CHILL OUT, SCOOBY DOO (2007)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *comedy*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *psychological*

CHILL was the next to last project to which the co-creator of the Scoobies, Joseph Barbera, contributed before his passing in 2006, and the DTV film is dedicated to the characters' designer Iwao Takamoto, who passed in 2007. It's a shame, then, that CHILL provided a thoroughly mediocre entry in the Mystery Inc franchise.

Given that the story is largely set in Tibet, the animators made an effort to impart an exotic flair to the visuals and the music, initially reminding me slightly of the "Monster of the Monastery" episode of the sixties JONNY QUEST. American professor Jeffries, with the help of local guide Pemba, goes looking in the snowy mountains for the legendary land of Shangri-La, until both behold what looks like a giant white-furred Yeti.

In Paris, Fred, Velma and Daphne are vacationing while awaiting the arrival of Scooby and Shaggy, who are traveling separately for unclear reasons. However, though the other two Scoobies think they're flying to Paris on a charter flight, they've actually been abducted by French creature-hunter Alphonse Lafleur. Lafleur flies the duo to the Himalayas, intending to use them as bait to lure out the Yeti, again for unclear reasons (though admittedly Shaggy and Scooby have spent of their existence being so used by their best friends).

The other three learn of the abduction and catch a fast plane to Tibet. Meanwhile Scooby and Shaggy get involved not only in LaFleur's Yeti hunt but also in the troubles of the other cast-members-- Jeffreys, Pemba and his music-loving sister Minga, the High Lama of the local lamasery (for some reason uninhabited by any other priests), and eventually, previous acquaintance Dell Chillman, a radio jock the heroes met in an earlier exploit. 

Some of the jokes are OK, but CHILL froze me out by including not one, not two, but three unfunny chase-scenes with really mediocre songs. (Though the movie's not technically set at Christmas, Shaggy and Scooby respectively dress up like Santa and Rudolf to pull a ruse of the rampaging Yeti.)  The identity of the Yeti--  or rather, the Yetis-- held zero interest. Oh, and the Shangri-La subplot is barely justified.

For Scooby completists only.