Another good episode of the show, not quite as memorable a villain as Miner '49er but he isn't easilly forgotten either. I liked the puppet doorman that was clever, definitely gives the audience a hard time guessing who the villain is.
5 Reviews
They know his secret!
callanvass1 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Scooby & Shaggy are just coming back from a pizza place, minding there own business with a stroll. They find a violin case, stashed with 20 dollar bills. Scooby gets fooled by a dog puppet, and a car swoops in to take back the money. The gang heads over to Pietro's Puppets to investigate the mystery. They might have uncovered a secret counterfeit operation. This isn't one of my favorites, but I always enjoy it whenever I watch it. It's got enough silly gags, and entertainment to make it well worth your while, but it doesn't have the Oomph to make it one of my favorites. It has some decent suspense for a cartoon. I especially liked the gang trying to avert falling objects, from the puppet master. Scooby & Shaggy also provide some great laughs as per usual, whether it's Scooby & Shaggy, trying on different outfits, or Scooby being afraid of a creepy Jack in the box. It did have some cool puppets. I liked the one involving a Viking, and a barbarian. The villain is rather pallid, and not very menacing. It's also easy to figure out who the villain is. That's to be expected involving a Scooby episode, but this one was especially obvious. He wears a simple black cloak, and looks like a phantom. He's really not all that interesting in the whole scheme of things. My favorite moment is probably Velma playing around with words. She pronounces genuine as "Genuwine" I don't know why I found it so amusing, but I just did. I like this episode, and it's well worth a look for Scooby fans, but it's not the best
8.2/10
8.2/10
Entertaining and atmospheric enough if lacking oomph
TheLittleSongbird15 July 2016
'Scooby Doo Where are You' was the first Scooby Doo incarnation, and to me it's still the best.
Admittedly, "The Backstage Rage" wasn't a favourite as a kid and it still isn't now, but it has a lot going for it still. It is agreed that the villain, creepy costume and laugh aside (both of which help to add to the creepiness of the episode in general), is one of the weaker ones of the series.
Even as a kid, the villain's general lack of interesting personality and that his reveal is the second most obvious (even for a show admittedly with a fair few obvious reveals, "Mine Your Own Business" and "Never Ape an Ape Man" also fit into this category) of the whole show, after the Witch Doctor in "Decoy for a Dognapper" (not helped by it being a case of too few suspects and the person involved being the only one with means and opportunity) disappointed somewhat. His come and go and too fleeting appearances, often rather samey, and underused interaction with the gang diminished the impact too.
However, "The Backstage Rage" has much to enjoy. The animation is lively, atmospheric, lushly coloured and nicely drawn as always, the setting is effectively one of the most atmospheric as well. The music adds to the impact the atmosphere creates, and it is very difficult to resist the classic theme song, along with the opening credits where it is so fun spotting and recognising the villains, that is one of the most iconic in animation.
Despite the villain being lacking, "The Backstage Rage" does still have a creepy atmosphere, helped by the appearance and laugh of the villain (that one wishes was matched by a personality to match) and the setting. The puppets are incredibly cool too, especially the Viking and barbarian. As always with 'Scooby Doo Where Are You', "The Backstage Rage" is entertaining, nothing here is among the funniest of the series but Shaggy and Scooby's rapport, the trying of the outfits and the bit with the Jack-in-the-Box still tickle the funny bone more than effectively.
The final trap is one of the most creative, and the dialogue is easy to understand and ranges from amusing to very, very funny, Velma's playing around with words being just as funny as anything to do with Shaggy and Scooby. The gang still make an impression, especially predictably Shaggy and Scooby and one cannot go wrong with the great-all-round voice acting either (Don Messick and Casey Kasem being definitive as Scooby and Shaggy, and one cannot imagine Frank Welker being replaced at some point in the future and coming close to his level either).
