'Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo' "South Seas Scare"/"Scooby Gumbo"/Alaskan King Coward" (1981)
Opening thoughts: All three shorts here are mixed feelings quality, a long way from awful thanks to good individual things in each short but also not great. "Scooby Gumbo" is the best of the three, with it boasting one of the best gags of the Scooby, Scrappy and Shaggy shorts, but while my least favourite "Alaskan King Coward" has actually grown on me. Hated it as a child and always fast forwarded it on Scooby Doo compilation videos, but it has merit now. Which surprised me as some of the shorts that did little for me as a child fare worse now.
Good things: There are good things here. Each short has good individual moments, the best part of the triple bill being Scrappy's attempt at his battle hymn and Scooby's reaction in "Scooby Gumbo". The no dogs allowed little moment was amusing too, while "Alaskan King Coward" had Shaggy's "every coward for himself for himself" line and the disguises in "South Seas Scare" were fun. Did like the supporting characters in general, the fire god is well designed and cool and the monster in "Alaskan King Coward" is much creepier than remembered, he came over as goofy to me as a child but he is one of the few adversaries to feel more antagonistic than the standard bully character usually seen in the shorts.
Loved the settings in all three, especially for "South Seas Scare". Voice work from all involved is spirited on the whole, Casey Kasem and Don Messick are great as Shaggy and Scooby. Have always liked the theme tune, which is catchy.
Bad things: Did find however all three of them too thin and over-stretched. Especially "Alaskan King Coward", which also had especially repetitive action (something that my child self especially disliked about the short when a child) in a triple bill where most of the action was tired and lacking in variety. The chef's, who is not a memorable character and too much of a standard bully, logic was inconsistent in "Scooby Gumbo", with not allowing them to eat but ok with them to work. The gags on the whole were too stale and retread-like, apart from a couple of good moments in "Scooby Gumbo".
"South Seas Scare" has one of Scrappy's worst ever moments, the defeat of the fire god. That was beyond stupid and too easy, as well as too much of an excuse for finally acting upon his overused catchphrase. Scrappy is very annoying in particularly "Alaskan King Coward" in a triple bill that is too much Scrappy overkill, his spoiling of the disguise tableau being one of the biggest examples of making things worse rather than better. The animation is flat and rushed looking throughout.
Closing thoughts: In summary, watchable but very mixed here.
5/10.
Opening thoughts: All three shorts here are mixed feelings quality, a long way from awful thanks to good individual things in each short but also not great. "Scooby Gumbo" is the best of the three, with it boasting one of the best gags of the Scooby, Scrappy and Shaggy shorts, but while my least favourite "Alaskan King Coward" has actually grown on me. Hated it as a child and always fast forwarded it on Scooby Doo compilation videos, but it has merit now. Which surprised me as some of the shorts that did little for me as a child fare worse now.
Good things: There are good things here. Each short has good individual moments, the best part of the triple bill being Scrappy's attempt at his battle hymn and Scooby's reaction in "Scooby Gumbo". The no dogs allowed little moment was amusing too, while "Alaskan King Coward" had Shaggy's "every coward for himself for himself" line and the disguises in "South Seas Scare" were fun. Did like the supporting characters in general, the fire god is well designed and cool and the monster in "Alaskan King Coward" is much creepier than remembered, he came over as goofy to me as a child but he is one of the few adversaries to feel more antagonistic than the standard bully character usually seen in the shorts.
Loved the settings in all three, especially for "South Seas Scare". Voice work from all involved is spirited on the whole, Casey Kasem and Don Messick are great as Shaggy and Scooby. Have always liked the theme tune, which is catchy.
Bad things: Did find however all three of them too thin and over-stretched. Especially "Alaskan King Coward", which also had especially repetitive action (something that my child self especially disliked about the short when a child) in a triple bill where most of the action was tired and lacking in variety. The chef's, who is not a memorable character and too much of a standard bully, logic was inconsistent in "Scooby Gumbo", with not allowing them to eat but ok with them to work. The gags on the whole were too stale and retread-like, apart from a couple of good moments in "Scooby Gumbo".
"South Seas Scare" has one of Scrappy's worst ever moments, the defeat of the fire god. That was beyond stupid and too easy, as well as too much of an excuse for finally acting upon his overused catchphrase. Scrappy is very annoying in particularly "Alaskan King Coward" in a triple bill that is too much Scrappy overkill, his spoiling of the disguise tableau being one of the biggest examples of making things worse rather than better. The animation is flat and rushed looking throughout.
Closing thoughts: In summary, watchable but very mixed here.
5/10.
