BONUS: Straight Outta Nowhere

Ridiculous title but a solid movie.

Why the hell am I not told about stuff like this? You do not f*** with me when it comes to either Scooby-Doo or Courage The Cowardly Dog, you just don't and yet this crossover that I have been waiting for 84 years to happen, has gotten here and I just now know about it. There isn't a doubt in my skull that I would have adored this when I was younger, cause you know cartoon crossovers really weren't a thing at that time. I lost it when Mystery Inc. met Johnny Bravo, I just never had the concept of such a thing, and to see all the cartoon characters that I have watched my whole life have these little bumpers where they all live in a city and interact with each other was the coolest damn thing once upon a time. So what did I honestly think of this movie? Well I will get the very few negatives out of the way. First off, the fact that John R. Dilworth had nothing to do with his creations on the Courage side is inexcusable in my eyes, he had a lot of input on that show and I feel we needed his touch of horror here. Again I'm not that gaga about the title and the fact that Eustace Bagge has a rap number in this makes me break inside. Other than that, I'm fine with everything. Despite the more modern animation style they faithfully get the look of the characters and settings of Nowhere, and throw every easter egg they could think of from the show's history which is great. It is not some cash in bullshit like Return To Zombie Island you worthless, waste of what little time I have left on this earth, piece of ****, they do it with love and appreciation. They get Marty Grabstein and Thea White back to do their characters, and to know this was Thea White's last film coming back to voice such a beloved character that is the scottish angel Muriel is both so lovely and yet so heartbreaking. I'll miss her everyday and I think she has just as much magic and love in this movie as she did 30 odd years ago. Now on the Scoobert side of things, we still have our main cast who all do great work and my appreciation for Kate Micucci grows daily, it's so interesting to see them be in another show and it works just as well. I think anybody can watch it and follow it but it was made for the fans of both shows. It's a bottle movie, you crack it open, you enjoy it, you pop the lid back on and are happy you had it. It's nothing grand or special, but it has some good humor with even callbacks to Abbot and Costello and Mel Brooks, it's a decent story, you can tell they had some fun making this, and I think you'll enjoy it. I personally give it 3 stars, 7.5/10, and it made me want to dig my Courage DVD's out and watch the whole show. And that sprung an idea, an impossible idea, an idea that would take so much time and the hills would run red with the blood of movies and other shows. Sacrifices abound to achieve an impossible dream. I don't know if I can do it, cause I would review as many Cartoon Network shows, in full, one a month every month. Like wow, I'd love to do it but geez. We'll see. In the meantime get ready for a whole series, spread out starting tomorrow and ending well into December. I think we might be done with Christmas from henceforth.

Scoob

Damn it nooooo!

