Scooby Doo - updated but still the same fun stuff

Scooby and the Gang are updated a bit in this one; Fred and Daphne's relationship is not as stereotypical as before, the bellbottoms and ascots are gone, and as other reviewers note, the video makes gentle fun of the whole Scooby-Doo genre. But otherwise, I find that this is classic Scooby-Doo. I didn't find this video to be excessively violent or too scary for kids, especially considering that a lot of kids' animation such as Dragonball Z and Pokemon is a lot more violent and scary than this. I was pleasantly surprised at the positive, though somewhat inaccurate, depiction of Wicca; for example, one need not be an hereditary witch to be Wiccan. However, the overall positive view of Wicca far outweighs the occasional goof on the writers' part. I note that some parents were disturbed by the fact that the movie even mentioned Wicca or witchcraft, which is sad, because it shows we still have a long way to go before true tolerance of non-Christian religion happens in American society. It's sad to think that there are still grown adults who haven't learned the lesson of tolerance that an animated dog already knows. Other than the fact that Tim Curry makes a great villain (like we didn't already know that!) and the fact that some of the monsters are "real," the remainder of the movie is very much like your typical Scooby-Doo episode, with Shaggy and Scooby goofing around, Velma figuring things out, Fred being the action guy and Daphne pretty much standing around being The Cute Girl. The animation is very fluid and fun to watch, and the supernatural scenes were spooky but not excessively frightening, especially by comparison to the other animated stuff that's out there that's allegedly for "kids." Scooby-Doo and the Gang are still among the most popular cartoon characters ever, and this video, in spite of the undeservedly negative reviews elsewhere, will please any Scooby fan of any age.

Lots of fun and laughs, Scooby Doo Rocks!

I grew up watching Scooby Doo cartoons and loved them! I was happy to see new movies being produced and brought it home to watch along with my daughter who is three. My husband and I both laughed all the way through, there are many sly in-jokes.
I find it amazing that so many reviewers have focused on only two issues - one that it dares to mention Wiccans in a *gasp* positive light, and two- that it is too *intense* for smaller kids. For the first issue, it's just silly to say that this movie is a lesson in Wicca. It's almost as if the other reviewers are seeing a different movie! The very few bits of dialogue that happen to mention Wicca just say that Wiccans are nature lovers or natural healers. Whoo - clap your hand over your kid's ears!!! In fact the Hex Girls explicitly say they are NOT Wiccans, they are Eco-Goths (whatever THAT means!) and that one of them is 1/16th Wiccan on her mother's side. Ohh, the horror! Their song at the end talks about loving the earth, wow what a bad idea huh? I also thought that being Wiccan is hereditary to be very funny.
The second issue, that it is too intense, is also being overblown. Some have objected to the "real" witch. Say it with me now, people: "iiit's aaa caar-tooon". There, isn't that better? Just as in most Scooby episodes, nobody is hurt, nobody dies, there's no blood, no body parts, the explosions don't hit anyone, and the "pumpkin spiders" as my family calls them, are just funny. I'd rather my kid watch this than most of "kid's" tv or video games that are far more violent. The evening news, for example..

Harmless

I am honestly STUNNED by the shocking narrow-mindedness displayed by God-fearing, puritan Christians in other reviews of this DVD. There ARE other religions out there, exposing your children to them is no big deal, shielding them from it is both fascist and dangerous. And to dismiss them as evil is pure insanity. Especially Wicca. This is not a 'satanic' or 'devil-worshipping' religion and saying so only promotes further ignorance. Surely something was learned from the Dark Ages and the Salem Witch hunts. But reading other reviews here...I'm having second thoughts.

I'm actually quite glad Warner had the balls to have a plot involving Wicca and witches in a Scooby Doo cartoon. Okay, so ONE of them ultimately turns to be evil but there are evil people of all religions. Witch's Ghost is NOT pure Wiccan propaganda, it merely educates and enlightens on what is a highly misunderstood way of life. I would definitely prefer children to watch this.

The movie itself was one of the earlier efforts in the Scooby Doo revivals. Meaning that the monster is real and the writing is stronger and the gang have updated outfits. Tim Curry has a role as whacko writer Ben Ravencroft, a sort cross between HP Lovecraft and Sutter Cane, plus there is a Goth Girl Group called The Hex Girls who have a couple of cool songs. Billy Ray Cyrus sings the theme tune this time around.

There's a decent amount of mystery and humor, obviously nothing too sophisticated, to keep anyone, not just the kids, entertained. It's perfect family fun and I suggest you give it a ago and pay no attention to the insane reviews of Christian fundamentalists.

The DVD is in 1.33:1 fullscreen, as drawn, with Dolby 2.0 sound. However, my Region 2 release has a Dolby 5.1 track that was surprisingly loud and forceful with plenty of surround effects and deep bass. Sorry, but this ain't on the Region 1 version. A small amount of okay extras are included too. This DVD is an awful snap case but my Region 2 is a sturdy keepcase. If you can play multi-region DVDs get the UK version.