I will start by confessing that I have not seen all of the animated Direct-to-Video Scooby Doo movies. The ones I have seen, on cartoon network years ago, were the early ones and in my opinion the better ones. I have seen Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost, some of Alien Invaders, and The Cyber Chase.
Zombie Island and Witches Ghost are by far my absolute favorites because their plots deviate far from the original series plot. It allowed for the Scooby Doo franchise to explore real horror elements and show events with supernatural elements.
Note: Don't get me wrong. The Original Series is still one of the greatest shows ever.
Now Witch's Ghost.
It pulls off the supernatural-under-the-illusion-of-petty-masked-crime beautifully just like in Zombie Island. It gives the audience the same feeling like they are investigating another simple crime but realize that there really is a supernatural force at work without it being too far fetched.
Tim Curry, one of my favorite creepy actors, gives an excellent performance as Ben Ravencroft a horror writer whose family name has some dark history that he wants to clear up. He delivers his role quite well and gives fruitful character development. The additional Hex Girls, a Gothic Metal band, are another very nice addition, if a bit darker and mature for very young minds. Led by Thorn, voiced by the veteran video game voice actress Jennifer Hale, The Hex Girls provide some additional metal music for their introduction and for the credits.
These new characters as well the original gang provided an excellent cast for another grand supernatural adventure. This movie provides plenty of laughs, light scares, and a simple yet solid plot that anyone can appreciate.
As Tim Curry, Jennifer Hale, Metal and Scooby Doo-fan My opinion may seem biased. But realize that this is a kid's family movie, a genre that has now degenerated into blatantly unintelligent works of absurd fiction without a shred of cleverness or brilliance. This and other Scooby Doo movies (not the live action ones) have stayed true to what can be called proper Family Film values. It has comedy without being a straight-up comedy, it has peril without being traumatic, it has horror without being nightmarish, and it has dialog (one very important key element) that is simple enough that children can understand it easily, but not so lame and dumb that anyone else would find it irritating. It is a film for all ages and a very good one at that. A must watch for fans of the original series, fans of the "What's New Scooby Doo" series, and anyone else who has kids for that matter.
Zombie Island and Witches Ghost are by far my absolute favorites because their plots deviate far from the original series plot. It allowed for the Scooby Doo franchise to explore real horror elements and show events with supernatural elements.
Note: Don't get me wrong. The Original Series is still one of the greatest shows ever.
Now Witch's Ghost.
It pulls off the supernatural-under-the-illusion-of-petty-masked-crime beautifully just like in Zombie Island. It gives the audience the same feeling like they are investigating another simple crime but realize that there really is a supernatural force at work without it being too far fetched.
Tim Curry, one of my favorite creepy actors, gives an excellent performance as Ben Ravencroft a horror writer whose family name has some dark history that he wants to clear up. He delivers his role quite well and gives fruitful character development. The additional Hex Girls, a Gothic Metal band, are another very nice addition, if a bit darker and mature for very young minds. Led by Thorn, voiced by the veteran video game voice actress Jennifer Hale, The Hex Girls provide some additional metal music for their introduction and for the credits.
These new characters as well the original gang provided an excellent cast for another grand supernatural adventure. This movie provides plenty of laughs, light scares, and a simple yet solid plot that anyone can appreciate.
As Tim Curry, Jennifer Hale, Metal and Scooby Doo-fan My opinion may seem biased. But realize that this is a kid's family movie, a genre that has now degenerated into blatantly unintelligent works of absurd fiction without a shred of cleverness or brilliance. This and other Scooby Doo movies (not the live action ones) have stayed true to what can be called proper Family Film values. It has comedy without being a straight-up comedy, it has peril without being traumatic, it has horror without being nightmarish, and it has dialog (one very important key element) that is simple enough that children can understand it easily, but not so lame and dumb that anyone else would find it irritating. It is a film for all ages and a very good one at that. A must watch for fans of the original series, fans of the "What's New Scooby Doo" series, and anyone else who has kids for that matter.