Many times it has been said by me that 'The New Scooby Doo Movies' is patchy and inconsistent, but it is also interesting and a lot of fun to watch and one of the better Scooby Doo incarnations.
While it is not one of the show's best episodes (pretty much all of them being in Season 1), "Mystery of Haunted Island" is not one of the worst either. It is a decent episode but not a great one, notable for being the third and final guest appearance on the show of the Harlem Globetrotters. Their three episodes are decent, with the best being "The Loch Ness Mess", but not great.
A big caveat here is the animation. Am aware that talking about the animation negatively is probably getting repetitive, but it has never been one of the show's strengths and "Mystery of Haunted Island" started off the even cheaper and rushed-looking animation style of the second season. The first season did have some nice colours and atmosphere at least, but in pretty much the whole second season either of those things (though there are moments in this episode) are marred by the stiffer and choppier look where the colours are flat often and character designs are crude. The Harlem Globetrotters are not that well drawn, and the basketball scenes border on the painful.
The final solution also seemed very rushed to me and the identities of the perpetrators one of the show's most obvious. Plus even die-hard Scooby Doo fans will shake their heads in embarrassment at the motivation of the villains that the episode cooks up, it completely undermines the pretty cool and creepy disguises that are adopted here even if there are far more memorable villains in the show. Pacing could have been tighter as well at times, there did seem to be some padding going on and while not pointless or annoying Fred, Velma and Daphne are somewhat incidental to everything else and don't register as much as they ought.
However, the music is effectively atmospheric and energetic, and the theme tune while not as iconic as that for 'Scooby Doo Where are You' is infectious. "Mystery of Haunted Island" does manage a nice balance of humour (Shaggy and Scooby have some very funny moments, and so do the Globetrotters, especially the riot that is the goodnight gag/exchange and the aftermath, containing some very inventive ways of saying goodnight) and creepy atmosphere. The story is not perfect in pacing but is interesting and fun at least.
Shaggy and Scooby's friendship still charms and amuses, and they are such endearing and funny characters. Don Messick, Casey Kasem, Frank Welker and Scatman Crothers stand out among the solid as ever voice cast.
Overall, decent but not great. 7/10 Bethany Cox
While it is not one of the show's best episodes (pretty much all of them being in Season 1), "Mystery of Haunted Island" is not one of the worst either. It is a decent episode but not a great one, notable for being the third and final guest appearance on the show of the Harlem Globetrotters. Their three episodes are decent, with the best being "The Loch Ness Mess", but not great.
A big caveat here is the animation. Am aware that talking about the animation negatively is probably getting repetitive, but it has never been one of the show's strengths and "Mystery of Haunted Island" started off the even cheaper and rushed-looking animation style of the second season. The first season did have some nice colours and atmosphere at least, but in pretty much the whole second season either of those things (though there are moments in this episode) are marred by the stiffer and choppier look where the colours are flat often and character designs are crude. The Harlem Globetrotters are not that well drawn, and the basketball scenes border on the painful.
The final solution also seemed very rushed to me and the identities of the perpetrators one of the show's most obvious. Plus even die-hard Scooby Doo fans will shake their heads in embarrassment at the motivation of the villains that the episode cooks up, it completely undermines the pretty cool and creepy disguises that are adopted here even if there are far more memorable villains in the show. Pacing could have been tighter as well at times, there did seem to be some padding going on and while not pointless or annoying Fred, Velma and Daphne are somewhat incidental to everything else and don't register as much as they ought.
However, the music is effectively atmospheric and energetic, and the theme tune while not as iconic as that for 'Scooby Doo Where are You' is infectious. "Mystery of Haunted Island" does manage a nice balance of humour (Shaggy and Scooby have some very funny moments, and so do the Globetrotters, especially the riot that is the goodnight gag/exchange and the aftermath, containing some very inventive ways of saying goodnight) and creepy atmosphere. The story is not perfect in pacing but is interesting and fun at least.
Shaggy and Scooby's friendship still charms and amuses, and they are such endearing and funny characters. Don Messick, Casey Kasem, Frank Welker and Scatman Crothers stand out among the solid as ever voice cast.
Overall, decent but not great. 7/10 Bethany Cox
