By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
We’ve all become skeptical of franchise revivals because they are often so bad. You can only have your heart broken by products like the Star Wars sequels for so long before you start thinking creators should leave beloved franchises alone. But one animated revival not only worked, it served as both the best film in a long-running series and the beginning of this franchise’s pop culture renaissance.
The film I’m talking about is Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, a love letter to the Scooby Gang and a surprisingly effective horror movie that unexpectedly saved this beloved mystery franchise.
This Time, the Monsters Are Real
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island begins very unexpectedly: the Scooby Gang has broken up because they got sick of every “ghost” they catch just being another boring human in a mask. But Daphne never stops believing, so she and Fred create a reality TV show where they are determined to prove that spooky spectres are real. For Daphne’s birthday, the gang reunites for a ghost-hunting road trip, one which ultimately lands them on an island where the monsters (like, zombies, man!) are actually real.
I was one of those ‘80s kids who grew up watching reruns of the original Scooby show, and I even (don’t @ me, please) enjoyed the later adventures featuring Scrappy-Doo. By the time I was in high school, I was perfectly primed for a movie that brought the franchise back while taking its characters and premise very seriously. I wasn’t alone in my enjoyment: this film was so successful that it kicked off a long-running series of direct-to-video Scooby movies that continues to this day.
While Zombie Island gets full credit for inspiring the animated renaissance of Scooby-Doo (which now spans multiple TV shows as well as the aforementioned animated films), I don’t think it gets nearly enough credit for inspiring the first live-action Scooby-Doo film. That movie had been in development since 1994, but it didn’t officially get the green light until 2000, two years after Zombie Island had proven to be a smash hit with audiences.
Live-Action Imitates Art
Additionally, the live-action Scooby-Doo (written by James Gunn) borrows heavily from the plot of Zombie Island: it, too, has the gang break up before getting back together to solve a mystery. And the live film also features Mystery, Inc. visiting a scary island where the mystical goings on happen to be real.
While Zombie Island arguably has a darker tone, it still clearly served as a major inspiration for a live-action film. That movie has since developed a cult following and (especially after its sequel) firmly established Matthew Lillard as the new face and voice of Shaggy.
While it has only gotten better with age, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island was a monster success when it first came out, earning an 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised the film for how it stayed true to the classic Scooby vibe while adding fun characterization and (gasp!) actual lore. And some applauded the film for delivering scenes so genuinely creepy that this effectively works as a (barely) kid-friendly way to experience onscreen horror for the first time.
From Scooby Snacks to Surreal Laughs
Much of the humor in Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island came from the usual jinkies (er, hijinks) you’d expect from these ‘60 icons. Some of the gags make the film feel surreally dated, including Shaggy and Scooby becoming customs agents so they can eat contraband food.
If that’s not early aughts enough for you, the movie also has Daphne pivot into reality TV superstardom with a series where she tries to prove that ghosts and other things that go bump in the night are real. Her phenomenal success as a paranormal celebrity could only really happen back when The X-Files was considered appointment television.
Over a quarter century after it came out, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is infectiously funnier and surprisingly scarier than you remember. While it’s not currently available to stream, it’s worth busting out the DVD and watching this Halloween, especially if you want to introduce your children to something a little spooky.
If you’re a fan of Scooby-Doo as a character and franchise, you’ll surely love revisiting the movie that reinvented these characters for a new generation and transformed the Mystery, Inc. crew into lasting pop culture icons for the ages.
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