Chill Out, Scooby-Doo, on Cartoon Network

You might think Casey Kasem was from Shangra-La, considering the voice-over artist dubbed that “meddling kid,” Shaggy Rogers well into his eighties. Unfortunately, time catches up to even the eternally youthful. Although Kasem once again performed as Shaggy in this feature, it was animation legend Josph Barbera’s final Scooby project. It was also dedicated to the memory of late Disney and Hanna-Barbera animator Iwao Takamoto, a longtime contributor to the Scooby franchise. Scooby and Shaggy have outlived them all, presumably thanks to diet and exercise (all that running from monsters). They get another workout (this time at high altitude) in Joe Sichta’s Chill Out, Scooby Doo, which airs on the Cartoon Network.

Fred, Daphne, and Velma thought they were meeting Scooby and Shaggy in Paris for a well-earned vacation. Instead, Rogers and our favorite Great Dane are lured to the Himalayas by cryptid-hunter Alphonse LeFleur, by the promise of an all-you-can-eat flight. He intends to use the duo as bait for the Yeti.

Fortunately, Scooby and Shaggy quickly ditch LaFleur, reconnecting with an old friend, cryptozoologist Del Chillman, who now happens to be the local DJ, even though he only has one regular listener, Minga, the sister of Pemba the sherpa. Unfortunately, Pemba’s latest client is clearly up to no good. Professor Jeffries hopes to plunder the crystals of Shangra-La, right under the nose of the High Lama. There is also the Yeti, who clearly enjoys chasing Scooby and Shaggy. In fact, he pursues them right into Shangra-La.

As straight-to-DVD features go, Chill Out really plays like an extended episode of the various Mystery Incorporated series. Even by the franchise standards, the humor is shamelessly goofy and logic immediately goes out the window. For instance, the rest of the meddling kids manage to drive their van from Paris to Himalayas, within the first act.

On the other hand, the Shangra-La background art is really cool looking. It is also highly nostalgic to watch all the classic Scooby tropes and hear the iconic voice-cast-members Kasem and Frank Welker, as Shaggy and both Scooby and Fred. The guest-stars also add a lot of vocal flair, particularly Alfred Molina as Jeffries and James Hong as the High Lama.

Nobody will find enlightenment in this Scooby movie, but who’s really looking anyway? At least some research into Himalayan art informed the backdrops, even if it is minimally reflected in Sichta and Adam Scheinman’s screenplay. More importantly, they had the good sense to let Scooby and Shaggy be Scooby and Shaggy. Recommended for the entertaining silliness, Chill Ou, Scooby-Doo airs this Sunday morning and Christmas morning (12/21 & 12/25) on the Cartoon Network.