I mean she did carry the show from 1983-1985 as the leading Action Mom and being the only serious member to return...with the reporter career first being established there...and her martial arts idea was previously introduced in 1976 as a fakeout to escape capture.
I'm glad you bring it up because I feel like the Americana aspect of the first three is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of these films. I don't know if it's because I'm not American but it's crazy to me how much those vibes go unspoken. Each of the three is like taking a different slice out of a multi-flavoured America cake.
@@hassledvania there really was a lot of that in the classic shows too. Generally they went to Louisiana Swamps, Arkansas Ozarks, Hollywood a few times, NYC, and Mt. Airy, North Carolina stateside with it being established that Coolsville was located in Ohio by Pup. They also went to the Canadian side of Niagra Falls and things got pretty creepy there. Now out of all the non-Coolsville/Crystal Cove Places we do see where Mystery Inc enjoys visiting the most. Where's that? Shaggy (elbows Scooby): "like don't look at me Scoob, I'm swamped! Get it? Swamped?" Scooby: "Rhehehehehehe, I don't get it." Daphne (amused at the joke and making her own): Shaggy just thought he'd run it bayou.
Fun fact: In addition to being the original voice of Fred, voicing Fred for decades, and voicing Scooby since the early 2000s, Frank Welker has also voiced tons of characters and animals from many things you've probably seen in your childhood. A couple notable examples: He is the one who did the lion roars for The Lion King. That's right. Not a single lion was used for those noises. And he voiced Abu, Raja, and the Cave of Wonders in Aladdin. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. He's been in so many things.
Cause Cartoon Network played cyber chase the most and alien invaders eh, I don’t remember seeing zombie island on there parents probably complained and they didn’t show it often or sum.. me personally I remember witch’s ghost and cyber chase the most
NGL, I noticed around this time, his character really slid downwards for me: in the 90s, he's a bit more macho and prideful, the 2000s films had him as an egotistical jerk, and in MI he wasn't really as smart of caring as he had been before--but I think everyone's writing in MI was off (but they could've explained this away by showing how their parents negatively influenced them).
@@OpticalSorcerer Fred got a lot of developement in WNSD...he was the absent-minded mechanic guy who likes road trips. Pup also had him be an eccentric conspirast who blamed everything on "Scarlett Fish"
@@Superlad9494 WNSD wasn't really a development series. He wasn't quite as clever as he was originally. And I DESPISED APNSD since he was controlling, quick to get wound up, and always blamed Red Herring. He wasn't really a good leader.
@@OpticalSorcerer well he wasn't really in charge in APNSD (and I'm a really big Scooby-nerd), being in charge was Velma's department as kids, and if not her it was Daphne. Daphne was also always in charge in the regular teen series too, many people thought Fred was, but Hanna-Barbera was always good about subverting expectations of the norm. Now sure, WNSD is pretty much "WAY for 2000", but you can tell that they were trying to actually not make Fred "Daphne the Dude" as before that was kind of all he really had going for him apart from minor hints towards writing novels and being good at acting and mechanics (allowing him to make those traps) as well as the first one after Shaggy to have a license to drive Daph's vans (but he won't drive the red Mysstery Machine, he hates stickshifts), which is the joke in the Gunn films. I would actually say that personality-wise... MI took what was given as a humanization in WNSD for Fred and built on it, just like they built on the Pup Persona for Daph, built on WNSD for Velma and Shaggy & Scooby really didn't get much since Scrappy Era developed them to the fullest by RW.
Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders is last film to feature Mary Kay Bergman as the voice of Daphne, following her death in November 1999; this film is dedicated in her memory.
Mystery Inc is probably the "best version" but I always loved the original. Plus it's something you can show to younger kids safely that doesn't totally suck...lol
so glad found your video. these 4 movies were the stable of my childhood and what got me really into scooby doo. i can agree with you on the cyber chase movie, i thought it was a real downgrade compared to the other 3 movies. i saw cyber chase once and never wanted to see it again for how lackluster it was. but i think these movies still hold up really well even 20 something years later.
Zombie island was always so hard for me to watch because of how scary it was when I was a kid. I didn’t even realize the zombies were good until I was older and finally able to actually brave through it. Also, I never realized the similarities between this movie and the live action movies.
This was such a nostalgic watch, thank you! Watching this video has unlocked very happy memories of my childhood. The alien twist actually kind of frightened me when I was a kid, which I credit to well, the alien nature of the designs. I have very fond memories of all these films, with the exception of Cyber Chase which I barely remember and I think I was a little frightened by the darker elements of Zombie Island.
Can we also talk about how AMAZING the food looks in all of these movies ? To this day I still want to try all the foods they show in this quadrilogy. The crawdads, the beignets, everything from the diner in Witch's Ghost, the donuts from Alien Invaders, the fries and ketchup from the virtual world, and everything from the university food court in cyber chase ??! 😋😍
My personal favorite of these 4 is the Witches Ghost but unquestionably the most impactful one was Zombie Island, if you were a kid in the late 90s when it premiered it was the talk of the school yard. It’s not true that this was the first time we saw real monsters in Scooby doo. The Scrappy Doo and Red Shirt Shaggy era was full of them but it was the time we saw the all of the gang in the original format with real monsters that wasn’t played for comedy . I have long believed that the best possible “adult” Scooby Doo series we could get would be a remake of the 13 ghost of Scooby Doo in the style of Zombie Island Tim Curry would be a,axing as Vincent Van Ghoul since he is the Vincent Price of this generation.
If I could add a change to Cyber Chase to make it fit better with the other ones being real. They could keep Baseball guy as the creator of the virus but it quickly went rogue and became dangerous. He kept secret that he created the virus because no one got hurt but when the gang got digitized. He would've outed himself because the virus is growing out of hand. This change would also make it so that the virus could run machines in the real world and needs a way to escape the network, making it similar to the Ben drowned creepypasta. They also should've digitized only one member first and the rest of the gang would jump in to rescue them. That would show the bond that the group has with one another.
