Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

Like I said several times before, I grew up watching Scooby-Doo. I loved the 20-minute long episodes but I loved even more the movies because they were longer and you know how kids are, the more the better. As much as I loved them though, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is the only one I still remember after so many years as it's always been my favourite and the only one I rewatch multiple times a year. 

In this film, the Mystery, Inc. gang has gone their separate ways as they got tired of unmasking criminals: Daphne (voiced by Mary Kay Bergman) and Fred (voiced by Frank Welker) have started a successful television series; Velma (voiced by B.J. Ward) is the owner of a mystery bookstore; Shaggy (voiced by Billy West) and Scooby (voiced by Scott Innes) are custom agents at the airport. For Daphne's birthday, Fred reunites the whole gang for a trip to Louisiana for Daphne's show. After many disappointing adventures, they meet Lena (voiced by Tara Strong), a local girl who invites them to her haunted house on Moonscar Island.

The plot is way more intriguing, complex and developed than it is in any other Scooby-Doo movie I've seen. It has unique and interesting twists and turns that will keep you guessing and engaged --even if you've seen the film already and therefore know that the twist at the end is coming. And it's quite refreshing not seeing the Mystery, Inc. gang unmasking somebody at the end.

As for the characters, I liked how the career the writers picked for each member of the Mystery, Inc. is believable and suits each one of them perfectly, especially Shaggy and Scooby as contraband-sniffing inspectors at the airport. The script also allows the main characters to be more rounded and dimensional than they usually are. The supporting characters are pretty interesting and engaging too, but that's more on the cast than it is on the writing. Mark Hamill does a wonderful job as Snakebite Scruggs, a creepy, ill-natured fisherman, and Jim Cummings is delightful as Jacques, the nice ferryman.

Warner Home Video

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island's best quality though is its ability to combine horror and comedy. Sure, it's not the scariest film ever made, but it's pretty scary and creepy for a Scooby-Doo flick, especially for kids. And the comedy is very nice. It's the typical comedy as in every other Scooby-Doo movie or episode, but the jokes work and there are more of them that aim at adults.

The animation is very good too. It's not Disney or Pixar good, but it's colourful and pretty charming, and the designs the zombies and other creatures have are pretty creepy looking.