With how much Scooby-Doo! as a franchise is based off a formula, that began with the first TV show, there are a surprising amount of times this formula has been broken over the years. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. Luckily in this movie it works.
The idea of the Mystery Inc. gang being transported into a video game about themselves is very clever and it is done quite well. The different levels (especially the last one) are a great way of paying tribute to the franchise's past without simply repeating what they had already done. I love how the Mystery Inc. Gang has different costumes in this movie, yet the video game versions of them harken back to the first TV show (except for Shaggy who get his red shirt that he wore in The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985), Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987), Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (1988) and Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988).) The Phantom Virus is a darn good villain and definitely one of the more threatening in the franchise. Like classic Scooby-Doo! villains, he is creepy, but never too much to take away from the lighthearted fun. It is way too obvious who created him (it would have worked better if they kept the main clue as something brief that we could look over instead of hammering it in constantly), but as is true of the best Scooby-Doo! adventures, the film is still a lot of fun even when you know who done it.
This movie is a delight for all Scooby-Doo! fans.
Notes: This film is dedicated to the memory of William Hanna, who had passed away only seven months earlier. Be sure to stay after the credits, as the post credits scene is delightful. The Samurai level of the game features a villain who looks a lot like The Black Samurai the villain of Scooby-Doo and The Samurai Sword (2009), a movie that was still 8 years in the future.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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