I always sorta thought it would have been interesting if instead of it being the only plot twist of Ben's ancestor actually being a witch, that he was using the good deeds of *Thorn's* wiccan ancestor to make his story of wanting to clear her name seem more pure. That or have Thorn and him be distant relatives and there being either two sides of Sarah; before she turned to darker practices and truly became an evil witch and after. That or there being two sisters with differing strengths in magic, with the sister being considered the good wiccan and Sarah being into more overtly obvious forms of magic that tipped people off of their abilities and had her sealed while her sister was burnt at the stak but history erased her and made everything about Sarah, fueling her anger against the normal humans. Either way it would stregnthen the message and show how manipulative some may be, making themselves seem like the good guy when theyre just hypocrites.
Really good points. I think they was a lot more they couldve done to layer the plot, even with the third act it has. Definitely another problem caused by WB pushing for it to be a run of the mill mystery.
My big question is, why use _Wicca?_ Wicca didn't even exist until the 1920s at earliest, and the first known recorded instance of it in the US was the late 50s.
@passingrando6457 I think the idea was to do the whole "She was a wiccan, but look at how the town portrays her as some dollar store evil witch!" Some potentially good commentary there about how time removes empathy and or historical accuracy, especially when money is involved. Of course that falls to the wayside when it turns out she was always an evil witch. In fact, if you know that Wiccans were around until the 1920s, you could argue its a hint that Ben is lying.
@@hassledvania that's a good perspective. I like it, thanks! I always wrote it off as having a Wiccan on board with the movie somewhere or another. Some of them tend to claim every tradition they've borrowed from was itself, Wiccan. There's a general belief among neo-pagans that older belief systems have more... weight? Prestige? Whatever you wish to call it... behind them, so a lot of the newer ones do that. Wicca, being a relatively wide blend rather than a pure revivalism, tends to magnify that until you have some coven that claims to be the one true successor to druidic tradition, Norse Asatru, rhe Grecian Oracles, and Feng Shui.
I had completely forgotten that I had seen that movie, but when that song came up, I realized, omg THAT is where that song that’s been haunting (ahem) me for decades came from??
@@hassledvania woah....woah...woah....that one started this mess! Both that and Velma can be roasted....take your pick about literal, metaphorical or both.
The direct-to-video quadrilogy has been especially nostalgic for me. I remember when they first came out. I even still have my VHS tape of Witch's Ghost, which I've had since 1999.
Frank Welker also didn't play Fred in A Pup Named Scooby Doo (since it was kid version) or Scoob! (since they replaced him with Zac Efron, but Welker was at least still involved by voicing Scooby)
When I was watching the Witches Ghost for the first time, my mother informed me that we were related to Susannah Martin who was hung at the end the Salem Witch Trials. She was accused of tormenting Elizabeth Browne with her 'spirit.' But she had been taken to court MANY times before the trials had started, usually over land disputes or her being 'uncooperative.' They had been trying to take her land for years, and finally got it. She didn't even live in Salem at the time.
Yes I wish they went a bit more into the tragedy of the Witch Trials, which for all intents and purposes was a culling of anyone deemed unorthodox or simply disliked. The dark historical context was one of the strongest parts of Zombie Island but faded from the series pretty quick
Also I cannot explain my hatred for CyberChase and Alien Invasion. Cyberchase was the ONLY one that would reliably come on TV, and I hated it. The quality was such crap compared to the previous three. The sound effects annoyed the crap out of me. That intro to the movie? Haunts me. I'd get pissed when I'd hear it.The ONLY redemption to Cyberchase was the arcade bit at the end when we get to see all the old villains. I had grown up watching all the old ones, so they were more special cameos than the rest of the movie, my mom was also pleasantly surprised to see these particular characters again. Alien Invasion was the defacto other one that would be on, and I also hated it. I think I just wasn't into the Alien theme, because I also still don't like the Spooky Space Kooks.
Okay, since you asked, I'll spill. My favorite iteration overall, is the OG 1969 Scooby Doo, Where are you? Following up, my favorite overall in quality, exposition, characters, and anything else you can think of, is Mystery Incorporated, 2010. However, immediately following that series, my next favorites is the run of "The New Scooby Doo Movies" from 1972. I also adore the Red shirt Shaggy genre, and "Scooby Doo Meets the Boos Brothers" and "Scooby Doo and the Ghouls School" were constantly competing for my favorite as a child. 1996, but raised by a 1969 Scooby Doo fan. (James Gunns movies exists within the universe, but also outside the universe for me. So I never count it as comparable material to the cartoon franchise, HOWEVER, they are my favorite MOVIES of all time. And I hate movies, I don't watch em. But I'm always down for Matthew Lillard and Buffy and Freddie Prince Jr. and the one from Legally Blonde shenanigan's. [Also, Freddie Prince Jr is a delight to follow on instagram, he recently bought tons of DND mini's and he's been painting them. Really makes his Psych cameo feel authentic XD])
Heard that there was gonna be a fifth one but things that occurred to prevent it. 1. No one liked the scripts for cyber chase and constant passing around ideas that ate too much into the budget. 2. Cyber Chase and its tie in game didn't sell well, so they wasn't going to continue their work with Mook Animation. 3. Warner Bros was likely more focused on the first live action movie for 2002, than another VHS movie. I heard that it was supposed to be set in S.America and the gang go to Carnevale and deal with a monster there, well that idea eventually become Scooby Doo:Monster in Mexico. Personally I think the 4 really progressed as a chronicle. Zombie island the gang was splitting but real threats brought them together(this movie became a staple for many ideas later on), Witches Ghost solved the clues of the past to help the present move forward/Hex Girls, Alien Invaders theres more to our world than men in suits/Shaggy and Scooby wanted love, and Cyber Chase moved forward into the future and shown the fun and dangers of technology.
Cyberchase probably had it's problems because of it not including those "cutscenes" as actual character pieces that would have helped the movie and cemented it being Fred's "one last big adventure before they make us go back to blah" films as there were hints that this was Fred's thing. The Sports stuff blended with acting allusions in the colloseum level as Fred mentions in his part actually would have added more interest, same with the Velma/Scooby Cattle Drive in Prehistorics, Daphne's Polar Shenanigans, Shaggy's arcade and Scooby acting like a "cat" with a "mouse" concerning the laser and Cyber Scooby. That said...I think the issue with Scooby and the Cyberchase is that it was a GBA and GBC game when with a movie title like that it would have been more fitting for a CD-Rom game or a Cartoon Network MMORPG thing. Also yeah...live actions took priority at the time for "The Haunted World of Scooby-Doo" and those CN games were fun too, that said...never could get the win screen for Pirates of the North...rats.
