect. The only good part of MUTT involves Fred chasing after a cute young thing and Daphne's barely concealed jealousy.                                                                                                      

GHASTLY GOALS redeems the DTV series slightly, in part thanks to offering some well-thought-out exoticism as Mystery Inc visits Brazil during a big soccer game. For some reason several people are seeking a particular soccer ball, and one of the seekers looks like the traditional Santeria demon-god Eshu. Though the usual Reveal is heavily foreshadowed, at least Eshu's costume is a good one. Scooby, Shaggy and Velma all perform their usual routines. But this time Daphne gets to provoke jealousy in Fred when she moons over hot-guy Brazilian soccer-players, though her infatuation does not play a role in the story as such.