Scooby Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988)
Shaggy barks at the moon.
Brief Backstory
During the 1980s, Hanna-Barbera created ten movies from their animated properties. Three of them were Scooby Doo movies, Boo Brothers, Ghoul School, and Reluctant Werewolf.
Story
Shaggy is turned into a werewolf, and may only turn back to his human self if he wins the Monster Road Rally. Count Dracula, the mastermind responsible for Shaggy’s curse, spends the entire race trying to interfere with Shaggy as much as he can to prevent him from winning.
Random Facts
Scrappy’s final appearance until the 2002 live action movie. Good riddance.
Unlike other Scooby Doo shows/movies, Reluctant Werewolf doesn’t involve a criminal disguised as a monster.
Digital ink and paint was used for this unlike the other two.
The race is way better than the pod race from Phantom Menace. I’m serious.
Hamilton Camp voices Dracula, who also voiced the Prophet of Mercy in Halo 2.
Random Opinions
One thing I’ve learned: Bitches love Shaggy.
The part where Dracula steals the engine might send out some PTSD to anyone who’s driven US 69 in Oklahoma due to all the speed traps.
They still had drive-in theaters in the late 80s? I thought by the early 80s they were going extinct; Fort Worth had one right off of I-30 that became a goner around that time, and the one in Pevely off of US 61 likely went out of business by then.
Don’t beverages fix hiccups, not cause them?
Pros
- Scrappy Doo isn’t obnoxious like he used to be in the early 80s.
- Some really funny moments especially during the race.
- I think it’s a nice change of pace to have some actual monsters instead of just the tired old guy in a suit fiasco.
- The race is a great homage to Wacky Races.
Cons
- Digital animation doesn’t look that good. Often the characters look a little pixelated
- Stock images used for Hawaii.
Rating: 7.5/10 – Good
Out of the three Scooby Doo movies from the 80s, this is the one I remember and like the most. While it still doesn’t live up to the first three incarnations (Scooby Doo Where Are You, New Scooby Doo Movies, the Scooby Doo Show) it’s still hugely better than the Scooby and Scrappy Doo series from 1979.
One response to “Scooby Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf”
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Pretty good article. I remember watching the TV animated Scooby-Doo movies on Cartoon Network. I got plans to write two articles on The Ghoul School and Reluctant Werewolf. Hate to break it to ya, Scrappy’s my all-time favorite cartoon character. He’s not THAT annoying. He’s a little puppy who doesn’t fear death. He saved Scooby and Shaggy a couple times. Scrappy deserves respect not resentment.
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