Scooby-Doo! E o Monstro do México

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.

The opening song was worth it. It really was. Actually, the music as a whole was worth it.

And some of the jokes were fully even if one or two of them may have bordered on blatant stereotypes, but in a harmless way.

It starts off strong. It starts off like an old episode of Scooby Doo...it just sort of ends with a "meh." In fact, what kills it is that one can walk away and forget how it ended by the time you get done using the bathroom.

But the first half is memorable and the songs are catchy, so it's a wash.

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.

I received this Scooby-Doo movie on VHS tape few years ago.

The opening song: Viva Mexico by Maria Carmen Diaz is memorable.

Some laughs or humour the gang receiving email notifications in terms of their catchphrases: (Alright, Jeepers!, Jinkies!", Zoinks! You have mail!")

Some trivia points Fred mentioned to his pen-pal Alejo that Shaggy has got a high metabolism.

In this movie, the Mexican mythical monster terrorising Veracruz is mentioned Chupacabra as some purple Bigfoot. Should be reptilian that sucks blood from goats.

Some unnecessary moments like Alejo's brother Luis lied about being hit knocked unconscious.

That robotic eagle Paco reminds me of bilingual parrot (same name) in "Maya & Miguel".

This is also the last time Nicole Jaffe and Heather North voice Velma and Daphne, respectively, before North died from bronchitis in November 2017.

Obviously, this movie is good or rather I like on its own, yet hardly outshines some of the others like Witch's Ghost (with Hex Girls and Tim Curry).

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.