The Scooby Doo franchise has done episodes set in the jungle before. The ones that immediately spring to mind being 'The Scooby Doo Show's' "Jeepers it's the Jaguaro", 'The New Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show's' "Scooby in the Jungle" and 'The New Scooby Doo Mysteries' "Ghosts of the Ancient Astronauts". To me though, all three episodes were lesser entries of their respective shows. Not because of the setting, but because of the mysteries themselves.
"Safari So Good", a rare chance to see the gang on a safari, while better than the above was a disappointment (the first disappointment of 'What's New Scooby Doo') and one of the weaker episodes of Season 1 and of the show. In no way is it a terrible episode, it has a good deal of good things and is worth a look (which is true for all the lesser episodes). It does have one thing in particular that it is pretty sorely lacking in. The idea was good, the execution not so much.
Am going to start with the good. The animation is typically lovely and the jungle/safari setting is vividly exotic, which the episode makes the absolute most of. The music fits well with the action and really like that it is more elaborate than the earlier incarnations that repeated the same (great and for some iconic) motifs a lot. The theme song is infectious and one that has grown on me massively.
Really liked the humour, which was very amusing. While Shaggy and Scooby are as endearingly goofy and fun as usual, their friendship never fails to charm, the adorable and very funny monkey steals the show from under them. The gang interaction is great, while the atmosphere shines at points with the sound effects being suitably mysterious in an ominous way. The chase scene and song are a lot of fun and a strong case of them being better than the episode itself.
Having said all of this, the mystery could have been a lot stronger. The first half is thin and although it gets into gear slightly in the second half it is rather predictable. Everything with the animals was just too bizarre and were more silly than scary in how they were made up, got the sense that the writers had run out of ideas. The reveal wasn't too great either.
It is introduced with no build up and the explanation of how the responsible did what they did (which was a complicated set up) was rushed. Also found it too obvious in a case where suspects were not many and when the motive was revealed Daphne's reaction while agreed with by many felt heavy handed. Fred also comes over as too much of an idiot, he does say some idiotic things when with the camera when he was usually much more intelligent than that.
Concluding, worth a look but could have been a lot better. 6/10.
"Safari So Good", a rare chance to see the gang on a safari, while better than the above was a disappointment (the first disappointment of 'What's New Scooby Doo') and one of the weaker episodes of Season 1 and of the show. In no way is it a terrible episode, it has a good deal of good things and is worth a look (which is true for all the lesser episodes). It does have one thing in particular that it is pretty sorely lacking in. The idea was good, the execution not so much.
Am going to start with the good. The animation is typically lovely and the jungle/safari setting is vividly exotic, which the episode makes the absolute most of. The music fits well with the action and really like that it is more elaborate than the earlier incarnations that repeated the same (great and for some iconic) motifs a lot. The theme song is infectious and one that has grown on me massively.
Really liked the humour, which was very amusing. While Shaggy and Scooby are as endearingly goofy and fun as usual, their friendship never fails to charm, the adorable and very funny monkey steals the show from under them. The gang interaction is great, while the atmosphere shines at points with the sound effects being suitably mysterious in an ominous way. The chase scene and song are a lot of fun and a strong case of them being better than the episode itself.
Having said all of this, the mystery could have been a lot stronger. The first half is thin and although it gets into gear slightly in the second half it is rather predictable. Everything with the animals was just too bizarre and were more silly than scary in how they were made up, got the sense that the writers had run out of ideas. The reveal wasn't too great either.
It is introduced with no build up and the explanation of how the responsible did what they did (which was a complicated set up) was rushed. Also found it too obvious in a case where suspects were not many and when the motive was revealed Daphne's reaction while agreed with by many felt heavy handed. Fred also comes over as too much of an idiot, he does say some idiotic things when with the camera when he was usually much more intelligent than that.
Concluding, worth a look but could have been a lot better. 6/10.
