'Scooby-Doo And The Witch's Ghost (1999)' is one of four direct-to-video feature films starring Mystery Inc. These four films are, in essence, a sort of pseudo meta update of the well-loved television show, bringing the gang into early adulthood as well as the nineties. They act as light commentaries on the characters and tropes that the series solidified over its fruitful run. To me, these four films represent the most iconic versions of their characters, primarily because they are the 'Scooby-Doo' films I've seen the most (I watched 'Scooby-Doo and The Cyber Chase (2001)' almost on repeat as a child). Nostalgia aside, they're also just really solid films overall. The animation is handled by Japanese studio Mook Animation, which is likely why the movies look so darn good. They may be direct-to-video, but they don't look cheap. The visuals represent this conceptually odd yet ultimately successful mix of Western and Eastern animation styles. It's hard to explain why, but they just look superb; there's clearly a lot of care and attention behind them. 'Scooby-Doo And The Witch's Ghost (1999)' is a really solid mystery thriller. It leans into audience expectation to make its ultimate subversion all the more satisfying. It's a fun adventure with a couple of really good visual gags, plenty of charm and a surprisingly dark finale. The climax is actually really exciting, with genuine stakes and lots of visual splendour. Plus, it features Agnes Skinner herself cackling at our heroes. The film isn't spectacular, of course. It isn't especially deep and, despite its subversion, it's also sort of predictable. It's engaging, but not exactly gripping. The likability of its characters, quality of its animation and competence of its story more than make up for its issues, though. It's an enjoyable and well-achieved animated mystery that knows exactly what to do with its iconic characters. It's surprisingly fun, to be honest. 7/10.
