Some parents back in the early 2000s complained that the live action version of Scooby Doo (2002) had some "inappropriate content" and was "not suitable for family viewing". Well this movie should be a suitable substitute. This film is about the gang back in high school and how mystery Inc. got started. I liked the casting decisions, they are all very good fits for their roles. Robbie Amell is the perfect choice for high school Fred. I also liked Kate Melton as Daphne. They were a good couple too, had good natural chemistry together. The actors that played shaggy and Velma were good too. The movie had some good moments that built a little character development and it also had all the aspects of a traditional scooby doo story. If you have younger children then I suggest giving them this to view. It's good family friendly fun. Has some scenes that the younger crowd will think is funny, but nothing too off color, which was the claim some parents made about the 2002 film. Not perfect, but I think the cast was the best thing about the movie and made it worth a watch.

After SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED, a third SCOOBY-DOO sequel was announced for a release date. However, after the release of SCOOBY-DOO 2, Warner Bros. felt that the film should have made money, so the production of SCOOBY-DOO 3 was cancelled.However, after a five-year absence from the big screen, Scooby-Doo and the gang would return in a prequel to the first two films, titled SCOOBY-DOO: THE MYSTERY BEGINS, released in 2009 and it is a direct to video sequel.The film is a prequel showing how Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby-Doo became Mystery, Inc, how they met and the events of their very first case.The story is okay and the first two SCOOBY-DOO films were kid-friendly, so this film is a little dark and still kid-friendly. The film is directed by Brian Levant and he done a really great job. The script is written by whoever the writer was for this film.You already know the characters, so I will say that the cast was cool and amazing in these roles, but I wish that the original cast would come back and do this film. I have to say, these four actors, playing the four teens are amazing and Frank Welker does the voice of Scooby- Doo.The music is scored by Oscar-nominee David Newman, who previously scored the other two films and Lorena Gale, who died during production of this film plays the Librarian and she did a really good job.Overall, SCOOBY-DOO: THE MYSTERY BEGINS is not the worst prequel, but I definitely enjoyed it and it was spectacular to see their first case on screen.10/10 - THIS IS ONE MOVIE THAT IS A GREAT PREQUEL TO THE FIRST TWO SCOOBY-DOO FILMS IN THE "Scooby-Doo" MOVIE FRANCHISE.

Since the Starwars prequels, every fictional character we're familiar with is sooner or later gets the "Somebody Begins" treatment. It's Scooby's turn; he's a rejected dog at a pet adoption, and starts a brawl on a school bus. Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma all get (wrongly) blamed, thus uniting them when they have to serve detention time.This gives the Mystery Inc. gang an aura of being inept underdogs, which doesn't quite fit them; still, the opening is tied in nicely with their debut case: who is behind the haunting of a Coolsville High pep rally? A cast of relative newcomers play the intrepid crime solvers, and do pretty well. The actors playing Velma and Shaggy do the best, and show promise. Fred and Daphne were kind of bland, but better than Prinze and Geller in those roles in the big-bucks Scooby flicks. Scooby himself is animated and voiced well.Most of the original routines from the cartoon series are sent up fondly with the goofy spirit of the original. True to form, the story has both ghosts and masquerading suspects. The mystery itself is kind of obvious (few suspects, rapid exonerations), but it's all just for laughs anyway. The case doesn't really matter.Fun for kids or kids-at-heart.

If the film is set in 1969 (as it states early on in the film on the school bus - if I remember rightly) Why does Shaggy have CD's and a DVD player (as he states when deciding where they should meet up)? This film is very true to the cartoon!1 Hour 20 mins (80mins) not long enough.Vice Principle Grimes calls Scooby Doo and Shaggy Ben and Jerry - referring to the ice cream as they were locked in the freezer and they ate all the ice cream - but the Ben and Jerry's company wasn't founded until 1978.Fred dresses as a CHAV and CHAVs wasn't invented until 2004 Good Film Though. I rate it 7 because of the all the goofs, there are more.