Every year, all of the classic Hollywood monsters (consisting of Frankenstein's monster, his wife Repulsa, a Mummy, the Witch Sisters, Bone Jangles the Skeleton, Dr. Jackyll/Mr. Snyde, Swamp Thing, and Dragonfly) gather at Count Dracula's castle in Transylvania for the "Monster Road Rally", a road race similar to Wacky Races, awarding the winner with the "Monster of the Year" award as well as many other macabre prizes as announced by Dracula's wife and co-host, Vanna Pira. However, this year, Dracula receives a postcard from the Wolfman stating that he has retired to Florida and thus will not be participating in any further races.
Dracula fears he will have to cancel the race due to this sudden absence, until his lion-like manservant Wolfgang notifies him of a way to create a new werewolf: according to an old spellbook, the full moon will come into the perfect position to transform a human into a werewolf every five centuries, on three nights in a row that begin the following night. The one in line to become the next werewolf is revealed to be none other than Shaggy Rogers, whom coincidentally has won a recent car race with the help of his pit crew, Scooby-Doo, and his young nephew Scrappy-Doo.
Dracula sends his hunchbacked henchmen, "The Hunch Bunch" (consisting of the well-civilized Brunch and the gibberish-speaking Crunch), on a mission to America to turn Shaggy into a werewolf and bring him back to his castle for the race. The first two nights, the duo is unsuccessful, but on the final night, while Shaggy is at a drive-in movie along with his girlfriend Googie, the Hunch Bunch manages to expose Shaggy to moonlight by dropping the sunroof of his customized race car, causing Shaggy to be transformed into a werewolf. However, Shaggy's hiccups surprisingly force him to alternate between human and werewolf. Hearing the other movie watchers speaking of a werewolf loose in the theater, Scooby hides in a nearby car. Upon meeting Scooby and seeing his reflection, Shaggy flees the drive-in with his car with Scooby, Scrappy, and Googie in tow, pursued by the Hunch Bunch, but loses his hiccups in the pursuit and thus remains trapped in werewolf form. The Hunch Bunch then knocks the group out with moon dust from their vehicle, the "Bat-Copter", and fly back to Transylvania, towing the car.
Revealing himself, Dracula explains to Shaggy why he was transformed, but Shaggy, having no desire to be a werewolf, refuses to participate in Dracula's plans. After several failed attempts to extort Shaggy, Dracula offers him a bargain: if Shaggy agrees to drive in the race and wins, Dracula will change him back to human and allow him and his friends to leave. The deal is made, but Dracula has no intent on allowing Shaggy to succeed.
The gang is then given good lodgings, treated as guests in the castle, and allowed all the food they wish for breakfast. Dracula then shows them the trail that Shaggy will have to follow for the race and consents to let them navigate the track in their own racecar, with the "Werewolf Wagon" currently undergoing maintenance for Shaggy. Dracula attempts to rig the track by sending the Hunch Bunch to implement traps, but despite their efforts, Shaggy completes the course expertly, making the Count worry that he may lose his new werewolf. He subsequently alters the racecourse, sabotages the Werewolf Wagon, and has the Hunch Bunch deprive Shaggy of sleep.
The next morning, Googie energizes Shaggy with a kiss, and he repairs the Werewolf Wagon shortly after the race begins. Everyone conspires against Shaggy and Scooby throughout the race, but thanks to Googie and Scrappy, who follow along in their own car as their pit crew, Dracula, the Hunch Bunch, and the other racing monsters end up doing more harm to themselves than him. After more failed attempts, Dracula loses his patience and unleashes his secret weapon, Genghis Kong, a towering ape-like beast, to stop Shaggy. As the other racers near the finish line, Googie and Scrappy return and rescue Shaggy and Scooby, then both pairs work together to make the monster fall onto the other cars, leaving an easy path to victory for Shaggy.
Furious to see all of his schemes have failed, Dracula goes back on his deal, stating that there is no way to turn Shaggy back. However, after Vanna Pira reveals that the solution is in Dracula's spellbook, the gang steals the book and make an escape. Dracula chases after them in his weaponized car and later his own plane. The four barely manage to dodge Dracula's powerful gadgets, and seconds before Dracula gets the best of them, a thunderstorm ensues. Dracula's plane is struck by lightning, sending him plummeting into the ocean below, where a shark chases him off.
Returning home, Googie uses the book to change Shaggy back to human. That night, the gang all sit down to watch another horror movie and eat pizza. In the final scene, Dracula and the Hunch Bunch sneak up to their window swearing revenge, ending the film on a cliffhanger.
The film was released on Blu-ray on February 20, 2024, as an individual release, and as part of a Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 boxset through Warner Archive.[4] Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf was produced using an early form of digital ink and paint, and was output to a final 1" videotape master, with no film protection of any kind. This presentation has been up-converted from its original analog standard definition master to digital High-Definition, with every effort made to improve the visual quality of the program.[4]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 20% based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 5.0/10.[5]
Related Research Articles
Scooby-Doo is an American media franchise owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment and created in 1969 by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears through their animated series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, for Hanna-Barbera. The series features four teenagers: Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and their talking Great Dane named Scooby-Doo, who solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures through a series of antics and missteps, while traveling using a brightly colored van called the "Mystery Machine". The franchise has several live-action films and shows.
