Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008 Video) User Reviews

Back to real ghosts and monsters!

[wile_E2005 · 6/10 · 27 September 2008]

This is the first post-Sander Schwartz Scooby-Doo made-for-video movie. And it's a good one, too! Because when Warner Bros. Animation originally began producing the made-for-video Scooby-Doo movies 10 years ago, starting with "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island," they broke away from the typical "fake ghost and monster" formula and broke new ground, using real ghosts and monsters. (This wasn't the first time they did so either, they did so back in the 1980s with "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo" and a few TV movies.) "Zombie Island" and the following "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost" (the best of the "real monster" movies) were much darker compared to the older Scooby-Doo cartoons. But when Sander Schwartz took over in 2002, he made them switch back to fake monsters and ghouls, the first two were good ("Legend of the Vampire" and "Monster of Mexico") which were practically like 70-minute episodes of "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?", and after that it would vary. They basically became 70-minute episodes of "What's New, Scooby-Doo?" and typically focused on Fred and Daphne. But beginning with "Scooby-Doo in Where's My Mummy?" they began toying around with the old formula again, which somewhat became the norm for the later films, which started to get better over time. Now that Sander Schwartz is gone from Termite Terrace (thank god!) I guess they decided to experiment again. Bringing back real ghosts and monsters helped liven up this recent installment in the Scooby-Doo made-for-video series of movies! It also helped put a bit of creepiness back into the Scooby franchise, something that "What's New, Scooby-Doo?" and the 2001-2007 made-for-video Scooby movies completely avoided. (Even the original "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" had quite a bit of creepiness in it, too.)

However, now it's on to reviewing the actual movie itself. Even though this was probably the umpteenth time they did a Scooby-Doo story that revolves around Halloween (such as "The Headless Horseman of Halloween," "To Switch a Witch," "A Scooby-Doo Halloween" and many others), I still enjoyed it, mainly because Halloween is my favorite holiday! And I really liked that fairy princess. I guess that proves not all real supernatural creatures in this movie have to be bad! The real ghouls and dark setting helped bring this movie up to "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost" level. As far as voices go, we still have the same voice cast from "What's New, Scooby-Doo?" and the other past made-for-video movies. And I am so glad that Casey Kasem was still able to voice Shaggy, because I won't go into details on Scott Menville's crappy Shaggy voice in the "Get a Clue" series. Frank Welker has improved a little on his Scooby-Doo voice. It's starting to sound less like Brain from "Inspector Gadget" and more like Scott Innes's Scooby-Doo voice! It seems Mindy Cohn's Velma voice changed a little, and Grey DeLisle's Daphne voice hasn't changed a bit since 2001. The music is pretty good, too, with a bit of lively musical numbers by the monsters! At that part it seemed to remind me of "Scooby-Doo and the Boo Brothers." As far as the sound effects go, they haven't changed them much since 1998. They only use the classic H-B sound effects for exaggerated comedy scenes with Scooby, Shaggy, the goblin guards and Krudsky the Magician, similar to when Warner Bros. Animation was making the Cool Cat cartoons for WB/Seven Arts 40 years ago. And this may be a minor gripe, but the people at WB STILL haven't used the Haunted Castle Thunder sound effect like the classic Scooby-Doo cartoons did! This annoys me mainly because the crappy "Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue" series used it, so why not have the made-for-video movies use it? They're MUCH better than "Get a Clue!" Instead it sounds like they just sent the Foley editor into a real storm to record the thunder. But speaking of "Get a Clue," now on to the animation. The characters are thankfully not drawn in that ugly "Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue" style, and the animation is quite decent, though not as good as the animation in "Zombie Island" and "Witch's Ghost." There are also extensive uses of CGI effects/animation in this movie, which I don't think the previous direct-to-video Scooby movies even attempted! And as far as the classic character personalities go, Scooby and Shaggy have never changed since 1969. Daphne did not complain at once about her hair or clothes in this film, and it was nice to see a more intelligent and serious version of Fred again (after dumbing him down in "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" and "What's New, Scooby-Doo?"). Velma fainting at the sight of a real fairy was just hilarious! I'm surprised she didn't do that at the real monsters in the late-1990s made-for-video movies! My only main complaint about this movie is that they STILL didn't dedicate any of the recent Scooby-Doo movies, including this one, to Joseph Barbera! Since he died before this film was even thought up, it would've been nice to dedicate the movie to one of Scooby-Doo's creators. But nevertheless, they still insisted on using that zooming "1970s Hanna-Barbera" logo at the end, which is still completely inaccurate and has been since 1998, since Warner Bros. Animation produced the movie, and now that both Bill and Joe are gone, it makes no sense to have another company's logo (even if it's owned by WB) at the end of a WB movie! Imagine seeing it at the end of a Looney Tunes cartoon of the 1950s, and it'd be just as weird, if not weirder.

