Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico

The Monster of Mexico borrows elements from the classic Scooby-Doo era. The Mystery Machine, the outfits and the soundtrack are all back in this entry. For me this one is better than the similarly styled Legend of the Vampire.

The soundtrack is heard almost all the time again, but it does not distract from the excellent voice cast. There are a lot of funny moments and lines, a staple of Scooby-Doo. The story, characters and setting are all charming. I didn't see the end coming either.

This one is hard to find on Blu-Ray now but is available in HD via streaming services. Highly recommended.

Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico (2003)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Scooby and the gang get an invitation to come see a friend in Mexico for the Day of the Dead festivities but as soon as they arrive there they learn a Bigfoot like monster is haunting the people. Soon the Mystery Machine is out trying to determine who is trying to scare people off.

This entry in the movies of Scooby-Doo isn't nearly as bad as its reputation makes it out to be. While the film certainly isn't among the best movies from the franchise, it's at least entertaining, colorful and offers up a pretty good monster and a nice little twist at the end. I will say that the only disappointing thing is that there wasn't more comedy because many of the comic bits fall flat.

With that said, I really enjoyed the look of the Bigfoot monster as well as the myth surrounding it. I thought visually the monster looked extremely good and it was certainly entertaining enough to keep you caught up in the story. The animation, as you'd expect, was very good as well as the vocal performances. I really enjoyed the colorful nature to the animation but I will say it's a shame that the Day of the Dead ceremony wasn't used more. Still, if you're a fan of the series then you should enjoy this one.

This movie had a lot going for it. The voice cast, sound effects and smoother animation felt more like the original Scooby Doo and I appreciated the classic feel. I really liked that Scott Innes was not voicing Shaggy. Velma is good for relating some good Mexican history. The behind-the-scenes, blooper reel and cast commentary on the DVD are great! There were definitely parts where the plot was interesting and a lot of vintage Shaggy/Scooby comedy that made us all laugh.

That being said, the plot didn't hold together very well for me. Somewhere in the middle, things get a little TOO confusing and far-fetched, even for Scooby. The story seems to slow down and then jump ahead making the movie lurch along awkwardly. Daphne's voice seems slow and... old! The dialog really dragged in parts. The extra characters didn't have much personality or add interest to the movie, they were just... there.

Overall the movie was OK and my kids enjoy it now and then. Not the greatest... but pretty good.

Essentially when you have seen one Scooby-Doo animated movie, then you have virtually already seen them all, as they are all cut from the same mold. But isn't that part of the charm of the Hanna-Barbera franchise? And while "Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico" is indeed an animated movie that follows the blueprint to the letter, then it still turned out to be one of the more entertaining and fun of the adventures of the Mystery Gang.

This time Scooby-Doo and the friends are in Mexico, where they have a face to face encounter with local Mexican legend El Chubacabra. I found the story to be fun and entertaining to watch, and the take on the mysterious El Chubacabra was actually nice.

The animation is good and the art style is good. I love the consistency of the franchise, that they stick to what was initially established back in the early days and continue on with the same style.

As an animated movie, then having a proper cast for the voice acting is very essential, and "Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico" is true to the legacy of Scooby-Doo and brandishes some great talents on the voice acting cast. It is, as always, a real treat to have Casey Kasem and Frank Welker do voices in the animated movies.

"Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico" is definitely one of the better of the numerous animated Scooby-Doo movies that I have seen. If you are a fan of the franchise, then this is definitely a good addition to the Collection.

Some redeeming factors include that the location is a different country, the movie keeps the series running, will keep child fans entertained, and the music is above average. Perhaps the the best and surprising part is finding out that Scooby ends up having a gal in Mexico. Otherwise, I'm thinking this one could've used more comedy, twists, and better cultural immersion. The Chupacabra was the biggest puzzle, they should've gone for the gollum-like vampiric creature instead of grape ape.