I always liked Cyber Chase, not for the content but for the idea. Shaggy is in the red shirt from 13 ghosts, so what if 13 ghosts is "The Shaggy Levels" based what happened in The Witches' Ghost.
I’m a 2000’s kid and my favorite Scooby Doo was What’s New Scooby Doo, until the day I saw Mystery Inc. to which it became my new favorite. Ever since I saw the premiere of Mystery Inc. I was blown away by its premise and kept coming back for more.
It’s funny to listen to you shit on Cyber Chase so hard since it was my favorite when I was a kid and still my favorite to go back and rewatch! Goes to show how nostalgia can tint your perceptions, since all the criticisms you have are perfectly valid. “Hello Cyber Dream” still goes hard tho.
Honestly, I always loved watching Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost when I was a kid and loved Thorn from the Hex Girls. Now that I'm 20, it's totally nostalgic, and it's amazing to rewatch it and it's other movies which even still gives me chill😱🥹👻
Do I smell a Underrated Channel???? Great Analysis on this Trilogy. A lot of what you said here are also My feelings on the this Wonderful set of Movies. To me, Scooby doo is a franchise that needs a Darker more mature outlook to work. The Bright characters contrast so well with dark locations and storytelling. So it is a shame there's only cheap DVD movies and Well Velma. . . . . Hopefully there well be better Versions that try to Take notes of these Three original films . Of course without any of that Nostalgia bait Nonsense. Ok long comment over. :3
Velmas funny in that its trying to be "Adult Scooby Doo" yet is infinitely more childish than Zombie Island. Id recommend (surprisingly) Scoobynatural. Its another "Adult gorey" take on Scooby Doo but is done with a LOT of love.
@@hassledvania I enjoy Venture Bros and it's a nice deconstruction of JQ. Do checkout Jonny Quest. Only the original show and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.
Great movies, one of my favorites in series and actually more creepy than usual in this series but after rewatching my last one I will say yes. Zombie Island, since I heard it was "the best Scooby-Doo movie", I must say I was a bit disappointed, but it's still a great movie, I really appreciate it, although it's not my favorite. Witch's Ghost is definitely my favorite 10/10 I love everything and I was more scared here than the previous one . Alien Invaders is great, not my favorite, but very enjoyable and cool, and it was touching at the end :( And Cyber Chase I saw it the most times and I liked it the most out of the four, and also in the series in general, and after rewatching it, I still love it and recommend it higher than Zombie Island but still not my favorite film from this series but still great and Phantom Virus absolutely pure evil :)
Ben had a lot of potential to be an intriguing villain if he was psychologically menacing to any of the descendants of people who were victims of Sarah Ravencroft and had a murderous reputation for silencing them along with descendants of the folks who turned Sarah over and testified against her during the trial. Especially when the elders of the village would condemn Sarah to be hanged.
37:54 ironic that the 2007 Mikey (Mikey Kelley) actually played the main antagonist (not the virus btw) of the next movie, Cyber Chase lol Edit: idk who you’re thinking of but it doesn’t look like he was Lupin at any point lol
And as far as Cyber Chase, while it’s a step down from the original 3 movies as far as being standard fare for a Scooby Movie, I enjoyed the setup of the game world as well as the Sonic Generations esque aspect with the gang teaming up with their “past selves” (using it lightly considering Shaggy was in his red shirt and Scoob was just a Smash Bros recolor lol)
@@redstreak9430Shaggy’s red shirt is a reference to the late 80s trilogy of Scooby/Scrappy movies were he wears a red shirt (Boo Brothers, Reluctant Werewolf, and Ghoul School)
Kinda a timeline of cheese-to-good A Pup Named Scooby Doo (kids) Mystery Incorporated (teens from parallel world) Scooby Doo: Where Are You? (young adults) The Nutcracker Scoob Where's My Mummy? (split up & wandering) 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo The Boo Brothers The Ghoul School Zombie Island (reunited) Witch's Ghost Alien Invaders Cyber Chase What's New Scooby Doo? Curse of the 13th Ghost (wrapping up loose ends) Optional: Legend of the Vampire, Pirates Ahoy, Trick or Treat Scooby Doo
I'm loving this video! I remember watching every single Scooby Doo movie growing up and playing all the PS2 games...Mystery mayhem was a personal favourite of mine :) I'm now a subscriber of yours I can't wait to watch all your other videos! I would like to also thank you for commenting on my video I found your amazing channel that way :D
@@hassledvania Keep working hard brother! and in regards to that I guess there's only one thing left to say Avengers....Assemble (I'll walk myself out)
I still remember being 7 way back in 2000 watching a rerun of Zombie Island on Cartoon Network at my grammas house getting sugar high after trick or treating
This was such a fun watch… how does this not have more views?? Great video man, loved walking through these movies that raised me. So cool to hear about what was going on behind the scenes with the studio and love hearing someone else love on the animation style!
Yeah, your coverage of Cyber-chase is way harsh. For instance, the intro was ominous and mysterious, but that didn't impact you much it would appear. And the colour saturation is the best in the series from my POV. The prior three reviews were terrific though. My ranking: Cyberchase deserves to be right at the A-tier. Come fight me!
They don't have Witch's ghost either or Boo brothers. Those were a couple of movies I was excited to see when I knew Scooy Doo was on HBO Max. Actually they don't have a lot of Scooby stuff. Reluctant werewolf isn't on there. Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby Doo which is a rare gem is not on there. It's a shame.
Terror time by skycycle in zombie island was my introduction to "modern" rock music and I have the 4 minute version in my TH-cam music mix. my parents were teenagers in the 70s in their 20s in the 80s journey and the eagles were they're favorite bands and I played GTA vice city at like 6 and vrock was the station first time hearing maiden preist slayer Megadeth anthrax Tesla yes that was a band name long before muskrat was a thing and they're awesome. that is what made me want to play guitar just the opening riffs of madhouse and 2 minutes to midnight are incredible..... Scooby Doo and grand theft auto what a childhood.
