Despite being a massive Scooby Doo fan for goodness knows how long, expectations were somehow not high for 'Be Cool Scooby Doo' prior to giving it a chance. The advertising in my mind was terrible and the animation style, one of the franchise's least appealing, was very off putting. Still gave it a chance as a fan of the franchise and of animation in general and there are films and shows that have bad advertising but turn out to be good and this was one of them.
"Where There's a Will, There's a Wraith" is essentially a modern reworking of 'Scooby Doo: Where are You's' "A Night of Fright is No Delight", for me one of the best episodes of that show and a franchise classic. While not quite as amazing or as iconic, this is still extremely good and one of the best and funniest episodes of 'Be Cool Scooby Doo'. Also second only to "Area 51 Adjacent" up to this point of the show. Really loved how "Where There's a Will, There's a Wraith" captured what worked so brilliantly in "A Night of Fright is No Delight" while also putting its own fresh quirky spin on it and the haunted house mystery formula.
The animation never really did anything for me in 'Be Cool Scooby Doo' and, with the exception of the villains, "Where There's a Will, There's a Wraith" doesn't do very much to change my mind. Especially the weird and off model character animation and it has always looked rushed to me. More scenes from "A Night of Fright is No Delight", except redone, would have been more welcome too.
So much is great however. The story is a great mix of old and new, maintaining the original's creepiness while mixing it with the cool quirkiness of 'Be Cool Scooby Doo' expertly. The house is a suitably creepy location made good use of. Loved the redesign of the phantoms, still incredibly scary but also very cool, very like the phantoms themselves in personality. The skeletal arms were a great touch.
Furthermore, "Where There's a Will, There's a Wraith" is one of the funniest episodes up to this point. Not just the jumping on Velma's back and the humorous twists on why Scooby is a beneficiary and the outcome, but also a few priceless lines from Daphne's. The handle this as adults at a slumber party line is one of my favourite ever lines of Daphne's in the entire franchise.
The music has quirky energy and atmosphere that doesn't jar. The theme song is suitably upbeat, even if it is a little on the short side. The character writing is spot on as is the interaction between the gang. Daphne's refreshingly quirky personality has been something of a revelation and shows how far she's come. Scooby and Shaggy are delightful as usual, and Velma doesn't come over as too bossy and Fred not too wet. The supporting characters are a colourful bunch, the phantoms of course being very memorable but the cat person was very enjoyable as well. The voice acting is without issue.
In conclusion, great. 9/10.