Ugh, I wanted it to be better! Guys I wasn't expecting Mystery Incorporated levels of quality but I had hope this would be the one theatrically released Scooby-Doo movie that would be good! It's not. It's slightly above average, I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I think the animation is really dang nice, it's fluid and dynamic and the colors are rich and vibrant. The cast takes time to get used to but that's because I know these characters and who voices them, but they do decent work. Even the story on paper isn't bad, Scooby and Shaggy team up with Blue Falcon and Dyno-Mutt to fight Dick Dastardly and foil his plans. That is a simple plot, that is a fun plot, it wouldn't be out of place in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon at alllll, but the humor is what really shoots this movie in the foot. Now I will say it did make me laugh occasionally, but my sweet merciful God this movie is dated and it just came out! How can a cartoon so obviously produced in 1969 be more timeless than this?? Oh by the sainted Hallow's Eve, the humor just needed more work. It's so....ugh, Minions level of humor except worse. This hurts guys, this cuts me on a deep level, I wanted this movie to be good and I had hopes it would be after seeing the trailer, but it fell flat by the dumb choices. It's like if you combined the tropes and characters of Scooby-Doo with a cookie cutter, high budget, star studded 3D animated movie. What sort of topsy turvy reality do we live in when the live action spinoff that looks like it would be hot garbage dead on arrival, is so much more entertaining, fun, and interesting? Daphne And Velma was such a different take on the world of this series, but held up due to the world building it crafted, the different but familiar characters, and surprisingly strong humor! Sure the movie got me with references to The Hex Girls, and a plethora of other Hanna-Barbera cartoons which of course I know all the names of because I'm a friggin' dork (I still wanted to see the Herculoids!), and it filled me with happiness to see these characters even as slight nods in the background, but a good movie that does not make. They don't even have a mystery to solve, we know what Dick Dastardly is up to and why he's doing it which defies everything Scooby-Doo is, yeah the characters are done as they usually are, the voice cast isn't half bad with of course major love going to Frank Welker but also Jason Isaacs (I just love that guy so much), I dig the animation designs, it just seems like all the pieces were there to make a very good if not great movie. But the ball was dropped in places which forces the score to go down lower and lower. I've seen some shit in my day with Scooby-Doo, and this movie is by no means terrible but I cannot in good conscious recommemd this movie even if you are a hardcore, forever dedicated, unconditionally loving fan of Scooby-Doo such as myself. Which could harm seeing a new proper Scooby movie in the future so much. We had to wait about 15 years from Scooby-Doo 2 Monsters Unleashed to this, and now I genuinely shudder to think how long it will be until a new iteration is brought to us on the big screen. This week started off so well, and it went south in a real hurry. But nothing ever is going to stop me from loving Scooby-Doo, I have suffered through the live action movies, Return To Zombie Island, the not so good direct to video entries, and I still stick around. Why? Because I love it, it means the world to me, I couldn't quit it even if you put a gun to my head. 2.5 stars, 6/10. So instead go check out Mask Of The Blue Falcon, check out the other movies I reviewed this week, pick up the Mystery Incorporated series that's like $30 online, I'm gonna go eat some sour cream and onion chips with chocolate pudding and take a nap.

Scooby-Doo And The Legend Of The Vampire

Yeah I'd say this is the middle ground for this week.

I didn't hate Legend Of The Vampire, it's a decent little movie but it's certainly the most average of the bunch. So we meet up with the gang as they have just taken a cruise ship to Australia as they lolligag about enjoying the sights before they sporadically decide to attend a music festival at the totally not real location of Vampire Rock, where attending musicians (like discount Jimi Hendrix) have been kidnapped or scared off by a group of vampires that look like Kiss if they had a more psychedelic color palette to work off. They meet up with The Hex Girls again (Huzzah!) and quickly set about solving the mystery. What's really interesting about this movie is it's this very bizarre mix of old and new, the animation style follows the current show at that time What's New Scooby-Doo but the character designs are the 1969 classics, even the sound design is almost ripped straight from the 1969/70 episodes music and all, and it perplexes me cause this has really been the first to do that. Most if not all the other direct to video entries of this series do something original with it's production, maybe 2003 was just a sort of off year where this project got quickly pushed onto the director and producers and they had to quickly cobble it together. But it's not a shoddily made movie, the animation is quite nice, I genuinely dig the original music pieces, it's so goddang great to hear Casey Kasem again as Shaggy, the movie set a precedent with returning original characters with The Hex Girls which is a trend still felt today, I do like the movie but I don't love it. Will however say the gang does not make for very convincing musicians, not only is their look more ridiculous and just plain bad than any 80s hair band ever, but at least Velma has a kind of nice singing voice. All in all, I would only recommemd this to a hardcore fan or if it just sounds interesting enough to you, not bad but not great. 2.5 stars, 6.5/10, and we finally get to the main event with the first 3D animated Scooby-Doo film ever so join me tomorrow for Scoob!

Scooby-Doo And The Cyber Chase

The ending of a second golden age, but certainly not the end.