I think Zombie Island is the "best" Scoob, but my personal favorite is Boo Brothers. Love the whole riddle scavenger hunt in a sppoky mansion, the Boo Brothers are great, and honestly kinda love how it has like 8 different antagonists all doing their own thing that basically don't give a shit about each other unless they're directly interacting.
🎵Earth, wind, fire, and air We may look bad, but we don't care!🎵 The Hex Girls have lived in my head rent-free since the video release, and I'm always for Positive Goth Representation. I'd be lying if I didn't say that they didn't incline me to witchcraft and the traditions and learning about the modern day revival of such older practices.
This was the second series of movies. I know people hate Scrappy Doo, but he Scooby, and Shaggy had a trilogy of their own. Sucks only Ghoul School was good though. As for favorite there is three. The Original, the Scrappy Doo Era, and the Zombie Island/Witches Ghost versions of those movies.
@@hassledvania It's a fun movie I can watch from time to time. Do wish we could have got some fleshing out of Shaggy's girlfriend and the ending left us open for more. I would of watched a series with Dracula and his goons trying to get back at Shaggy and the gang.
this video is oddly hard to watch because I cant get through a full segment without stopping it and going to rewatch the movie. Fuck I love these movies.
I’m sure that someone else has told you this but they’re putting out the movies on Blu-ray. Zombie Island and its sequel are the next release so I’m sure Witch’s Ghost and Alien Invaders are next.
In my opinion, even though Cyber Chase was a massive downgrade to the previous three films, I happened to like the film, even regarded it as one of my all time favourites, behind Zombie Island of course. I thought it was a pretty fun send off to the quadrilogy of films.
As a Scoob fanatic I love people making videos on the straight to dvd and vhs classic films. These were so goated. Zombie island was definitely the best and alien invaders definitely the weakest but all four films are some of the series’ best entries
@@hassledvania thanks so much for making this man. I literally rewatch Ryan hollingers video on this all the time and now I have a second vid to rewatch when I want a dose of nostalgia. I appreciate the work that went into this a lot
And Cyber Chase would have gotten away with their original concept if it wasn't for those meddling executives!
Pour one out for Stenstrum
🤣🤣🤣
Daphne truly was the main protagonist of Zombie Island… never thought of it like that. Love it!!!
I mean she did carry the show from 1983-1985 as the leading Action Mom and being the only serious member to return...with the reporter career first being established there...and her martial arts idea was previously introduced in 1976 as a fakeout to escape capture.
Same!
Same. When having great writing, Daphne can be a great lead with all of the gang and some of the gang ( Shaggy and Scooby Doo).
God I still remember first seeing Zombie Island and I remember how terrified I was.
You could even say it was terror time again
At 3:39 In the video, what was that song?@@hassledvania
What was the name of It I meant.@@hassledvania
@@animanga9597"Chug Jug with you"
I unironically listen to skycycle terror time all the time. Someone edited a together a 4 minute version that's awesome
Yea i gotta say the Hex girls are definitely part of the reason my taste in women is the way it is.
They were peak design in this one too
Valid
I'm glad you bring it up because I feel like the Americana aspect of the first three is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of these films. I don't know if it's because I'm not American but it's crazy to me how much those vibes go unspoken.
Each of the three is like taking a different slice out of a multi-flavoured America cake.
THANK YOU
The vibes of 1-3 sre unmatched
@@hassledvania there really was a lot of that in the classic shows too.
Generally they went to Louisiana Swamps, Arkansas Ozarks, Hollywood a few times, NYC, and Mt. Airy, North Carolina stateside with it being established that Coolsville was located in Ohio by Pup. They also went to the Canadian side of Niagra Falls and things got pretty creepy there.
Now out of all the non-Coolsville/Crystal Cove Places we do see where Mystery Inc enjoys visiting the most.
Where's that?
Shaggy (elbows Scooby): "like don't look at me Scoob, I'm swamped! Get it? Swamped?"
Scooby: "Rhehehehehehe, I don't get it."
Daphne (amused at the joke and making her own): Shaggy just thought he'd run it bayou.
Fun fact: In addition to being the original voice of Fred, voicing Fred for decades, and voicing Scooby since the early 2000s, Frank Welker has also voiced tons of characters and animals from many things you've probably seen in your childhood.
A couple notable examples: He is the one who did the lion roars for The Lion King. That's right. Not a single lion was used for those noises. And he voiced Abu, Raja, and the Cave of Wonders in Aladdin. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. He's been in so many things.
A true legend
It's gonna be a sad, SAD day when we lose him.
Isn’t he also in The Real Ghostbusters?
Zombie Island was a gem but still for some reason I remember the Alien invaders and Cyber chase much more fondly and nostalgically
Cause Cartoon Network played cyber chase the most and alien invaders eh, I don’t remember seeing zombie island on there parents probably complained and they didn’t show it often or sum.. me personally I remember witch’s ghost and cyber chase the most
@@colinvaughn8580i remember watching zombie island the most during cartoon theatre
31:19 it’s a shame Fred didn’t get a DTV movie within the quadrilogy, but he does get the main focus in Mystery Incorporated
Hes SO good in Mystery Inc, by far my favourite
NGL, I noticed around this time, his character really slid downwards for me: in the 90s, he's a bit more macho and prideful, the 2000s films had him as an egotistical jerk, and in MI he wasn't really as smart of caring as he had been before--but I think everyone's writing in MI was off (but they could've explained this away by showing how their parents negatively influenced them).
@@OpticalSorcerer Fred got a lot of developement in WNSD...he was the absent-minded mechanic guy who likes road trips. Pup also had him be an eccentric conspirast who blamed everything on "Scarlett Fish"
@@Superlad9494 WNSD wasn't really a development series. He wasn't quite as clever as he was originally. And I DESPISED APNSD since he was controlling, quick to get wound up, and always blamed Red Herring. He wasn't really a good leader.
@@OpticalSorcerer well he wasn't really in charge in APNSD (and I'm a really big Scooby-nerd), being in charge was Velma's department as kids, and if not her it was Daphne. Daphne was also always in charge in the regular teen series too, many people thought Fred was, but Hanna-Barbera was always good about subverting expectations of the norm.
