Far and away the best Scooby-Doo! movie and just a great film by any standards.
The tagline used to advertise this movie was "This Time the Monsters Are Real" in reality Scooby had faced real monster and ghosts before this film (some examples have already been looked at in this blog), but none of them were as scary and intense as the ones seen here. The monsters here aren't comedic as they had been in Reluctant Werewolf and The Boo Brothers, and there are no corny monster puns as there were in Ghoul School. While there is still a lot of humor from the Mystery Inc. Gang, the monsters mean business and don't joke around. There are some genuine frights to be found such as when Fred unmasks a real zombie. The best Scooby-Doo! movies have always been the ones most rich in atmosphere and this is easily the richest in the regard. The very look of Zombie Island is just incredible and it is hard not to be swept away by its dark magic. The island is very creepy but also strangely intriguing as well. There are also some very sophisticatedly used classic horror movie filmmaking techniques used throughout this movie and the great use of lighting and shadows were simply fantastic.
This film also takes greater lengths to delve into who these characters are than any previous Scooby incarnation has. Before the gang gets to Zombie Island they all spilt and go their separate ways. This is done in a way that feels dramatic but never cynical or mean spirited (well I am all for a darker and scary Scooby-Doo! movie such as this one I have no interest in a more cynical or mean spirited one). This gives us a good look at who these characters are outside of Mystery Inc. and this is not only refreshing to see but makes you realize what great characters they are. This movie also delves into the Daphne and Fred romance and does a surprisingly good job at it. Also unlike some of the later Scooby-Doo! movies this film does not dumb down any of the characters, which means us Scooby-Doo! fans get to see the Mystery Inc. gang that we fell in love with while exploring their characters deeper.
Despite being the darkest Scooby-Doo! entry, this movie still manages to have some of the light hearted fun that made the franchise what it is. In fact this has some of the best humor Scooby-Doo! ever offered and I laughed out loud watching this movie. There are even some really good jokes that show the filmmakers can make fun of the franchises conventions while still 100% respecting them. This movie also has the most fun chase song every put in anything Scooby-Doo!, It's Terror Time Again. This is not just a dark creepy horror movie with Scooby-Doo! in it. It is a Scooby-Doo! movie with darker more horror driven scenes.
Being the darkest of the series, this might scare some younger Scooby fans, but pretty every one else (including those who normal wouldn't watch a Scooby-Doo! movie) this is a must see.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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