I gotta say The Cyber Chase was a fun ride, it's definitely one of the more nostalgic Scooby movies but the quality is still high and it's an interesting new concept for a mystery. I will fully admit though the movie nearly rips off Tron, you see the gang are visiting a computer programmer friend at a university and soon are told of a Phantom Virus which emerged from cyber space and wreaked a bit of havoc, and soon after that they get zapped into the computer. Now they're forced to play the games and finish it if they want to make it back to the real world and promptly delete the Phantom Virus. Seriously this is Tron meets Scooby-Doo, just this time Sark/Clu enters the real world, and true there's no Lightcycles or Recognizers but come on now. But they utilize the concept, with each level of the game having a centerpiece whether it be on the moon, in prehistoric times, a fairy tale landscape, or just a retro city malt shop and all, it's interesting but kind of a shame we couldn't spend time on each level we only really get to see 4 out of 10 with the rest being in a montage but you know what, for a movie that's about an hour and fifteen minutes long I'll cut it some slack. What really bugs the living hellfire out of me in this one is the lazer that zaps the gang into cyberspace, mainly because not only did two university students create it but they are entering it for an invention exchange with the grand prize winning $250,000. Excuse me, whaaaaat?? You...made, created, engineered a device that can digitize literally anything and place it in a computer world which you can program at will and you are content with an award and a small cash reward? I would patent that and make it a trillion dollar business! I mean what in the rings of Saturn are you thinking? I know I know, it's a kid's movie that doesn't bring much real world logic into it. Duh. But I almost say the ending makes up for that major lapse in mental faculties, where the gang meets Mystery Inc. literally they meet themselves dressed as their original character designs which is pretty rad already but then they throw in a handful of classic monsters from various series in the last level. So for a hardcore fan it's a nice surprise and gives you some nostalgic memories, and it's interesting to see these new millenium designs side by side with the 1969 designs with most being very different save for Velma, which is almost identical except for a slightly shorter skirt (No complaints there, you do you honey.) but it's just a neat concept that works. You could very easily make this a bit more dark and grim for the video game characters cause even they flat out say they haven't beaten the game because if they did they'd just start right back at level one, I mean I understand they couldn't do that because of the audience age group but Christ could you imagine? The mystery aspect is significantly better since last time, okay it's not flippin' Agatha Christie but at least they tried and dropped hints throughout going from subtle to, okay we get it shut up. The animation is refined, with a lot more clean lines and vibrant colors than emphasis on shading and scratchy designs, obviously both have their place but for this high tech sci-fi edge, it works better. If memory serves this was the first time Grey Griffin voices Daphne and while my heart will forever mourn Mary Kay Bergman she does great work and has been doing it for almost 20 years so you go girl! All in all, it's a fun movie and does rank in the higher ups with the likes of Zombie Island and Witch's Ghost but like man, we've barely scratched the surface of all the Scooby-Doo movies. 3 stars, 7/10! After this it took about 2 years before another animated Scooby-Doo movie hit video and it has been significant time since I last saw it so I shall be interested to see how Legend Of The Vampire holds up so join me next time!

Scooby-Doo And The Alien Invaders

Yeah sorry I couldn't get the Scoob review out last week, I really had no idea how I would see the movie until I already posted my Legend Of Boggy Creek review, so this is to make amends.

Boy is this movie a ride. Yet another classic in my eyes and collection, I've held onto this tape for about 20 years now, and I'm still grappling with that little fact but let's not dwell on that and get to the review. This is another strong entry for me, it's odd looking at the runtime for the Scooby-Doo movies cause 9/10 times the movie is barely over an hour long and it so did not feel like that when I was a kid. True the mystery aspect is so weak that it takes just one single clue for Velma to bust this case wide open but the appeal it has is more in the characters than the setup. So the gang is travelling through....Utah? It really doesn't state where they are but the topography screams of Wile E. Coyote to me when suddenly the van breaks down and mysterious lights are dazzling the sky leading the gang to investigate the small town and the nearby satellite dishes. Why? Because why not. I immediately have to mention the animation cause it really is pretty dang good with excellent colors and the shading works wonders, every background looks weathered, old, and used like there's actual grit on the animation cells. It looks awesome! But back to the story for a bit, pretty soon Shaggy and Scooby meet up with a hippie girl and her golden retriever and shock of all shocks, romance blooms. This is why this holds up so well for me, cause how many times have we seen Shaggy and Scooby head over heels in love? Not too often. It's such an interesting dynamic to go with and the chemistry between them goes hand in hand very easily, to the point where Shaggy is ready to settle and spend his life with this woman. That's wild man, and I was living for it just as much back then as I am now. We even get a Xanadu-esque music number and the visuals are so damn late 60s it is incredible. I'm pretty sure if you asked people what they remember most about the movie it will be the romance. But truthfully, the rest ain't bad either. I like the designs of the aliens, granted they look like broccoli heads with blood red eyes but I dig it. The locales are nice, the side characters can be fun, and the twist is kind of awesome in my eyes. But let me tell you something, I have never seen an animated Scooby-Doo movie with quite a few instances of innuendo, I mean Jesus this was a bit of an eye opener watching it all these years later. From..."positions" of characters, to dialogue, it's a bit randy! But nothing can really take away from the ending which is honestly very depressing, I mean I was bummed out by it as a kid and it nearly shattered my heart as an adult. It's a downer man, not to the point of other movies I've reviewed but plenty sad enough. I give it 4 stars, 7.5/10, well worth a watch if only just once. And by my count I only have one more Scooby-Doo movie left from this second golden age, so tune in tomorrow for Scooby-Doo And The Cyber Chase.