Overall, a little disappointing and lacks oomph but is entertaining and atmospheric enough. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Admittedly, "The Backstage Rage" wasn't a favourite as a kid and it still isn't now, but it has a lot going for it still. It is agreed that the villain, creepy costume and laugh aside (both of which help to add to the creepiness of the episode in general), is one of the weaker ones of the series.
Even as a kid, the villain's general lack of interesting personality and that his reveal is the second most obvious (even for a show admittedly with a fair few obvious reveals, "Mine Your Own Business" and "Never Ape an Ape Man" also fit into this category) of the whole show, after the Witch Doctor in "Decoy for a Dognapper" (not helped by it being a case of too few suspects and the person involved being the only one with means and opportunity) disappointed somewhat. His come and go and too fleeting appearances, often rather samey, and underused interaction with the gang diminished the impact too.
However, "The Backstage Rage" has much to enjoy. The animation is lively, atmospheric, lushly coloured and nicely drawn as always, the setting is effectively one of the most atmospheric as well. The music adds to the impact the atmosphere creates, and it is very difficult to resist the classic theme song, along with the opening credits where it is so fun spotting and recognising the villains, that is one of the most iconic in animation.
Despite the villain being lacking, "The Backstage Rage" does still have a creepy atmosphere, helped by the appearance and laugh of the villain (that one wishes was matched by a personality to match) and the setting. The puppets are incredibly cool too, especially the Viking and barbarian. As always with 'Scooby Doo Where Are You', "The Backstage Rage" is entertaining, nothing here is among the funniest of the series but Shaggy and Scooby's rapport, the trying of the outfits and the bit with the Jack-in-the-Box still tickle the funny bone more than effectively.
The final trap is one of the most creative, and the dialogue is easy to understand and ranges from amusing to very, very funny, Velma's playing around with words being just as funny as anything to do with Shaggy and Scooby. The gang still make an impression, especially predictably Shaggy and Scooby and one cannot go wrong with the great-all-round voice acting either (Don Messick and Casey Kasem being definitive as Scooby and Shaggy, and one cannot imagine Frank Welker being replaced at some point in the future and coming close to his level either).
Overall, a little disappointing and lacks oomph but is entertaining and atmospheric enough. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Incredible!
marm-5623130 March 2020
The Backstage Rage
Michael_Elliott2 October 2013
Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
S1E9: The Backstage Rage (1969)
Scooby and Shaggy are out enjoying a pizza when they discover a violin case full of money. Soon a man with a black cape steals it from them so the gang tracks him down to a location that has plenty of puppets. I've always found this episode to be one of the weakest for a number of reasons but the biggest is the fact that the villain isn't all that special. The "Phantom" quality to the villain is rather bland and there's just nothing interesting done with him. He pretty much shows up from time to time and he certainly doesn't bring any excitement. The script doesn't even allow the gang to have any fun with him. I'd say that even the regular characters are somewhat bland here and just check out the banter between Shaggy and Scooby when they're dealing with the pizza. It's just not up to the usual standards. The lack of laughs is another negative thing but with all of that said, fans will certainly enjoy this one somewhat as at least proof that the series wasn't flawless.
Episode: B-
S1E9: The Backstage Rage (1969)
Scooby and Shaggy are out enjoying a pizza when they discover a violin case full of money. Soon a man with a black cape steals it from them so the gang tracks him down to a location that has plenty of puppets. I've always found this episode to be one of the weakest for a number of reasons but the biggest is the fact that the villain isn't all that special. The "Phantom" quality to the villain is rather bland and there's just nothing interesting done with him. He pretty much shows up from time to time and he certainly doesn't bring any excitement. The script doesn't even allow the gang to have any fun with him. I'd say that even the regular characters are somewhat bland here and just check out the banter between Shaggy and Scooby when they're dealing with the pizza. It's just not up to the usual standards. The lack of laughs is another negative thing but with all of that said, fans will certainly enjoy this one somewhat as at least proof that the series wasn't flawless.
Episode: B-
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