Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Apr 22, 2024
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Paul Sommer, Carl Urbano, Ray PattersonRelease Date(s)
1987 (February 20, 2024)Studio(s)
Hanna-Barbera (Warner Archive Collection)- Film/Program Grade: B+
- Video Grade: B+
- Audio Grade: B
- Extras Grade: F
Review
During the 1980s, Hanna-Barbera was in full swing with any number of TV shows, including their previous hits which were in constant rotation in re-runs. However, a return to the classic characters of old in some new adventures was definitely needed, and from 1987 to 1988, they produced ten syndicated made-for-TV feature films starring many of their most popular stars, including Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Huckleberry Hound, Top Cat, and many others. This series eventually became known collectively as Hanna-Barbera’s Superstars 10, and 36 years later, the folks at the Warner Archive Collection have released all of the films on Blu-ray for the first time.
Premiering on October 18, 1987 was Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers. Shaggy, Scooby, and Scrappy-Doo head to the South in search of Shaggy’s inherited country estate, left to him by his late uncle. Along the way they meet Sheriff Buzby, who warns them of the dangers ahead as the estate is said to be haunted. Afraid but undeterred, they drive on, and after being chased by ghosts into Shaggy’s new house and their truck sinking into the mud, they find themselves forced to spend the night, greeted by the creepy and kooky butler Farquard. Hoping to rid themselves of the ghosts, they call upon The Boo Brothers, three goofy ghosts whose specialty is catching ghosts. Meanwhile, Scooby and the gang discover hidden scrolls around the house that promise to lead them to a secret family fortune, but they must evade various ghosts, an escaped circus ape, the trigger-happy Billy-Bob, and his sister Sadie Mae who’s taken a liking to Shaggy.
By the time the 1980s had rolled around, Hanna-Barbera Productions was trying different things with its staple of animated characters, and instead of having a more traditional Scooby-Doo plot, they decided not to bring the entire Mystery Machine gang along for Scooby’s first full-length outing. They also managed to make Scrappy a more tolerable character (a victory in and of itself). The spooky atmosphere and silly pratfalls are the stars of the show here. The constant running from obstacles with little to no room to breathe can get tiresome as it’s something that works better in a shorter form, but one can’t deny the charms of Scooby-Doo and Shaggy roaming around a supposedly haunted house solving another mystery. In truth, the mystery isn’t really the point as it’s more about finding the treasure, as well as Three Stooges-style slapstick from The Boo Brothers. Let’s face it, you either like these new characters, or you don’t, but Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers is probably one of the best that this series has to offer, especially if you’re a long-time Scooby-Doo fan.
Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers was animated and finished on 35 mm film at the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Warner Archive brings the film to Blu-ray on a BD-50 disc, maintaining its original television aspect ratio. As with the Blu-ray release of Yogi’s Great Escape, Warner Archive allows this animated title their normal high quality container, complete with vibrant color, good contrast, and a high bitrate that sits primarily between 30 to 40Mbps. Linework, cel dirt, and other debris are maintained, with a bit of mild speckling and a light layer of film grain. Some moderate noise removal has been applied, but everything appears organic to the source. It also appears to be a slightly sharper and more refined presentation than its predecessor.
Audio is presented in English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. This track runs a little hot with mild hiss and extremely mild distortion, but it offers a bit more spread for music and atmospherics, as should be expected from a title that’s a little more on the spooky side. Dialogue and score are offered plenty of good support.
No extras have been included with this single-disc release of Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers, but for people of a certain age who saw these films when they originally aired on TV, or rented them on VHS through Worldvision Enterprises, seeing them in such high quality is a real treat. Thankfully, Warner Archive realized that not everybody may like every film in this series, and they’ve given them the opportunity to purchase them individually, or pick them all up in the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 Blu-ray boxed set; which, if you’re planning on getting all of them, is the better bargain. Regardless, it’s great to see these films finally make it past the DVD format.
- Tim Salmons
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