Scooby-Doo Return To Zombie Island

What....was that?

I mean wow, that was a special kind of bad. I've never seen a truly bad animated Scooby-Doo movie until now. I mean you had the potential to make a funny, creepy, and welcome return to one of the most beloved and influential Scooby-Doo movies ever, and this is what you do with it?? A subpar, tongue in cheek, and completely unoriginal movie? I mean, God guys! There was still stuff I enjoyed but it doesn't amount to a hill of beans in this whacked out movie. The voice cast is just as good as always with the first instance of Kate Micucci voicing Velma for me and I really liked her! The animation is still done very well, in fact every aspect except for story was done well and competently. I'll admit I wasn't getting good vibes from this movie from the start, okay so the gang has shut down Mystery Inc. for what the sixth time, and they're not sure what to do now. Okay strike one immediately, because the gang in this say they never do anything normal and it's always solving mysteries to the point they never talk or know each other all too well, but that's just not true. Sure character interaction hasn't been a major part of the series, but they know who everyone is because their personalities as individuals is clearly spoken through their actions and words, and them not knowing how to do normal stuff is the one that kills me. Because I know for a fact that they never really have searched for mysteries often, very rarely have they went case hunting because the mystery always finds them and they always do normal things before getting whisked away into a new mystery. What do they do you might ask? Well they go to the beach, they go to a dance at a barn, they go to the malt shop and spend time together, and for some new instances, they go to music festivals, they they take cruises, they go to fraking Hawaii! What is this, "We do not know this normal you speak of, we only know the mysterious mysteries to solve" bullcrap?? Strike two hits pretty close after that when the bombshell drops that Fred actually sold the Mystery Machine. For what reason you might ask? Never explained! I thought he still had friggin' PTSD from seeing it blow up in Frankencreepy but I guess in a previous adventure he sold the damn thing so goodbye beloved and classic vehicle! And strike three, you dragged poor Cassandra Peterson to do her Elvira thing cause apparently Vincent Van Ghoul was unavailable, and she has nothing to do. I mean it's kinda hard to bring the appeal and funny personality of Elvira in a kid's movie, when well Elvira isn't exactly family friendly, she can't exactly make dick jokes and have that sultry yet valley girl persona. Now I love Cassandra, she is a funny, talented, and genuinely entertaining lady and when I heard she was going to be in this I was really excited even if it was just a bit part and she's wasted! Christ on the bleedin' cross it's been awhile since I have been this angry. And this all happens in the first...10, maybe 15 minutes of this hour and twenty minute film. Oh it keeps getting dumber! Now I will admit I like that Shag and Scoob made the gang solemnly promise to not solve mysteries at all and go on a vacation, which does lead to some funny stuff with Velma practically having a breakdown since she can't use her intelligence to solve things, but it just further made me feel detached from the story cause the gang doesn't act like their usual selves. But not in a clever way where we learn about their passions and lives much like in the outstanding Mystery Incorporated show, they just don't have anything to do or say and are beyond dull until about the halfway point. Oh my God and the mystery itself, ooh boy here we go. Okay so Mystery Inc. head to totally not Moonscar Island and already suspicious events are taking place, natives telling them to get away, side characters that look almost exactly like the villains from the first movie, and zombies are up and about. Man you're going to think I am bullshitting you straight to your face but here it comes, so the twist is.....it's all a movie. The hotel manager is actually a director putting together a film. Does this lead to any cute or funny fourth wall breaks or have a meta sense of humor? Of course not, what were you expecting?!! Oh and the director's name is Alan Smithee. Ha....Ha. The movie still goes on by the way after this, they solve the "mystery" and the movie still has like half an hour left. Now throughout the vacation we actually see a legit cat person stalking our heroes and this made me think oh well they'll actually for really realsies this time actually touch base on the original film and build on the lore previously established. You poor bastard, you had hope for this movie back then. Yeah, they don't do anything with it. They don't explain who it is, how he came to be a cat person like Lena and Simone in the first movie, they pull the trope! They pull the motherf***ing s*** sucking trope of "Oooohhhh he's still out there, another mystery to never solve guys, oooohhhh!!", agggghhhh!!!