However, this is admittedly better than the 2004-2007 made-for-video Scooby movies, and it's WAY better than "Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!" I highly recommend this one, especially if you loved the 1998-2001 Scooby-Doo movies!

Oh and P.S., the werewolf Scooby-Doo and Shaggy come across when first entering the monster world is AWESOME!

Well made piece of Scooby light entertainment

[policy134 · 6/10 · 11 March 2009]

You gotta love him! 40 years of silly antics and still quite popular with the kiddies.

The old TV show was annoyingly repetitive. Scooby and the gang get involved with a phony ghoul of some kind and Velma and Fred solve the case, while Scooby and Shaggy get to be live bait.

Then came the live action movies. They tried but failed to be anything more than actors overshadowed by too many visual effects and stories that much like the old TV show were tedium incarnate.

The retooling of the old TV show was an improvement. What's New Scooby-Doo was bold enough to play with conventions and actual decent animation. But soon they began to be repetitive too.

Here's another retooling. The monsters are real! There's no unmasking and Fred, Daphne and especially Velma are kept off screen for much of the running time. Scoob and Shag has to save the day and they do it without being doped up by Scooby snacks.

It's pretty amazing how many celebrities were involved in this. For instance Lauren Bacall of all people. Jay Leno (actually funny here) as a pumpkin. Is this a stab at the size of his head? Hmmm... Tim Curry, as close as a cartoon in live person as you can get and Jim Belushi and his sidekick from According to Jim.

The animation assisted by lots of CGI makes you head hurt but the voice talent elevate this from being a total dud. Wayne Knight as a megalomaniac? Predictable? You bet and it still make you chuckle of appreciation.

Looking forward to what's next? No. But I can't help but watching. Something where you don't have to think will definitely always be on my to do list a couple of times each year.

Mixed Feelings

[tommyshanks2002 · 5/10 · 6 October 2008]

I had mixed feelings on this one 1) Having Jim Belushi, Jay Leno, Wayne Knight, Lauren Bacall, Wallace Shawn and "witches ghost" return of Tim Curry was a plus. Oh to hear Tim's laugh!!!! 2) The fairies, pumpkin, and broom picked up things when the story was dragging. 3) The story was mostly Shaggy and Scooby who couldn't carry it alone. 4) The songs were mostly forgettable. 5) the attempt to return to old style Scooby Doo was a plus 6) The story didn't really care to follow the plot and became a series of unconnected scenes. The end seemed rushed 7) The lack of Velma was deafening. 8) Daphne getting wet was unforgivable :-) At the end of the day, it was fun to watch but forgettable after a few days.

Fun, and good, but not great

[dontaepittman · 6/10 · 7 December 2020]

The first real monsters since Cyber Chase and some fun animation makes this one rise above its - - otherwise, weaker story and side characters.' Overall: Fun, and good, but not great. Movie Rating: 6/10

This isn't an animated classic but it is worth watching if you're a fan of Scooby

[kevin_robbins · 6/10 · 23 October 2021]

Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008) is a movie my daughter and I recently watched together on HBOMAX. The storyline follows Shaggy and Scooby as they head into an underworld to save their friends, and believe it or not fairies, from being turned into monsters by the goblin king. They are followed by a man who wants to steal the goblin kings powers for himself to start his own rule of terror on Earth. This movie is directed by Joe Sichta (Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster) and contains the voices of Frank Welker (Transformers), Casey Kasem (Ghostbusters), Grey Griffin (Invincible), Wayne Knight (Jurassic Park), Tim Curry (It), Jay Leno (Contact), Lauren Bacall (The Big Sleep) and Jim Belushi (Red Heat). The storyline for this is a little unique for the Scooby-Doo universe but still fun to watch unfold. The animation is excellent and the writing for the characters is fun. The scenarios are very unique and unpredictable. The opening scene is awesome and the voices are well selected. Overall this isn't an animated classic but it is worth watching if you're a fan of Scooby. I'd score this a 6/10.

