Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (2010): The 14th DTV film in the Scooby-Doo! reboot line-up, Abracadabra-Doo is a strong entry and would portend the all-time greatness of the following film, Camp Scare. We have the first animated “appearance” of @matthewlillard as Shaggy and a much darker and grounded animation style here (something I’m always a fan of). My favorite Scooby-Doo! films are the ones where they blend the horror/fantasy elements with the comedy elements and not the other way around and I think this film achieves that goal. This isn’t to say that there aren’t bouts of comedy gold found here; there are. The recurring gag with @daveattell voicing the Mystery Machine’s new G.P.S. is just a standout joke in any of the films and is used just the right amount here. The film follows the gang as they head to a transplanted (literally) caslte where Velma’s sister, Madelyn, has been learning magic. They show up at the Whirlen Merlin Magic Academy and discover the school to be almost bereft of students and under attack from a giant, vicious griffin. The mystery elements are all here with tons of red herrings (including a suspicious groundskeeper!) and lots of twists and turns. The best bit here is the relationship between Madelyn and Shaggy. Madelyn is infatuated with him and, while he likes her, he is obviously almost completely oblivious. There are some great scenes involving these two and the Madelyn character is a great addition. Like Camp Scare, we get multiple monsters here with a banshee also making an appearance. The monster designs are, by far, the strongest here and the animation really gets a workout whenever they pop up. Overall though, this is a pleasing looking film and I didn’t find myself thinking things looked cheap here, production-wise. There isn’t much more to say about this one. If you’re a fan of the series, you should certainly find something to enjoy here while new fans should jump right on board with the mystery, the monsters, and the magic. #movie_mattinee