Ohh what I'm going to do to the person who wrote this movie.....I'm so angry!! First I'm going to rip their lips out, yeah, that's what I'm gonna do. Then, I'm gonna gouge their eyes out! Yeah....that's what I'm gonna do. And then I'm gonna tear their arms outta the socket! And you wanna know what else? I'm gonna hit em' and they're gonna faaaaallll. And I'm going to look down and I'm gonna laugh...

Whoa. That got heavy.

They didn't even bring back Terror Time Again, you know the one thing everyone remembers from the first movie. They slapped Return To Zombie Island on another Scooby movie, this is not the sequel to Zombie Island. No, no, no, this is another movie that was about halfway made and then the producer kicks the door down and goes, "Alright people change of plans we're making a Zombie Island sequel! Oh you already made half of an original movie already? Well we can squeeze the script in, anyway have fun writing the rest of the movie!", and you know why? So that they could get old school fans like me to watch their horrible movie, to have fans of this franchise who grew up with movies like Zombie Island, and Witch's Ghost to slap down money for their poorly written, Highlander 2 style sequel. But I have fantastic news everybody, the movie doesn't start selling until October 1st at all stores, so spread the word. This movie won't make a dime if it's the last thing I do. You do not screw with my Scooby-Doo movies. You do not slap on a title that has next to nothing to do with the movie you are making, and thusly spit in the face of every fan of the original movie by bait and switching them just so that this horrible excuse for entertainment can make more money. Go to hell.

Scooby-Doo And The Witch's Ghost

It's the best and I will fight you on this.

Now of course I'm biased, I saw this at a young age and fell in love with it. But why? Why this movie above every other? I can't fully say. It has a great story, the gang meet a famous writer Ben Ravencroft who invites them to his hometown where apparently the ghost of his ancestor who was convicted of being a witch has returned. It has probably the best finale to any of the Scooby-Doo movies, the acting is great especially when you get a powerhouse like Tim Curry fully devoted to his role. Add good comedy, great animation, and the best and so far only recurring characters in the series history to return periodically. I refer of course to The Hex Girls, who I am even more biased towards because quite frankly I love them and the music they perform in the movie. But it goes deeper than that, this is a terrific fall movie, I mean like if you put it on in October it has that exquisite fall feeling to it all and perfect for Halloween. The nostalgia has skyrocketed, I watched this movie all the time, day, night, I adored it as a kid and the love has never died. The animation is crisp and fluid, the comedy actually does make me laugh at times, the characters are memorable, the music is fantastic, this just holds the title for best Scooby-Doo movie ever. This and my old tape of Scooby's Greatest Mysteries, and of course Mystery Incorporated are the crown jewels of this series for me. You wanna know why I persist to love this series even to this day? Watch those and the original show. And the best part? I share a birthday with Shaggy Rogers. Happy Birthday Casey.

Scooby-Doo Mask Of The Blue Falcon

Talk about a trip down memory lane.

