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SDCC '15: Scooby Doo! And KISS: Rock And Roll Mystery Premiere Impressions

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I was at the world premiere of Scooby Doo and Kiss: A Rock and Roll Mystery ("SDKRRM"). NO SPOILERS. Except that the main villain would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling kids.

Whether it be Simpsons and Futurama or Jetsons and Flintstones, everybody loves a good crossover. There's something satisfying about seeing two beloved franchises face a problem so big, that only the combined might of two seemingly disparate properties can solve it. That's what we get with Scooby Doo and Kiss: A Rock and Roll Mystery ("SDKRRM").  That's all we need, and it does exactly what it's supposed to do.

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This film, according to Gene Simmons, is the most expensive Scooby Doo movie to date.  I don't know what KISS's price tag is, but the animation somehow feels 'crisper'.  Maybe my best ingrained memories of Scooby Doo are from the 60's and 70's syndication packages of my youth, but the colors and lines of this movie seem fresher and more vibrant.
The plot is classic Scooby Doo and I would consider this movie to be "KISS: Phantom of the Park" done right.  Phantom was set in an amusement park and operated under the conceit that the KISS quartet actually had super powers based on their respective personas.  SDKRRM carries over these two elements into a fun romp through nostalgia. For those of you who forget, or choose not to remember, Phantom was widely panned for its Dollar Tree special effects and wooden acting. KISS struggles in a live action setting. Seeing these legends in a stage show or animated allows the viewer to take in the full spectacle. We expect larger than life. Seeing KISS maintaining a live action plot brutally reminds us that, at the end of the day, they are just four men in kabuki.
SDKRRM is not afraid to address the elephant in the room. We live in a world where KISS licenses everything and this movie seems like an extension of that. I'm not saying that this isn't blatant branding, and neither does the movie. SDKRRM take loving jabs at KISS's out of control branding machine.
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All in all, an enjoyable film.  Keep an ear out for the Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith cameos. The best part of covering this panel?  Getting to meet Gene Simmons!  Tweet me right @notacomplainer.

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Will RomineAbout Will Romine

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