Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

In my various geeky worlds, there are occasionally crossover events. When a character from one show turns up on another show, sometimes in an entirely different genre. When these work well, they’re very very good. When they don’t turn out well, they’re a little ridiculous. They’re generally somewhere in between, never realizing their full potential. The granddaddy of them all in my book is the Mark Hamill episode of “The Muppet Show,” when Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and R2-D2 bust through the wall of the Muppet Theatre, and never look back. Chewbacca even made an appearance! It just doesn’t get better for that in JediKermit’s book. For obvious reasons.

Almost as good as that in my book are the two episodes of The New Scooby-Doo Movies from the 1970’s that featured Batman and Robin. The New Scooby-Doo Movies were hour-long episodes that featured special guest stars from the A, B, and C list in Hollywood. Among the luminaries in Barely Animated Hanna Barbera Form were Don Knotts, Jonathan Winters, Sonny and Cher, the Addams Family, Mama Cass….and Batman and Robin. These were a highlight of my childhood, and they still stand up with other Scooby-Toons today.

This DVD collects both Batman and Robin episodes, both of which feature the Caped Crusaders trying to apprehend Joker and Penguin as they try to complete their nefarious schemes. Without commercials, the two episodes are forty minutes apiece, and are both enjoyable for either Batman or Scooby fans.

The first episode features more of Joker and Penguin, and has the Mystery Inc. gang camping in the woods when they start noticing mysterious goings-on. It leads them to investigate, and they eventually uncover a sinister plot involving a bumbling scientist and a flying suit. Joker and Penguin, already grotesque, don even more grotesque costumes in an attempt to scare off the kids and their dog; but with Batman and Robin on their side, good eventually triumphs. Duh. This episode is a lot of fun, with dark, mysterious settings, Batgadgets galore (including the Batcopter, Utility Belts, and even Bat-Cookies!), and the two most dastardly of Batman’s villains. The one thing that throws me off with these episodes (and most of vintage Scooby-Doo) is the laughtrack. It’s incredibly annoying until you get used to it.

The second episode has Joker and Penguin pulling off a counterfeiting scheme, and involves some classic Scooby locales like an old farmhouse and an abandoned carnival, and great supporting characters like an innocent old lady who has secrets of her own. Batman and Robin are featured more prominently here, and we’re treated to a Batmobile and the inside of the Batcave (of course everyone’s blindfolded on the way in—even Scooby!). The climax takes place in a sort of toy factory where everyone’s chasing everyone, and eventually everyone’s caught who’s supposed to be caught, and the Meddling Kids are victorious again. There are a few unexpected twists in this one, and it’s great fun---probably more so than the first episode on the DVD.

This is really from a classic heyday for Hanna Barbera—they were doing SuperFriends, a Batman and Robin cartoon, and Scooby-Doo all simultaneously; so they already had the backgrounds and cels and designs for Batman and Robin, they just had to take them next door to the Scooby room and mix it all up. Because of that, the Joker and Penguin have definite characterizations that may be different from what you think of with Joker and Penguin; this certainly isn’t the Emmy Award winning “Batman The Animated Series” from the 1990’s. Despite the corniness of the jokes, despite the roughness of the animation, you and your kids will love this—even more if you grew up with it, but let’s face it, Scooby and his buds haven’t changed a lot in the last thirty years. It still holds up today.

There are some extra features on the DVD, including games, “How To Draw Scooby and Shaggy” videos that show how the animators work (drawing the same thing over and over and over and over…), and a “Mystery Inc.” yearbook that details some of the history behind Scooby-Doo. Among the weirdest things on the DVD is a “Velma Dinkley” music video that pays tribute to the geekiest member of the gang, who’s constantly losing her glasses, finding clues, and saying “JINKIES!”

This was a lot of fun, I’d recommend renting it, not buying it at first. Although it’s entertaining, I don’t know if I’d buy it just on my own recommendation. And if I don’t trust myself… Anyway, it’s definitely worth your time to check it out. Some of these memories are best left in the dust, but this is one I actually enjoyed.

Roooby-rooby-ROOOOOOO!!!!!


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD

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