Mask Of The Blue Falcon is not only a good Scooby-Doo movie, but a love letter to Hannah-Barbera. The gang accompanies Shag and Scoob to a comic convention where, shock of all shocks, a mystery springs up based off the classic Blue Falcon series with the original actor of the Blue Falcon TV series as the main suspect, thus spurring Shaggy and Scooby into action to protect their childhood hero and solve the case. Again very much like Frankencreepy, Mask Of The Blue Falcon holds a special place in my heart if only for the sheer amounts of nostalgia. The film is a love letter to the Hannah-Barbera cartoons from the 60s and 70s, I mean you name it and it's here! Blue Falcon, Space Ghost, Herculoids, Speed Buggy, Hong Kong Phooey, Frankenstein Jr., every single last one of them is seen in some form or another. And the first time I saw this I was with my grandma, Cartoon Network is still one of my favorite channels if not my absolute favorite and a Scooby-Doo movie was coming on and being a lifelong fan I was down for it. I was floored by all these characters cause I was born at the right time to see all those old cartoons along with the new ones, Cartoon Network had reruns of these shows back in the day and later on in life I got Boomerang where I watched countless classic cartoons from the 60s to the 90s so I grew up with all these characters and being home at that time, I couldn't get more nostalgia if I ever tried. It's just wonderful to go through this movie and fully enjoy all the references. And it doesn't even stop there. The original Blue Falcon has heavy ties to the 60s Batman series, with the old show not in syndication and not on video, the star only gaining money from con appearances and being forgotten in light of new more dark and realistic super hero movies. I feel it was a huge missed opportunity to not have him voiced by Adam West, now people might say well it would be too on the nose and obvious, to which I counter with well the voice actor does an Adam West impression anyway so why not? It's interesting to know that Shaggy and Scooby were influenced by the Blue Falcon and to know they are heavy into the con scene, hell even Daphne has an obsession with these collectables they're like a mix of My Little Pony and Beanie Babies, Fred is a fan of new comic book movies, and poor Velma is just a stick in the mud I mean you think she would be all for sci-fi or mystery books. But I had a blast with this movie, and while it may not be as funny as Frankencreepy it still holds something special to me at least.

And tomorrow on my birthday we look at my #1 favorite Scooby-Doo movie of all time.

Scooby-Doo Frankencreepy

Holy shrimp this is amazing!

I mean whoa man, this could easily be top 3 in my favorite Scooby-Doo movies of all time, not only is it hilarious, not only is the story fun, not only is it chock full of references to Frankenstein, but this movie got these characters and gave them a bit to work with. So the story goes, Velma is contacted to inherit her great great uncle's castle who performed experiments to create a monster, and is thus discovered that Velma's ancestor was the inspiration for Mary Shelley to write her now famous book, and Velma sets out to disprove the experiments of her relative and hijinks and hilarity ensue. There is so much good to talk about, the editing I swear was done by Edgar Wright, it has his distinct stamp on fast editing and it adds so many laughs to this movie. The movie references not only the classic Universal movies but also heavily takes from Young Frankenstein, to the point where you could literally splice scenes from that movie in this one and it would still work and still be funny. I especially love how the movie brings up older cases from the gang, and I mean they straight up show clips from the old shows, how friggin' cool is that? And the movie takes bold steps as well, this movie kills the van. They blow up the Mystery Machine. Dang. And the traits and emotions of the characters help the movie in my opinion, all the gang goes to a dark place. Fred gets practical PTSD from seeing the van blow up, Daphne has to work out some serious vanity issues, Shaggy and Scooby lose their appetites and start acting brave (PS. I adore that 5 second montage of absurdities coming true when they say that.), and Velma starts to not act on logic and falls victim to the Frankenstein curse. And I'm not gonna lie, it's beautiful. We don't see these characters like this like....ever and it is terrific. Plus I'm happy Velma gets some serious attention and screen time, and that mad scientist outfit...ooh lord. I love this movie so much, I love it to tiny pieces, I would buy it in a heartbeat, I can not reccomend it more. Go see this movie, watch it either with your kids or solo because it is well worth your time. You know what's really weird? Every movie has some link between each other. Zombie Island and Boo Brothers had a southern plantation, Boo Brothers and Frankencreepy had inherited property, granted I don't know if there is a connection between Frankencreepy and tomorrow's movie which will be Scooby-Doo Mask Of The Blue Falcon.

Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island

It was high time to indulge in my love of Scooby-Doo. After making it #1 on my animated shows, and not talking much about it why not spend my birthday week to look at in my opinion the best Scooby-Doo movies made.