Now sure, WNSD is pretty much "WAY for 2000", but you can tell that they were trying to actually not make Fred "Daphne the Dude" as before that was kind of all he really had going for him apart from minor hints towards writing novels and being good at acting and mechanics (allowing him to make those traps) as well as the first one after Shaggy to have a license to drive Daph's vans (but he won't drive the red Mysstery Machine, he hates stickshifts), which is the joke in the Gunn films.
I would actually say that personality-wise... MI took what was given as a humanization in WNSD for Fred and built on it, just like they built on the Pup Persona for Daph, built on WNSD for Velma and Shaggy & Scooby really didn't get much since Scrappy Era developed them to the fullest by RW.
Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders is last film to feature Mary Kay Bergman as the voice of Daphne, following her death in November 1999; this film is dedicated in her memory.
Mystery Inc is probably the "best version" but I always loved the original. Plus it's something you can show to younger kids safely that doesn't totally suck...lol
Thanks for watching! Yeah its hard to top that original 2 season run, its something special
Witch’s Ghost is awesome due to not just Tim Curry and the Hex Girls…but the fact that Throne is voiced by the great Jennifer Hale :3
That Johnny Bravo bit has lived rent free in my head for decades now.
so glad found your video. these 4 movies were the stable of my childhood and what got me really into scooby doo. i can agree with you on the cyber chase movie, i thought it was a real downgrade compared to the other 3 movies. i saw cyber chase once and never wanted to see it again for how lackluster it was. but i think these movies still hold up really well even 20 something years later.
Glad you found the video too!
I swear to god the hex girls straight up altered my brain chemistry as a child.
Zombie island was always so hard for me to watch because of how scary it was when I was a kid. I didn’t even realize the zombies were good until I was older and finally able to actually brave through it.
Also, I never realized the similarities between this movie and the live action movies.
Wonder how old Moonscar and his men were there...when they were alive?
This was such a nostalgic watch, thank you! Watching this video has unlocked very happy memories of my childhood. The alien twist actually kind of frightened me when I was a kid, which I credit to well, the alien nature of the designs. I have very fond memories of all these films, with the exception of Cyber Chase which I barely remember and I think I was a little frightened by the darker elements of Zombie Island.
Thanks for watching! Yeah Zombie Island in particular really takes me back to late autumn evenings as a kid
I actually loved Cyber Chase as a kid. Video Games were a huge thing for me so I was like YAY!
“We’ve been levitated before” got me so hard
Can we also talk about how AMAZING the food looks in all of these movies ? To this day I still want to try all the foods they show in this quadrilogy. The crawdads, the beignets, everything from the diner in Witch's Ghost, the donuts from Alien Invaders, the fries and ketchup from the virtual world, and everything from the university food court in cyber chase ??! 😋😍
I NEED a scooby doo cookbook that incorporates those foods in it spiritually
@@maddiegrace9787 omg yes, I would buy that!
Those cinnabon-pastry things that Fred eats in the beginning of Zombie Island is a deep childhood memory
Zombie island STILL slaps, fight me
It do tho
that ain’t even how u use the word lil brudder😂
My personal favorite of these 4 is the Witches Ghost but unquestionably the most impactful one was Zombie Island, if you were a kid in the late 90s when it premiered it was the talk of the school yard.
It’s not true that this was the first time we saw real monsters in Scooby doo. The Scrappy Doo and Red Shirt Shaggy era was full of them but it was the time we saw the all of the gang in the original format with real monsters that wasn’t played for comedy .
I have long believed that the best possible “adult” Scooby Doo series we could get would be a remake of the 13 ghost of Scooby Doo in the style of Zombie Island
Tim Curry would be a,axing as Vincent Van Ghoul since he is the Vincent Price of this generation.
Maurice LaMarche did a great voice for Vincent Van Ghoul in Mystery Incorporated.
If I could add a change to Cyber Chase to make it fit better with the other ones being real. They could keep Baseball guy as the creator of the virus but it quickly went rogue and became dangerous. He kept secret that he created the virus because no one got hurt but when the gang got digitized. He would've outed himself because the virus is growing out of hand. This change would also make it so that the virus could run machines in the real world and needs a way to escape the network, making it similar to the Ben drowned creepypasta. They also should've digitized only one member first and the rest of the gang would jump in to rescue them. That would show the bond that the group has with one another.
My girlfriend playlist consists of Zombie Island into Witch's Ghost. And that's it. She liked them both.
Shes a keeper
I always sorta thought it would have been interesting if instead of it being the only plot twist of Ben's ancestor actually being a witch, that he was using the good deeds of *Thorn's* wiccan ancestor to make his story of wanting to clear her name seem more pure. That or have Thorn and him be distant relatives and there being either two sides of Sarah; before she turned to darker practices and truly became an evil witch and after. That or there being two sisters with differing strengths in magic, with the sister being considered the good wiccan and Sarah being into more overtly obvious forms of magic that tipped people off of their abilities and had her sealed while her sister was burnt at the stak but history erased her and made everything about Sarah, fueling her anger against the normal humans. Either way it would stregnthen the message and show how manipulative some may be, making themselves seem like the good guy when theyre just hypocrites.
Really good points. I think they was a lot more they couldve done to layer the plot, even with the third act it has.
Definitely another problem caused by WB pushing for it to be a run of the mill mystery.
My big question is, why use _Wicca?_ Wicca didn't even exist until the 1920s at earliest, and the first known recorded instance of it in the US was the late 50s.
@passingrando6457 I think the idea was to do the whole "She was a wiccan, but look at how the town portrays her as some dollar store evil witch!"
Some potentially good commentary there about how time removes empathy and or historical accuracy, especially when money is involved.
Of course that falls to the wayside when it turns out she was always an evil witch. In fact, if you know that Wiccans were around until the 1920s, you could argue its a hint that Ben is lying.
@@hassledvania that's a good perspective. I like it, thanks!