A Little Off The Mark from Scooby Movie Caliber

[Aegelis · 6/10 · 4 October 2020]

Striking visuals, great voice acting and a wild adventure. Very hack or hammy on the humour (more than usual) with a load of plotless nonsense, this one seems to miss the mystery I identify with Scooby Doo & the gang. The writers even had to knock out Velma for much of the movie so that she didn't try to apply any sort of reason to the goings on. Reminiscent of Tim Burton/Danny Elfman 'dead party' films at times, though lacking in a favourable soundtrack.

Skeleton band

[joedirt616 · 4/10 · 19 July 2022]

This gets a low review for having a skeleton band where note one skeleton plays xylophone on another's ribs. What's the point in having a skeleton band without xylobones.

My disappointment is immeasurable.

An absolute delight for Scooby Doo fans

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 30 January 2009]

I am 16 and I enjoyed it more than the other Scooby Doo movies. It isn't as good as Witch's Ghost though, but I also really enjoyed Zombie Island and Alien Invaders. Children will love it, and adults will love the clever Halloween jokes. The animation was way better than Shaggy and Scooby: Get a Clue, which is just atrocious in every aspect. The songs were actually really catchy, especially Goblin Boogie, which also played in the end credits, which were a delight to watch. It was a simple, but well told story, that picked up so quickly when you thought it was going to drag. As for the voice talents, they were the main reason why I liked this film as much as I did. Wayne Knight was a little over the top, but he was fine, and Casey Kasem is a sheer delight as Shaggy. James Belushi was funny as one of the goblins, and as the Goblin King, Tim Curry was both sinister and fun. I loved the twist at the end, which was typical of Scooby Doo. I also loved the fact that it was real monsters, the old formula was getting tired. My favourite bit was the Headless Horseman chasing Jack O'Lantern,(an unrecognisable Jay Leno) Shaggy and Scooby. Well recommended! 9/10. Bethany Cox

An Honest Review

[generationofswine · 7/10 · 1 April 2017]

A part of me wants to love this. It really seems like they were trying to return to the old school Scooby Doo feel. The look was very New Scooby Doo Movies. Even the cover felt like the Scooby Doo everyone grew up with.

So, it really felt like they were throwing us old Scooby fans one massive cherry.

But then, it was really only Shaggy and Scooby and they can't carry it alone any longer, the movies are about Mystery Inc and the whole Scooby Gang and you feel robbed when they are paid that much lip service...

And then the plot never came together.

It felt too much like they were trying too hard to appeal to us old Scooby Fans and not hard enough to appeal to the people that came to love Scooby from these movies.

This is NOT Scooby-Doo!

[BigRedMovieBuff · 1/10 · 9 June 2009]

How can any Scooby-Doo fan not take offense that the main premise of Scooby-Doo was to show children that monsters do not exist, and now they use monsters without any premise of trickery in all the latest films.

Seriously, this is not the Scooby-Doo that had been made famous years ago. They have taken the name and done what they want with it.

I have little problem with cartoons about monsters and the like, it is only when the premise of a great show for children is completely reversed that I take offense.

I would love to see the original concept of Scooby-Doo restored so that future generations may come to enjoy Scooby-Doo the way that it was originally intended to be enjoyed. This is NOT Scooby-Doo, this is the complete opposite of Scooby-Doo!

Interesting change of pace

[julcltr · 8/10 · 7 May 2009]

No, seriously, I really think that a Scooby-Doo movie going after a musical genre is a really good change of pace. Sure, it may not be as good as Zombie Island, and it may not live up as a Halloween musical classic the same way The Nightmare Before Christmas did, but it's still not bad for a beginner. The Halloween creatures are a big plus; they're absolutely creepy. Some of the musical numbers might need a little work, but at least they're something that you can't walk out on. But, man! Oh, man! I can never get over that ending! I'm not gonna tell you though; it'll just spoil the surprise. The bottom line: it's a delight for the whole family, especially if you're a Scooby-Doo fan.

