Is SCOOB Kid Friendly?

The animated SCOOB! movie is a kid-friendly balance between the old-school Scooby Doo shows and the more adult-ish live-action Scooby movies. Is Scoob ok for kids? For most, yes, but for some, no. Here’s what parents need to know before watching Scoob! with young children.

I’m sure most parents think, well of course Scoob is kid friendly, it’s a cartoon. And generally that’s true for most motion pictures depending on what is important to parents as some films begin to cross the line. This Scoob Parents Guide will help parents decide.

Scoob is rated PG for some action, language and rude/suggestive humor. I would also add for some scary and emotional situations.

Scoob is not an origin story, but we do start with a flashback to when Scooby and Shaggy first meet and finally get the answer to the age old-question, which came first Scooby or Scooby snacks?

Fast forward to adulthood when the gang pays taxes (wait they pay taxes?) and Mystery Inc. needs investors. Jinkies, Simon Cowell is considering investing? But not with Scoob and Shaggy who according to Simon serve no part in Mystery Inc.

With hurt feelings, Scooby and Shaggy leave the gang and are missing. This is not about some guy in a rubber mask, this is their most important mystery ever.

Language

There is no profanity in Scoob. In one scene, a character proclaims that “hell breaks loose.” Also childish words like butt, dipstick, and suck face are used. Some jokes aim for the teen/adult crowd where one character -Dick Dastardly- repeatedly yells Dick, Dick, Dick and I’m a Dick with a D when Scooby can’t pronounce his name <insert eye-roll>.

Also Shaggy mentions dropping f-bombs, and another character warns him to keep it PG, while Shaggy was referring to a weapon, not that kind of f-bomb, wink wink.

Is Scoob Scary for Young Kids?

There are some typical Scooby Doo mystery scary and tense moments. Scary monsters and ghosts chase the gang, and characters are in peril. There are weapons like an axe, laser guns, and tiny robot killers.

While some of the scenes may be too much for young kids, the positive thing about watching from home is being able to fast forward the scene if it gets to be too much.

However, parents be aware of some emotional scenes where characters are presumed gone or dead for a minute. This may be hard for sensitive children.

Is Scoob Worth the Price?

I’d recommend SCOOB! for kids ages 6 and up. I went a little lower on the age requirement for Scoob, because since you are at home, there are things you can avoid. Is Scoob worth the price? Sure, the price of $19.99 to rent for 48 hours, or $24.99 to purchase seems a little steep, but considering the cost to take a family to the movies, the price to own makes the most sense and is worth it.

The length of the film is about right for kids at an hour and a half, though there were some parts that dragged on. Just when I thought we were getting to the climax of the film, there was a whole other subplot being introduced.

Scoob! is an enjoyable ride down memory lane with some modern touches. However, it can also be a confusing ride. There are several plots with throwback references to the original Scooby Doo, new superhero characters with daddy issues, old Hanna-Barbera character crossovers, Harry Potter houses, a Ruth Bader Ginsburg costume for a young Velma (Gina Rodriquez), and Netflix and Hemsworth Brothers references. It’s a pop culture frenzy.

While I appreciate trying to reach everyone in the family, at times I wanted Scoob to just pick a lane or an era. Not to say these Scoob quotes weren’t funny, because I 100% chuckled when Dastardly calls Fred (Zac Efron) a poor man’s Hemsworth. But if the intended audience is kids, why throw in cheap Dick jokes?

Was there a checklist of topics in the script? Velma throws in a Spanish word, Latinx box checked. Mention toxic masculinity, feminism, check. Millennial reference, check.

The bottom line: kids will enjoy Scoob, some jokes not intended for them will go over their heads, and there are important messages that are more subtly introduced. Scoob is family friendly fun and worth the watch.