I always wrote it off as having a Wiccan on board with the movie somewhere or another. Some of them tend to claim every tradition they've borrowed from was itself, Wiccan. There's a general belief among neo-pagans that older belief systems have more... weight? Prestige? Whatever you wish to call it... behind them, so a lot of the newer ones do that. Wicca, being a relatively wide blend rather than a pure revivalism, tends to magnify that until you have some coven that claims to be the one true successor to druidic tradition, Norse Asatru, rhe Grecian Oracles, and Feng Shui.
@@passingrando6457 I believe Wicca is actually a very ancient religion, it just had a resurgence in the 1920's
How is it underrated? I thought every Scooby-Doo fan knew those four movies were the best
i had a visceral reaction to the cyber chase song
boom boom diggity day all night
I had completely forgotten that I had seen that movie, but when that song came up, I realized, omg THAT is where that song that’s been haunting (ahem) me for decades came from??
Be honest. Cyber Chase can’t be as bad as Mindy Kailing.
Not even Return to Zombie Island is THAT bad lol
@@hassledvania Thaaaat’s for sure😏👍
True
@@hassledvania woah....woah...woah....that one started this mess! Both that and Velma can be roasted....take your pick about literal, metaphorical or both.
The direct-to-video quadrilogy has been especially nostalgic for me. I remember when they first came out. I even still have my VHS tape of Witch's Ghost, which I've had since 1999.
Frank Welker also didn't play Fred in A Pup Named Scooby Doo (since it was kid version) or Scoob! (since they replaced him with Zac Efron, but Welker was at least still involved by voicing Scooby)
Still blows my mind they recast Lillard in that film for a VA with arguably less star power, what was the point
31 years old and zombie island still gives me nightmares. But obviously I watch the trilogy ever. Year.
When I was watching the Witches Ghost for the first time, my mother informed me that we were related to Susannah Martin who was hung at the end the Salem Witch Trials. She was accused of tormenting Elizabeth Browne with her 'spirit.' But she had been taken to court MANY times before the trials had started, usually over land disputes or her being 'uncooperative.' They had been trying to take her land for years, and finally got it. She didn't even live in Salem at the time.
Yes I wish they went a bit more into the tragedy of the Witch Trials, which for all intents and purposes was a culling of anyone deemed unorthodox or simply disliked.
The dark historical context was one of the strongest parts of Zombie Island but faded from the series pretty quick
Also I cannot explain my hatred for CyberChase and Alien Invasion. Cyberchase was the ONLY one that would reliably come on TV, and I hated it. The quality was such crap compared to the previous three. The sound effects annoyed the crap out of me. That intro to the movie? Haunts me. I'd get pissed when I'd hear it.The ONLY redemption to Cyberchase was the arcade bit at the end when we get to see all the old villains. I had grown up watching all the old ones, so they were more special cameos than the rest of the movie, my mom was also pleasantly surprised to see these particular characters again. Alien Invasion was the defacto other one that would be on, and I also hated it. I think I just wasn't into the Alien theme, because I also still don't like the Spooky Space Kooks.
Okay, since you asked, I'll spill. My favorite iteration overall, is the OG 1969 Scooby Doo, Where are you? Following up, my favorite overall in quality, exposition, characters, and anything else you can think of, is Mystery Incorporated, 2010. However, immediately following that series, my next favorites is the run of "The New Scooby Doo Movies" from 1972. I also adore the Red shirt Shaggy genre, and "Scooby Doo Meets the Boos Brothers" and "Scooby Doo and the Ghouls School" were constantly competing for my favorite as a child. 1996, but raised by a 1969 Scooby Doo fan. (James Gunns movies exists within the universe, but also outside the universe for me. So I never count it as comparable material to the cartoon franchise, HOWEVER, they are my favorite MOVIES of all time. And I hate movies, I don't watch em. But I'm always down for Matthew Lillard and Buffy and Freddie Prince Jr. and the one from Legally Blonde shenanigan's. [Also, Freddie Prince Jr is a delight to follow on instagram, he recently bought tons of DND mini's and he's been painting them. Really makes his Psych cameo feel authentic XD])
Scooby doo on zombie island is such a comfort movie for me. It use to scare the crap out of me though!
Peak vibes
Heard that there was gonna be a fifth one but things that occurred to prevent it.
1. No one liked the scripts for cyber chase and constant passing around ideas that ate too much into the budget.
2. Cyber Chase and its tie in game didn't sell well, so they wasn't going to continue their work with Mook Animation.
3. Warner Bros was likely more focused on the first live action movie for 2002, than another VHS movie.
I heard that it was supposed to be set in S.America and the gang go to Carnevale and deal with a monster there, well that idea eventually become Scooby Doo:Monster in Mexico.
Personally I think the 4 really progressed as a chronicle.
Zombie island the gang was splitting but real threats brought them together(this movie became a staple for many ideas later on), Witches Ghost solved the clues of the past to help the present move forward/Hex Girls, Alien Invaders theres more to our world than men in suits/Shaggy and Scooby wanted love, and Cyber Chase moved forward into the future and shown the fun and dangers of technology.
Cyberchase probably had it's problems because of it not including those "cutscenes" as actual character pieces that would have helped the movie and cemented it being Fred's "one last big adventure before they make us go back to blah" films as there were hints that this was Fred's thing.
The Sports stuff blended with acting allusions in the colloseum level as Fred mentions in his part actually would have added more interest, same with the Velma/Scooby Cattle Drive in Prehistorics, Daphne's Polar Shenanigans, Shaggy's arcade and Scooby acting like a "cat" with a "mouse" concerning the laser and Cyber Scooby.
That said...I think the issue with Scooby and the Cyberchase is that it was a GBA and GBC game when with a movie title like that it would have been more fitting for a CD-Rom game or a Cartoon Network MMORPG thing.
Also yeah...live actions took priority at the time for "The Haunted World of Scooby-Doo" and those CN games were fun too, that said...never could get the win screen for Pirates of the North...rats.
If you think about it had Zombie Island followed classic zombie logic. Fred cannonically would have a kill count.😅😂
The witch's ghost was very good as well.
Loved that one, Tim Curry makes that film at the end
I always liked Cyber Chase, not for the content but for the idea. Shaggy is in the red shirt from 13 ghosts, so what if 13 ghosts is "The Shaggy Levels" based what happened in The Witches' Ghost.
The Hex Girls were also in Music of the Vampire and What's New? in the second season.
