Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase

Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chaseis a 2001 Americandirect-to-videoanimatedscience fiction comedymystery film,and the fourth in a series of direct-to-video animated films based on theScooby-Doofranchise. It was released on October 9, 2001. The film was produced byHanna-Barbera CartoonsandWarner Bros. Animation.In spite of its grimmer atmosphere, it also has a lighter tone, similar to its predecessor,Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders.

Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase
DVD cover
Directed byJim Stenstrum
Written byMark Turosz
Based onCharacters
byHanna-BarberaProductions
Produced byDavis Doi
Starring
Edited byJoe Gall
Music byLouis Febre
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Home Video
Release date
  • October 9, 2001(2001-10-09)
Running time
75 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

It is the final Hanna-Barbera production to be executive produced by bothWilliam HannaandJoseph Barberabefore Hanna's death on March 22, 2001 and was dedicated in his memory. It is also the fourth and finalScooby-Doodirect-to-video film to be animated overseas by Japanese animation studioMook Animationand the first film to usedigital ink and paint.This film, along withAloha, Scooby-Doo!,was part of the firstScooby-Doo!animated films to be re-released on Blu-ray on April 5, 2011.

This was also the first film to featureGrey DeLisleas the voice ofDaphne Blakeafter the death ofMary Kay Bergmanin 1999. It was also the last film whereScott Innesvoiced Scooby-Doo and Shaggy, as well as the last film whereB. J. Wardvoiced Velma. This was the last production released by Hanna-Barbera, after the studio was absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation seven months before its release.

Plot

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Mystery Inc.visits their old friend and college student, Eric, who has invited them to see a prize-winning computer game he made based on their adventures and a high-tech laser, both of which he intends to enter at a campus science fair. Upon arrival, the gang learn a "Phantom Virus" materialized from Eric's game and attacked him before his teacher, Professor Kaufman, drove it off with a high-powered magnet and that it has been terrorizing the campus ever since. While investigating potential suspects Eric; Kaufman; Bill, Eric's best friend and baseball-loving programmer; and grumpy campus security guard, Officer Wembley, the gang encounter the Phantom Virus before someone uses Eric's laser to beam them all into his game, where the gang learn that they must complete every level by finding a box ofScooby Snaxto get out of the game.

Following initial difficulties in the first three levels, the gang progress quickly until they reach the final level, where they meet cyber-versions of themselves. After escaping from the Phantom Virus, the cyber-gang reveal that they know where to locate the final box of Scooby Snax and lead the original gang to an amusement park, where they battle real versions of monsters that Mystery Inc. have previously faced and unmasked as human criminals. Eventually,Scooby-Doo's cyber-double distracts the Phantom Virus so the original Scooby can grab the last box of Scooby Snax, deleting the Phantom Virus and returning the gang to the real world. Using baseball-related clues they found and phrases the Phantom Virus used during their adventure, they reveal Bill as its creator. Arrested by Wembley, Bill reveals that he was jealous that Eric's video game was chosen for the science fair over his even though he had been at the school two years longer, so he created the Phantom Virus to scare Eric away and claim the prize money for himself; fearing that Mystery Inc. would discover he had created the virus, he beamed them into cyberspace in the hope that they would not survive. Afterwards, the gang and Eric go to a local restaurant to celebrate and reunite with the cyber-gang on Eric's laptop.

In apost-credits scene,the gang tells the audience what their favorite parts of the film were.

Voice cast

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Production

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Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chaseis the fourth direct-to-videoScoobyfeature, and was the last for the original team that worked on the first four films. The team was led by Davis Doi, and included Glenn Leopold, Jim Stenstrum, Lance Falk, and others. They had previously clashed with studio executives who suggested outside screenwriters for the secondScoobyfilm,Witch's Ghost.ForCyber Chase,it was the same situation: executives recommended Mark Turosz, a writer already under contract with Warner Bros. who had little experience with animation. The crew had produced the firstScoobyfilm,Zombie Island,as well as the third,Alien Invaders,with total autonomy, and were insulted by Warner's insistence that they use Turosz's script.[2]

The team were particularly critical of Turosz's draft of the script, which according to Falk was considered a regression in terms of the franchise's potential. They felt its pacing and plot line were unsatisfactory. In addition, it was reportedly poorly formatted and unfamiliar with the animation process. For example, the script included complicated camera moves impossible to do with their budget, as well as countless locales that would prove tedious to design. As a result, the original team moved onto other projects after the film's completion. The nextScoobyfeature,Legend of the Vampire,was also written by Turosz.[2]

Stenstrum initially suggested they explore using live-action actors for scenes set inside the video game, though the idea was quickly dropped. Out of the first four films,Cyber Chasefeatures the largest array of storyboard artist credits, as the team were under significant time constraints and required additional help.Cyber Chasewas also the lastScoobyfilm to feature animation produced at Japanese studio Mook Animation.[3]

Reception

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OnRotten Tomatoesthe film holds an approval rating of 60% based on five reviews, with an average taking of 5.8/10.[4]Common Sense Mediagave the film a two out of five stars, saying, "Fine for fans of the franchise, but too much cartoon jeopardy for little kids."[5]

Home media

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Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chasewas released October 9, 2001 for bothVHSandDVDformats.Bonus featureson the DVD include a ten-minutebehind-the-scenesfeaturette titled "Making ofScooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase",which includes interviews with the film'svoice actors;apromotional trailerforScooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase;a rudimentaryspot the differencegame titled "Virtual Detective"; and a music video for "Scooby-Doo and Shaggy Love to Eat", composed by Nelson Blanchard and Scott Innes, and performed by Innes in-character as Shaggy and Scooby-Doo along with a chorus of children. This music video is also found in the bonus features of several otherScooby-DooDVDs, includingScooby-Doo and the Ghoul SchoolandScooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf.[6]

The film was re-released onBlu-rayon March 29, 2011. This was the first animated Scooby-Doo film to be produced in the high-definition format.

Video game

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A video game based on the film was released byTHQin 2001 for thePlayStationandGame Boy Advance.This is the first Scooby-Doo video game to be on a sixth-generation handheld.

References

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  1. ^"Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase".7 February 2006 – via Amazon.
  2. ^abJozic, Mike (interviewer); Falk, Lance (interviewee) (February 7, 2017).APNSD! Episode 03: Interview With Lance Falk(Podcast).RetrievedJuly 27,2019.
  3. ^Jozic, Mike (interviewer); Falk, Lance (interviewee) (March 8, 2017).APNSD! Episode 04: Interview With Lance Falk(Podcast).RetrievedJuly 27,2019.
  4. ^"Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase".Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedMarch 24,2012.
  5. ^"Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase - Movie Review".23 January 2017.
  6. ^"Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase".2022 – via Media Mallrat.
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