Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox film Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery (also released as Scooby-Doo! The WWE Mystery[1]) is a 2014 direct-to-DVD animated comedy mystery film, and the twenty-second film in the direct-to-video series of Scooby-Doo films. It is a co-production between Warner Bros. Animation and WWE Studios. The film features Scooby and the gang solving a mystery at WrestleMania.[2] It was released on March 24, 2014 in the United Kingdom[3] and on March 25, 2014 in the United States[4] by Warner Home Video.
Plot
Shaggy Rogers and his dog Scooby-Doo beat the hardest level of the WWE's latest video game and win an all-expenses-paid stay at WWE City to watch WrestleMania. At the pair's insistence, their friends Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, and Velma Dinkley agree to join them. Upon their arrival, the gang meet John Cena, who gives the gang VIP tickets for the next event; his trainer Cookie; and Cookie's nephew Ruben.
As the show gets underway, Mr. McMahon unveils the WWE Championship belt, the title for which was vacated due to Kane's previous match being overturned and is now available over the weekend. Later that night, Daphne and Velma overhear Ruben and Cookie arguing over the latter not becoming a WWE wrestler due to his leg injury. Meanwhile, Shaggy and Scooby are attacked by a "Ghost Bear". Triple H and Brodus Clay intervene, but the monster overpowers them before disappearing. The following morning, Mystery Inc. learn from WWE executive Ms. Richards that the Ghost Bear has been terrorizing WWE City for the past few weeks. After McMahon asks the gang to solve the mystery to protect the WWE belt, Cena and Sin Cara explain that the Ghost Bear originated over a century prior, when a wrestling bear called Vicious was defeated by Cara's ancestor, Sin Cara Grande, on the land that WWE City would later be built on. Furious over the loss, Vicious attacked the town until Grande banished it to a nearby cave, at the cost of his leg and career. Cara fears that Vicious' spirit was stirred by WrestleMania and is now seeking revenge.
The next day, Scooby is caught stealing the WWE belt, though Velma proves he was in a state of deep hypnosis during the act while Rueben deduces the video game contained flashing lights that implanted post-hypnotic suggestions into Scooby's brain. Despite this, McMahon offers Scooby and Shaggy a chance at freedom if they can defeat Kane at WrestleMania. With Cookie and AJ Lee's help, the pair undergo a crash course in wrestling. Meanwhile, the rest of Mystery Inc. investigate the cave that Vicious was said to have been banished to. Inside, they discover a hidden room containing hypnosis books, schematics for an EMP device, and a calendar confirming the culprit plans to target WrestleMania. Suddenly, the Ghost Bear attacks the group, forcing them into a storm drain, though Cena fights it off before realizing the drain leads directly underneath WWE City. After the gang inform Richards of their discovery, Cookie advocates for WrestleMania's cancellation, but Fred suggests using the event to lure and capture the Ghost Bear.
During Scooby, Shaggy, and Kane's fight, Velma deduces the WWE belt is a fake and contains the EMP device. Cena tries to take it out of the arena, but it activates, shutting down the underground generator. The Ghost Bear soon arrives and wreaks havoc, but the wrestlers use pyrotechnics to illuminate the arena while Scooby and Kane continue their fight. When the Ghost Bear attacks the ring, Scooby and Kane join forces with Ruben, Cena, and Cara to defeat it and unmask it as Cookie. Feeling his career ended too soon, he reveals that he sought to steal the WWE belt, tarnish the organization's reputation, and built an exosuit to help him achieve his plot.
As Cookie is arrested, Cena recovers the real WWE belt and McMahon offers Ruben a place on the WWE roster before awarding the belt to Scooby and Shaggy.
Voice cast
- Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo, Fred Jones
- Mindy Cohn as Velma Dinkley
- Grey DeLisle Griffin as Daphne Blake
- Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers
- Charles S. Dutton as Cookie
- Mary McCormack as Ms. Richards
- John Cena as himself
- AJ Lee as herself
- Santino Marella as himself
- The Miz as himself
- Triple H as himself
- Michael Cole as himself
- Mr. McMahon as himself
- Brodus Clay as himself
- Kane as himself
- Corey Burton as Bayard and Announcer
- Bumper Robinson as Ruben
- Fred Tatasciore as Ghost Bear
Additionally, Sin Cara, Jerry Lawler, Sgt. Slaughter, Jimmy Hart, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, Cameron, Naomi, and the Young Justice incarnations of Wonder Girl, Artemis, Zatanna, and Miss Martian all make non-speaking cameo appearances.[5][6]
Production
Template:Expand section On August 14, 2012, Warner Bros. and WWE Studios announced that they would co-produce a Scooby-Doo animated feature that will find Scooby and the gang solving a mystery at WrestleMania.[2]
Soundtrack
Template:Expand section The original music score was composed by Ryan Shore. The film also features the WWE entrance music themes of The Miz, Mr. McMahon, John Cena, Kane, and AJ Lee.
Critical reception
Matt Fowler of IGN gave the film a "Mediocre" score of 5.0 out of 10, citing that "Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery will most definitely delight your children, whether they're fans of one, or both, properties. It's well-meaning, snappily animated, and it's fun to hear the [wrestlers] do their own voices."[7]
Television retitling
In its television premiere on Cartoon Network on Saturday, July 26, 2014, the film was retitled Scooby-Doo! The WWE Mystery[8] and the event the gang are in WWE City to witness was renamed "SuperStar-Mania". This film is the first of the animated films to get a TV-PG rating for "violence" due to the plot of the film involving wrestling. All previous Scooby-Doo animated films received a TV-Y7-FV rating.
Sequel
Template:Main On September 15, 2014, WWE and Warner Bros. announced a direct sequel to WrestleMania Mystery to be released in 2016 by the name of Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon.[9] Hulk Hogan was billed to be prominently featured.[10] However, on July 23, 2015, WWE terminated their contract with Hogan due to racist comments, leaving speculation as to his appearance in the film.
In the UK, the film was released on August 8, 2016.[11]
Follow-up film
Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy was released on August 19, 2014.
References
External links
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