I’m a 2000’s kid and my favorite Scooby Doo was What’s New Scooby Doo, until the day I saw Mystery Inc. to which it became my new favorite. Ever since I saw the premiere of Mystery Inc. I was blown away by its premise and kept coming back for more.
Appreciate the shout out my guy!
Zombie island has my first intro to Scooby Doo. I was confused when I watched the original series and was confused when the monsters were fake.
It’s funny to listen to you shit on Cyber Chase so hard since it was my favorite when I was a kid and still my favorite to go back and rewatch! Goes to show how nostalgia can tint your perceptions, since all the criticisms you have are perfectly valid. “Hello Cyber Dream” still goes hard tho.
Honestly, I always loved watching Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost when I was a kid and loved Thorn from the Hex Girls. Now that I'm 20, it's totally nostalgic, and it's amazing to rewatch it and it's other movies which even still gives me chill😱🥹👻
Do I smell a Underrated Channel????
Great Analysis on this Trilogy. A lot of what you said here are also
My feelings on the this Wonderful set of Movies.
To me, Scooby doo is a franchise that needs a Darker more mature outlook to work. The Bright characters contrast so well with dark locations and storytelling. So it is a shame there's only cheap DVD movies and Well Velma. . . . . Hopefully there well be better Versions that try to Take notes of these Three original films . Of course without any of that Nostalgia bait Nonsense. Ok long comment over. :3
Velmas funny in that its trying to be "Adult Scooby Doo" yet is infinitely more childish than Zombie Island.
Id recommend (surprisingly) Scoobynatural. Its another "Adult gorey" take on Scooby Doo but is done with a LOT of love.
Cyber Chase will always be my favorite
but could have been a true epic if the executives had left the team to their own devices
When you mentioned Swat Kats, so many memories came flooding back because I used to watch Swat Kats! The nostalgia!!
It's crazy how Cyber Chase is remembered completely differently than how it actually stacked up compared to the past three movies
15:08 Another Fun Fact: That unmade Swat Kats episode also became an episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest called Eclipse.
Oh really? You know, I love Venture Bros but Ive never actually never tried Johnny Quest
@@hassledvania I enjoy Venture Bros and it's a nice deconstruction of JQ. Do checkout Jonny Quest. Only the original show and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.
Great movies, one of my favorites in series and actually more creepy than usual in this series but after rewatching my last one I will say yes. Zombie Island, since I heard it was "the best Scooby-Doo movie", I must say I was a bit disappointed, but it's still a great movie, I really appreciate it, although it's not my favorite. Witch's Ghost is definitely my favorite 10/10 I love everything and I was more scared here than the previous one . Alien Invaders is great, not my favorite, but very enjoyable and cool, and it was touching at the end :( And Cyber Chase I saw it the most times and I liked it the most out of the four, and also in the series in general, and after rewatching it, I still love it and recommend it higher than Zombie Island but still not my favorite film from this series but still great and Phantom Virus absolutely pure evil :)
My brother, and my cousins loved zombie island as kids. Cat people, New Orleans, eating crawfish and scooby snacks.
Ben had a lot of potential to be an intriguing villain if he was psychologically menacing to any of the descendants of people who were victims of Sarah Ravencroft and had a murderous reputation for silencing them along with descendants of the folks who turned Sarah over and testified against her during the trial. Especially when the elders of the village would condemn Sarah to be hanged.
I just wish we got a little more about him. He's SO much fun when he turns bad, but for most the film he's just pretending to be very plain lol
@@hassledvania Plus Tim Curry is a fan of the franchise.
I LOVE ZOMBIE ISLAND. I was so scared of it as a child.
37:54 ironic that the 2007 Mikey (Mikey Kelley) actually played the main antagonist (not the virus btw) of the next movie, Cyber Chase lol
Edit: idk who you’re thinking of but it doesn’t look like he was Lupin at any point lol
And as far as Cyber Chase, while it’s a step down from the original 3 movies as far as being standard fare for a Scooby Movie, I enjoyed the setup of the game world as well as the Sonic Generations esque aspect with the gang teaming up with their “past selves” (using it lightly considering Shaggy was in his red shirt and Scoob was just a Smash Bros recolor lol)
@@redstreak9430Shaggy’s red shirt is a reference to the late 80s trilogy of Scooby/Scrappy movies were he wears a red shirt (Boo Brothers, Reluctant Werewolf, and Ghoul School)
Love all four of these movies even if I will concede from an adult perspective that Cyber Chase is objectively weaker! Great video!
you say the cyber chase monster wasn’t intimidating but that blue skinny guy haunted my dreams for years as a young child.
im a brave boy : )
Kinda a timeline of cheese-to-good
A Pup Named Scooby Doo (kids)
Mystery Incorporated (teens from parallel world)
Scooby Doo: Where Are You? (young adults)
The Nutcracker Scoob
Where's My Mummy? (split up & wandering)
13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo
The Boo Brothers
The Ghoul School
Zombie Island (reunited)
Witch's Ghost
Alien Invaders
Cyber Chase
What's New Scooby Doo?
Curse of the 13th Ghost (wrapping up loose ends)
Optional: Legend of the Vampire, Pirates Ahoy, Trick or Treat Scooby Doo
I'm loving this video! I remember watching every single Scooby Doo movie growing up and playing all the PS2 games...Mystery mayhem was a personal favourite of mine :)
I'm now a subscriber of yours I can't wait to watch all your other videos! I would like to also thank you for commenting on my video I found your amazing channel that way :D
What a nice comment, thanks so much! Video Essayists striving and thriving together hell yeah
@@hassledvania Keep working hard brother! and in regards to that I guess there's only one thing left to say Avengers....Assemble (I'll walk myself out)
Omg yes mystery mayhem was so fun!
I still remember being 7 way back in 2000 watching a rerun of Zombie Island on Cartoon Network at my grammas house getting sugar high after trick or treating
Gahd DAMN I wanna watch these again. Yeah I dunno what they could’ve done for a spooky villain in cyber chase 🤷♀️ he’s just kinda… a squiggle shape
Hell yeah! Don't sleep on Alien Invaders!