Scrappy-Doo is a fictional character in the Scooby-Doo franchise. He is a Great Dane puppy created by Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1979 and the nephew of Scooby-Doo in various incarnations of the Scooby-Doo cartoon series. Lennie Weinrib provided his voice for one season in 1979, and from 1980 on it was performed by Don Messick. In the first live-action theatrical film, video games, and commercials, he was voiced by Scott Innes, and portrayed by Rowan Atkinson when disguised as Mondavarious.
Donald Earle Messick was an American voice actor, known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
Scott Innes is an American voice actor, author, songwriter and radio personality. He is best known for his voice over work in various Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera animated films, television shows, video games and commercials, most notably as Scooby-Doo, Shaggy Rogers, Scrappy-Doo, Popeye the Sailor, Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble, Foghorn Leghorn, Muttley, Bugs Bunny, Yogi Bear and Captain Caveman. He has also provided the voice of Fred Jones, Boo-Boo Bear, Snagglepuss, Papa Smurf, Elroy Jetson, Astro, Quick Draw McGraw, Baba Looey, Elmer Fudd, Spike Bulldog and Ranger Smith in various commercials.
Hanna-Barbera's Superstars 10 is a series of 10 syndicated made-for-television animated films produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera programming block from 1987 to 1988, featuring the studio's most popular animated characters: Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, Huckleberry Hound and Top Cat. The first 8 films used traditional cel animation, while the last 2 films used digital ink and paint.
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is a 1998 American direct-to-video animated mystery comedy horror film based on the Scooby-Doo franchise. In the film, Shaggy, Scooby, Fred, Velma and Daphne reunite after a year-long hiatus from Mystery, Inc. to investigate a bayou island said to be haunted by the ghost of the pirate Morgan Moonscar. The film was directed by Jim Stenstrum, from a screenplay by Glenn Leopold.
Yogi's Great Escape is a 1987 animated made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series. The two-hour film aired in syndication.
Scooby Goes Hollywood is a 1979 animated television special starring the cast of Hanna-Barbera's Saturday-morning cartoon series Scooby-Doo. It was originally broadcast on ABC on December 23, 1979 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the franchise.
The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show, known as The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries for its second season, is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, and the sixth incarnation of the Scooby-Doo franchise. It premiered on September 10, 1983, and ran for two seasons on ABC. The series features the return of Daphne as a regular character, and in season two, Fred and Velma briefly return to the show after a four-year absence.
Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers is a 1987 animated comedy horror made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series. The two-hour film aired in syndication. It is the first full-length film in the Scooby-Doo franchise.
Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School is a 1988 animated comedy horror made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera for syndication as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series.
The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound is a 1988 animated Western television film produced by Hanna-Barbera for syndication as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series. This film marks the final time Daws Butler voiced Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey, Snagglepuss, Hokey Wolf, and Peter Potamus, as he died a couple weeks after its telecast from a heart attack.
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida and one of the park's original attractions. The story line tells that Dick Dastardly and Muttley have kidnapped Elroy Jetson. Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo give chase and the audience is in for the ride of their lives. The attraction opened on June 7, 1990 and closed on October 20, 2002.
Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears is a 1988 animated made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera for syndication as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series. This Hanna-Barbera production was the last to feature Daws Butler as the voice of Yogi Bear and Julie Bennett as Cindy Bear. Yogi and Boo-Boo go on an out-of-this-world voyage. When they are kidnapped by spacemen, the duo are cloned, and the clone bears soon invade Jellystone Park.
Marilyn Sue Schreffler was an American voice actress who provided voice-overs for several animated television series, mostly for Hanna-Barbera Productions.
Scooby's Mystery Funhouse was a 30-minute Saturday morning animated package show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on ABC from September 7, 1985 to January 25, 1986.
Rockin' with Judy Jetson is a 1988 animated made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera for syndication as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series.
Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King is a 2008 American animated comedy horror musical film, and the twelfth in the series of Scooby-Doo direct-to-video films produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It was dedicated to Paulette Oates, who helped resurrect Warner Bros. Animation in the late 1980s. The DVD was released on September 23, 2008. This is the first Scooby cartoon produced entirely without either one of the original producers, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.
Through its history, Hanna-Barbera has operated theme park attractions, mostly as a section in Kings Island, Carowinds, California's Great America, Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland, and, recently, Six Flags Great America.
The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour is a 60-minute Saturday morning animated package show co-produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Ruby-Spears Enterprises and broadcast on ABC from September 25, 1982 to December 18, 1982. The show contained segments of Scooby-Doo & Scrappy-Doo (Hanna-Barbera), Scrappy & Yabba-Doo (Hanna-Barbera) and The Puppy's New Adventures (Ruby-Spears).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
