Yo, what's up, Kemosabes?

This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.

Today, for my 17th take on an installment of the Scooby-Doo franchise, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire".

Here's the rundown of it:

During a vacation in Australia, Scooby-Doo and the gang travel to the outback to attend the music festival at Vampire Rock. While there, they also reunite with their old friends, the Hex Girls.

However, when the gang discovers that the music festival is being terrorized by a giant vampire called the Yowie Yahoo, as well as a music group that were turned into vampires called Wildwind, they decide to take on the mystery in order to save the festival. And rescue the musicians that the vampires kidnapped.

Having often planned on what Scooby-Doo installments I wanted to review next, I knew right away that "Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire" and "Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico" were totally gonna be the ones I'd choose to do just that. Not only were they the first Scooby-Doo movies to have the same animation style as "What's New, Scooby-Doo?", but they were also the only ones to feature the reprisals of Nicole Jaffe as Velma and Heather North as Daphne.

As you can see, I decided to review "Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire" first since it was released before "Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico". It made sense for me because I wanted to review every animated Scooby-Doo movie in chronological order.

So, what do I think of "Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire" in words?

Well, I'm really not gonna lie, this movie was truly a worthwhile experience. I mean, when I watched it the first time at what must've been a year or two ago, I had trouble getting engaged. Seeing it the second time recently, though, I found myself enjoying the whole thing way more.

For instance, the direction by Scott Jeralds, and the story by Mark Turosz, were marvelous.

If their mission was to make a Scooby-Doo movie that was faithful to its predecessors from the 1960s and 70s while giving everything a modern take, then I'm proud to say that Jeralds and Turosz successfully did just that. Everything about the movie literally felt like a Scooby-Doo movie, and the callbacks it made to the old shows were a very nice touch. The return of the Hex Girls was neat incorporation too, especially for continuity purposes.

Every step of the way, I found the mystery the gang was trying to solve absolutely intriguing. Regardless of the monsters being fake again, Jeralds and Turosz made sure the overall revelation wouldn't be too obvious or predictable, which is exactly what needs to be done with any kind of mystery plot. The use of Jasper Ridgeway as a red herring definitely helped in that regard, and his role as one was way more well-worked than how the filmmakers of "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island" used Snakebite Scruggs. The humor throughout the movie was also very fun to watch. Each of the gags carried an innocence that made them incredibly irresistible, which was undoubtedly influenced by Joseph Barbera's involvement as executive producer.

The animation was amazing as well.

I'm well aware that it has the same visual style and quality as "What's New, Scooby-Doo?", but even on that ground...I thought Jeralds and the animators did a brilliant job bringing this movie to life. I didn't see a single error throughout my time watching it, which showed that the animators were attentive with their work; and they extended themselves creatively while working with the overall budget. Their work with the Yowie Yahoo was particularly impressive, I'll tell you guys that.

The voice acting and characters were awesome too.

Just like in "What's New, Scooby-Doo?", Casey Kasem rocked the house with his portrayal of Shaggy, and Frank Welker was as wonderful as ever in his performances of Fred and Scooby-Doo. The portrayals of Heather North as Daphne and Nicole Jaffe as Velma were also impressive, especially considering this movie was made decades since they last played their respective parts. And accompanying Welker, Kasem, Jaffe, and North in this cast reunion-venture...is an equally talented supporting cast who didn't keep themselves from making a great impression in this movie. Some prime examples I'd like to point out are Phil LaMarr as Daniel Illiwara, Kevin Michael Richardson as Malcolm Illiwara, and Jeff Bennett as Jasper Ridgeway.

In terms of character development, I will admit that the movie didn't have too much in the ways of growth. But, I do consider Velma's struggles with stage fright and singing on stage to be a terrific highlight in that regard. Plus, the Mystery Inc. gang were as lovable and engaging as ever, and the supporting characters all had personalities and qualities that helped them be distinct and memorable in the best way.

Now if I had to pinpoint one flaw I noted, it'd be the film's use of dated sound effects. They worked perfectly in the Scooby-Doo installments from the 60s and 70s, but from a modern installment like this movie...not so much. They were too distracting and annoying, especially to where they felt out of place among other things.

In the end, though, "Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire" was an excellent member of the Scooby-Doo franchise. It pays homage to the originals while showcasing a series-upgrade for the modern-times, and it has all the qualities to be something worthwhile.

So, I rate "Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire" 4½ out of 5 stars.

7755312
I remember enjoying this movie as a kid.

7755312
I like the fact the hex girls were added!

7755312
Thoughts on this song heard during the scene when the vampires were chasing Shaggy and Scooby? :3

7755392
A wonderful song. Very fun to listen to.

7755488
Same =3