This was such a fun watch… how does this not have more views?? Great video man, loved walking through these movies that raised me. So cool to hear about what was going on behind the scenes with the studio and love hearing someone else love on the animation style!
Cyber chase was one of my most favourite movies growing up though😭😂
Thats okay, I thought it was good as a kid too haha
Yeah, your coverage of Cyber-chase is way harsh. For instance, the intro was ominous and mysterious, but that didn't impact you much it would appear. And the colour saturation is the best in the series from my POV. The prior three reviews were terrific though.
My ranking: Cyberchase deserves to be right at the A-tier. Come fight me!
23:35 did you really just play philistine from no more heroes 2 desperate desolation, that song is my jam I recognise anywhere
Absolutely based taste
1:29 bro really added Haunted boardwalk from pav man world 2 to the soundtrack of this and it works.
I'm surprised that these movies are not on HBO max!
WB seems to have no love for Zombie Island in general! Its an actual crime
They don't have Witch's ghost either or Boo brothers. Those were a couple of movies I was excited to see when I knew Scooy Doo was on HBO Max. Actually they don't have a lot of Scooby stuff. Reluctant werewolf isn't on there. Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby Doo which is a rare gem is not on there. It's a shame.
i have no idea what hbo is doing, but i don't think they have any either
Terror time by skycycle in zombie island was my introduction to "modern" rock music and I have the 4 minute version in my TH-cam music mix. my parents were teenagers in the 70s in their 20s in the 80s journey and the eagles were they're favorite bands and I played GTA vice city at like 6 and vrock was the station first time hearing maiden preist slayer Megadeth anthrax Tesla yes that was a band name long before muskrat was a thing and they're awesome. that is what made me want to play guitar just the opening riffs of madhouse and 2 minutes to midnight are incredible..... Scooby Doo and grand theft auto what a childhood.
I think Zombie Island is the "best" Scoob, but my personal favorite is Boo Brothers. Love the whole riddle scavenger hunt in a sppoky mansion, the Boo Brothers are great, and honestly kinda love how it has like 8 different antagonists all doing their own thing that basically don't give a shit about each other unless they're directly interacting.
I do have a soft spot for the Red Shirt films, used to watch Reluctant Werewolf all the time as a kid
🎵Earth, wind, fire, and air
We may look bad, but we don't care!🎵
The Hex Girls have lived in my head rent-free since the video release, and I'm always for Positive Goth Representation. I'd be lying if I didn't say that they didn't incline me to witchcraft and the traditions and learning about the modern day revival of such older practices.
Never understood why air and wind were both said in the song, they’re very similar 😭😭
@domenicavallone28 Earth, Ground, Mud and Dirt
We may look bad but we dont snrnt
My favorite Scooby Doo Movie out of the four is The Witches's Ghost. Marvelous plot twist they had.
Velma isn’t part of Scooby doo cannon and I will die defending that fact
lucky for you that by the end of august zombie's island, witch's ghost and alien invaders will be on blu ray finally
Genuinely was not expecting you to throw Philistine from NMH2 into the Hex Girls scene but it's actually SO fitting lmao
I enjoyed this last year when it was first uploaded and am happy that the spooky season brought it back to me again thanks to the algorithm.
i remember watching this movie allllll the time growing up
This was the second series of movies. I know people hate Scrappy Doo, but he Scooby, and Shaggy had a trilogy of their own. Sucks only Ghoul School was good though.
As for favorite there is three. The Original, the Scrappy Doo Era, and the Zombie Island/Witches Ghost versions of those movies.
I enjoyed Reluctant Werewolf as a little cretin but probably wont have aged well if I go back to it
@@hassledvania It's a fun movie I can watch from time to time. Do wish we could have got some fleshing out of Shaggy's girlfriend and the ending left us open for more. I would of watched a series with Dracula and his goons trying to get back at Shaggy and the gang.
As a kid Cyber chase scared me the most for some reason.
this video is oddly hard to watch because I cant get through a full segment without stopping it and going to rewatch the movie. Fuck I love these movies.
I love this movie and its sequals lol great video! I subbed
Based Spider-Man India enjoyer
@@hassledvania you reconized my Spidey!!! You rock🔥🔥
VERY BEAUTIFUL NO MORE HEROES REFERENCE ON THE HEX GIRLS
Cyber chase is an American treasure and I will not let it be slandered
I’m sure that someone else has told you this but they’re putting out the movies on Blu-ray. Zombie Island and its sequel are the next release so I’m sure Witch’s Ghost and Alien Invaders are next.
Thats brilliant, such gorgeous animation deserves better quality media
In my opinion, even though Cyber Chase was a massive downgrade to the previous three films, I happened to like the film, even regarded it as one of my all time favourites, behind Zombie Island of course. I thought it was a pretty fun send off to the quadrilogy of films.
Two Velma’s hugging each other? Priceless❤😊👍
I'm 32 years old. Videos like this make me feel normal 😂 thank you. These movies reign supreme.
Night of 100 Frights is S tier for me but respect for including and putting it high
Great video man. Keep it up!
Appreciate it!
9:47 child-hood bop 😂
GREAT VIDEO BRUH! I watch these every Halloween and they never get old
SCOBERT DOO
WHEREFORE ART YOU
As a Scoob fanatic I love people making videos on the straight to dvd and vhs classic films. These were so goated. Zombie island was definitely the best and alien invaders definitely the weakest but all four films are some of the series’ best entries
Thanks sm for watching 🙏
@@hassledvania thanks so much for making this man. I literally rewatch Ryan hollingers video on this all the time and now I have a second vid to rewatch when I want a dose of nostalgia. I appreciate the work that went into this a lot
Bruh I’ve never seen someone hate on the Cyber Chase so much hahaha, it was solid.
Used Knuckles songs from SA2B in the video. Now this person knows music.
Thank you so much for mentioning the closings! These movies always had great endings ❤️
Great job on this video you did so well!
That chaos joke with Crystal was so funny
At 1:55 Fred becomes an owl
My wife immediately pointed that out lol
These movies are the best of all time and my childhood favs best comfort movies for me
love the Sonic Adventure 2 music, it goes surprisingly well with Scooby-Doo lol
Oh shit a no more heroes refrence. Nice!
“ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!”
I’m never happy.