Zombie Island was the first of the direct to video Scooby-Doo movies I ever saw, which really ushered in the still continuing Scooby movies you see in video stores. And I was maybe 5 years old when I saw this movie and I took the supremely creepy movie entirely in stride, which is surprising for me cause I was damn near afraid of my own shadow at that age. And I gotta tell you, it has been a very long time since I saw this movie last and truthfully I appreciate it and think it's gotten better now that I'm older. The film starts surprisingly with the gang split up, this is a huge leap for this movie and series for that matter cause, the gang moved on. They got tired of not solving any real mysteries, and you know....it's true! Scooby-Doo had been on for 30 years at this point and the mysteries weren't exactly Agatha Christie, so it makes sense. The gang got tired of the boring, mundane cases and moved on, went their seperate ways but decided to get back together for one more case to try and rekindle that sense of adventure and joy they once had. So basically the gang almost has a mid-life crisis kinda. Whoa! I mean that's a big bold move to see that alone. So they travel down to the bayou in good ol' Louisiana in search of a true haunted house and get a lot more than what they wanted. I was surprised to learn that a lot of japanese animators helped out on this movie and it does show, the animation is very fluid and detailed and the movie looks great! Some shots are incredibly cinematic, and this was still a time when hand drawn animation was the norm so the animators must be applauded. The cast changed at this time and most of the cast for the gang still do the voices today. Frank Welker had to take the enormous task of voicing Scooby after Don Messick passed away, and this film was in memory of him, and I love Frank Welker and he does Don proud. And keep your ears open for two famous voice actors today, one is obvious and one is not. And the mystery is compelling and how the events unfold shaped the way future Scooby-Doo movies were made, where the mystery may be legit or not when it comes to the monsters. And oh, that reveal. I mean we as an audience know something is up, and the movie does good with lore building, but when the time comes to drop the hatchet to the characters, it is grotesque and great. The zombie designs are creepy and it just adds to that dark tone in this movie, yes it's still a cartoon but it does push that envelope for such a routine show like Scooby-Doo. In fact there is some true creepy and down right disturbing scenes and ideas, it's definitely the most creepy and scary of all Scooby-Doo media, except for that one short. The movies were just as impactful to me as the cartoon, and I still have all my old tapes, I've seen every incarnation of old Scoob and 90% of the movies both animated and (regretablly) live action. I can't honestly say when I was a fan, but this movie didn't exactly hurt my standing on it. In fact if you ask most people who saw this in the late 90s, they would generally tell you this is a good movie nostalgia or not. Timeless characters, very good animation, an interesting story, a good mystery, and the beginning of many more movies to come.

Tomorrow we take a slight turn back into time, and yet I believe it's in the same location with another one of my earliest Scooby-Doo movies, Scooby-Doo Meets The Boo Brothers.

Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated

Yeah, another tv review and an animated one at that! This is easily top 5 when it comes to animated shows.

Scooby-Doo was the first cartoon I ever saw in my life, I still have all my old tapes, I've seen every single show, every movie, and it never gets old for me. But this show, which is not the newest but it just takes every single element of the original show and makes it a thousand times better than it was. The characters, the mysteries, there's an arching storyline in both seasons and that's the only bad thing is it was only two seasons long which is criminal because of how great it is! The first time I watched it I was late (like I am with many shows) about a few episodes into the first season, and it didn't take long for me to realize, holy smokes this show is different! Look, there's character development! There's this creepy overarching storyline, that's new! Damn this show is really funny, and weird, and awesome! I can't wait to see more! That was pretty much my first reaction to the show. I hunted down the first season, watched it from the beginning, loved every episode, and it just kept getting better. It's very hard to describe, it's a great show with nods to all the old shows and movies, but when you keep delving deeper and deeper into it you find new fascinating stuff. Dang it, the more I think about it the more I want to talk about. So more than likely there will be a follow up to this review later today. The best thing this show has going for it is the character development, these are characters with history together, with funny little quirks about them, and the fact that they are teenagers who date! That is a prominent feature in this series is the fact that the gang has relationships. Fred and Daphne date and it's hilarious to no end, Velma and Shaggy have a relationship and I'm just geeking the hell out over it! This is a show for the fans. I mean really and truly. Maybe that's why I love it so much, it is a great show by itself but then you add little tidbits of the mythos of the whole franchise and you get something even better. I cannot recommend this series enough if you are a fan of Scooby-Doo or just appreciate good animated shows. I'm gonna write more about the mindset I have and just various things that come to mind when I think of shows like this. So stick around, and in the meantime have fun unravelling the mystery.