Who doesn’t love Scooby Doo? The mysteries, the chases, the Scooby Snacks, everyone has a fond memory of watching the Mystery Incorporated gang crack a tough case. Here’s a rundown of 10 of Scooby’s greatest (and strangest) hits!
10. “Scooby Doo Pirates Ahoy!”
Anyone who thinks pirates are rad will get a kick out of this pirate themed adventure. Released in 2006, this is one of the more recent entries on the list and one of the last Scooby Doo movies that follows the classic structure of a minor character being unmasked as the villain at the end of the story. After this the franchise jumped the shark a bit, with crossovers with WWE, WrestleMania and the rock band KISS coming soon after.
9. “Scooby Doo and the Witch’s Ghost”
This is the one that introduces the Hex Girls, a memorable trio of pop-rock singers that have become recurring characters in the Scooby Doo franchise. That’s basically the only memorable thing about it but that seems worthy enough to give it the number 9 ranking on this list.
8. “Scooby Doo and Loch Ness Monster”
Is the Loch Ness Monster real? Probably not, but this mystery has some pretty great moments anyway. Anyone with half a brain will likely be able to figure out who’s behind the monster in the first ten minutes, but remember these movies are made for kids, so cut it some slack.
7. “Scooby Doo and the Goblin King”
Certainly one of the more bizarre Scooby Doo flicks on the market, this one finds Scooby and Shaggy caught up on Halloween night in the evil plot of the Goblin King, who plans to use the “Goblin Scepter” to control Halloween and therefore take over the Earth. It’s a ludicrous plot and I imagine it would be a hilarious way to kick back after a long night out this Halloween.
6. “Scooby Doo Goes Hollywood!”
Scooby and Shaggy ditch the TV series to become Hollywood executives! This movie is a raucous send-up of late ‘70s cinema and TV, so I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys picking out references to obscure media from yester-year.
5. “Scooby Doo/Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed”
The live action Scooby Doo movies from the early 2000s are objectively terrible, but people of a certain age will still find them strangely appealing in a nostalgic way, if nothing else. They’re silly, funny and feature a young Isla Fisher and Alicia Silverstone in minor roles. The quality degrades significantly in the second one so it’s really no surprise they never made a third. And, for the record, Linda Cardellini as Velma is absolutely genius casting.
4. “Scooby Doo and the Alien Invasion”
This film from the late ‘90s features fake aliens and real aliens alike. Recommended for those with a sci-fi yearning, not recommended for those who like happy endings, as this story has a pretty sad ending for Shaggy’s love life.
3. “Scooby Doo and the Monster of Mexico”
This one’s just a classic. The gang travels to Mexico to visit a friend of Fred’s only to discover a monster is terrorizing his town. There are some great side characters to be found here, as well as the most surprising villain reveal of any movie on this list.
2. “Scooby Doo on Zombie Island”
This movie is genuinely terrifying. My brother and I never finished watching it when we were kids because of how scary it is. There’s no playing around here, these are real zombies after our beloved gang, no masks, no tricks and no treats. Do not watch with children. Do not watch after midnight.
1. “Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase”
Ask anyone what his or her favorite Scooby Doo movie is and this inevitably gets the prize. There’s something fantastic about the Mystery Gang getting sucked into a video game rendition of their lives and being forced to beat the game or lose it all. It’s a classic cartoon set-up that still provides lots of laughs, thrills and a great villain / monster to boot. This is the movie that everyone remembers from when they were kids and this is the Scooby Doo movie everyone wants to watch again today. However, be prepared to feel old when you recognize how hilariously dated the technology in the movie is.