Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King

No, seriously, I really think that a Scooby-Doo movie going after a musical genre is a really good change of pace. Sure, it may not be as good as Zombie Island, and it may not live up as a Halloween musical classic the same way The Nightmare Before Christmas did, but it's still not bad for a beginner. The Halloween creatures are a big plus; they're absolutely creepy. Some of the musical numbers might need a little work, but at least they're something that you can't walk out on. But, man! Oh, man! I can never get over that ending! I'm not gonna tell you though; it'll just spoil the surprise. The bottom line: it's a delight for the whole family, especially if you're a Scooby-Doo fan.

I am 16 and I enjoyed it more than the other Scooby Doo movies. It isn't as good as Witch's Ghost though, but I also really enjoyed Zombie Island and Alien Invaders. Children will love it, and adults will love the clever Halloween jokes. The animation was way better than Shaggy and Scooby: Get a Clue, which is just atrocious in every aspect. The songs were actually really catchy, especially Goblin Boogie, which also played in the end credits, which were a delight to watch. It was a simple, but well told story, that picked up so quickly when you thought it was going to drag. As for the voice talents, they were the main reason why I liked this film as much as I did. Wayne Knight was a little over the top, but he was fine, and Casey Kasem is a sheer delight as Shaggy. James Belushi was funny as one of the goblins, and as the Goblin King, Tim Curry was both sinister and fun. I loved the twist at the end, which was typical of Scooby Doo. I also loved the fact that it was real monsters, the old formula was getting tired. My favourite bit was the Headless Horseman chasing Jack O'Lantern,(an unrecognisable Jay Leno) Shaggy and Scooby. Well recommended! 9/10. Bethany Cox

Striking visuals, great voice acting and a wild adventure. Very hack or hammy on the humour (more than usual) with a load of plotless nonsense, this one seems to miss the mystery I identify with Scooby Doo & the gang. The writers even had to knock out Velma for much of the movie so that she didn't try to apply any sort of reason to the goings on. Reminiscent of Tim Burton/Danny Elfman 'dead party' films at times, though lacking in a favourable soundtrack.

Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Scooby and Shaggy go to a magic show with the gang when they call out a fake magician who in return turns Fred, Velma and Daphne into monster. Scooby and Shaggy must then enter the monster underground to find a cure but first they must go up against the Goblin King. This feature is pretty uneven and I'd probably call it the weakest I've seen so far. It's certainly not a bad movie and I'm sure fans of Scooby will be entertained but there were several moments where my son's interest (as well as mine) was not fully into the picture. I think the start of the film is a lot of fun as the gang are on a roller coaster ride with all sorts of scary monsters around. The ending is also a lot of fun as Scooby and Shaggy have to dress up as Velma and Daphne to get into the Goblin King's party. This here adds some nice laughs and there's another great sequence where the duo go to a monster party. The animation during this party sequence is great and there's a lot of good imagination going on with the various creature looks. The biggest problem is in the middle of the picture where it just seems like the writers didn't know where to take the material and we've got a lot of scenes that just drag without much happening. Still, fans of Scooby should at least be mildly entertained and we even have the likes of James Belushi, Tim Curry and Wayne Knight and Jay Leno adding some vocal support.

Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008) is a movie my daughter and I recently watched together on HBOMAX. The storyline follows Shaggy and Scooby as they head into an underworld to save their friends, and believe it or not fairies, from being turned into monsters by the goblin king. They are followed by a man who wants to steal the goblin kings powers for himself to start his own rule of terror on Earth. This movie is directed by Joe Sichta (Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster) and contains the voices of Frank Welker (Transformers), Casey Kasem (Ghostbusters), Grey Griffin (Invincible), Wayne Knight (Jurassic Park), Tim Curry (It), Jay Leno (Contact), Lauren Bacall (The Big Sleep) and Jim Belushi (Red Heat). The storyline for this is a little unique for the Scooby-Doo universe but still fun to watch unfold. The animation is excellent and the writing for the characters is fun. The scenarios are very unique and unpredictable. The opening scene is awesome and the voices are well selected. Overall this isn't an animated classic but it is worth watching if you're a fan of Scooby. I'd score this a 6/10.