"Mamba Wamba and the Voodoo Hoodoo" was not one of my favourite episodes of 'The Scooby Doo Show' as a child and when getting into the Scooby Doo franchise that is still loved by me to this day. It has always been an enjoyable episode with a nice atmosphere, some amusing moments and Mamba Wamba always did strike me as cool but it always struck me as over-obvious when everything is revealed which took away a bit from enjoying it more.
Those feelings are pretty much the same now and my misgivings for "Mamba Wamba and the Voodoo Hoodoo" slightly mirror those for "The No Faced Zombie Chase" as far as previous episodes of 'The Scooby Doo Show' go today. So many great things in two thirds of the episode, while not quite brilliant heights overall (not in the same way that episode had) but once the gang start to get closer to the truth it runs out of gas slightly.
Animation is lively and has some nice background detail and atmospheric use of colour, the drawing can lack finesse. The music doesn't sound cheesy or dull, and is true in style to the cues in 'Scooby Doo Where Are You'. The theme song is a classic, one of the franchise's best, and the use of the voodoo chants and drums is truly unsettling. The writing is always intriguing and has some classic endearingly funny moments. Not just from Shaggy and Scooby but also the scene stealing frog.
Generally the story is good fun and has creepiness, especially the plantation setting, the voodoo chants and drums and the voodoo dolls. Mamba Wamba himself looks very cool and is suitably formidable for much of the episode. The lead up to the retrieving of the parchment was suitably eerie. The gang are handled well and the frog is both adorable and funny. The voice acting is fine.
Have always on the other hand found the truth, both the who and the why, too obvious too early. Actually strongly suspected the perpetrator quite early on. Also found the zombie character pointless considering that the episode doesn't really do much with him and he doesn't have much to him.
Like with some other 'The Scooby Doo Show' episodes, the final quarter lacked excitement and felt too repetitive.
In summary, enjoyable but not great. 7/10
Those feelings are pretty much the same now and my misgivings for "Mamba Wamba and the Voodoo Hoodoo" slightly mirror those for "The No Faced Zombie Chase" as far as previous episodes of 'The Scooby Doo Show' go today. So many great things in two thirds of the episode, while not quite brilliant heights overall (not in the same way that episode had) but once the gang start to get closer to the truth it runs out of gas slightly.
Animation is lively and has some nice background detail and atmospheric use of colour, the drawing can lack finesse. The music doesn't sound cheesy or dull, and is true in style to the cues in 'Scooby Doo Where Are You'. The theme song is a classic, one of the franchise's best, and the use of the voodoo chants and drums is truly unsettling. The writing is always intriguing and has some classic endearingly funny moments. Not just from Shaggy and Scooby but also the scene stealing frog.
Generally the story is good fun and has creepiness, especially the plantation setting, the voodoo chants and drums and the voodoo dolls. Mamba Wamba himself looks very cool and is suitably formidable for much of the episode. The lead up to the retrieving of the parchment was suitably eerie. The gang are handled well and the frog is both adorable and funny. The voice acting is fine.
Have always on the other hand found the truth, both the who and the why, too obvious too early. Actually strongly suspected the perpetrator quite early on. Also found the zombie character pointless considering that the episode doesn't really do much with him and he doesn't have much to him.
Like with some other 'The Scooby Doo Show' episodes, the final quarter lacked excitement and felt too repetitive.
In summary, enjoyable but not great. 7/10