Very funny lots of transformation animation

[ctyankee1 · 4 August 2014]

I really enjoyed this movie. There were lots of laughs when Scooby and Shaggy got scared. Shaggy's hair would stand up and their faces would show distorted fear.

The animation was great. There was lightning and flash animation when characters would change in to monsters or back to themselves. The flashing of colors and the characters transformation is stunning.

The music was good too with the monsters singing and performing in a band. A skeleton on keyboard and more.

This is one of the better Scooby Doos. Not a lot of violence. Just a lot of running, flying on a broom and dodging goblins.

Casey Kasem as Shaggy, Frank Welker as Scooby and Freddie, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Jay Leno, Lauren Bacall, James Belushi and more.

Well worth watching.

Couldn't even watch

[brookenichole-98054 · 1/10 · 23 May 2020]

This movie was awful. I have absolutely no idea why this was ever made. It has no mystery and it's just creepy. I love a great Halloween movie but this was just weird. The story was all over the place and I hate it when it's not the whole gang together. Also there was a musical scene that felt totally out of place. I don't know what else to say about this other than it wasn't worth it.

Too Creepy

[andreasfields7 · 5/10 · 7 December 2014]

Although I enjoy most Scooby Doo films, this one is not on the list. The characters have to take on new roles that don't work for them. The movie is also extremely confusing, such as when Scooby and Shaggy are driven to the graveyard. The caretaker ends up being a werewolf, but you would think they were still in the human world. Back in the real world, with Velma dramatically passing out, Fred and Daphne have to free the fairy, which isn't a very promising combination. The characters are VERY creepy and at times frightening. One particular scene was when Shaggy and Scooby encounter the three witches in the hut. They don't grab my attention, but seem too adult for the movie, which never works good with Scooby Doo. The movie also has TREMENDOUSLY dark moments, such as when the Great Krudski begins to harness his power. He belongs more in an actual horror movie than this. He is like a perverted best Friend's dad: Creepy, annoying, and scary. Although it is supposedly scary, the fantasy elements do not help the movie whatsoever. They just jumble up the plot and leave for a clunky bulk. The only positive review I have for the movie is the pumpkin. He gives me hope that this movie can revive itself. He has delightful energy and hilarious dial. Sadly, even he cannot bring the movie up from it's very deep hole.

Lots Of Puns and Fun, Heh Heh Heh

[chicagopoetry · 10/10 · 21 December 2008]

Zoinks! Like, ruh roh, Raggy, don't rook now, but just when you were about to ask "where are you" there's a reaky new Scooby Doo movie available on rideo. Yeah, reaky. Gulp. And in this one, the whacked out warlock isn't just a guy wearing a mask. Heh heh heh. Like, no way man, but this wunnerful creepy old time animation is completely on the mark and ten times as fun as th-th-th-the rive action Scooby Doo movies. Like,trust me, old friend, old buddy, old pal, there are even a bunch of scary moments that will make you rump off your chair. Boing! There is also a runch of musical numbers. I especially liked the one that went romething like "Woararoarawoararoarawoar." Yikes! The kids will love the Goblin King, and the adults will laugh at the inside rokes: "Oh no! Velma's fried!" or "Now that is something you just do not do to a guy's van." Why do I get the feeling this one should have been on the big screen? Way to go old Scooby Dooby movie makers. You should totally rent Scooby Dooooby Dooooo and the Goblin King: jeepers, maybe there's food inside the box.

Your average Scooby-Doo animated movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 11 May 2017]

"Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King" is certainly a movie that will appeal to the long-time fans of Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang.

I, however, found the 2008 "Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King" animated movie to be just another generic, run-of-the-mill addition to the Scooby-Doo franchise. It didn't stand out in any way.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that this was a bad movie or a boring movie, not at all. It just happened to be a very standard and generic animated movie that we have seen so many times before.

The animation was good and the art style was good, very much keeping up with the traditional art style that is used in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon. So on that account, there is some sense of security and familiarity to it.

As usual the voice acting was great, as it always is in the Scooby-Doo animated movies. And it is always a treat to have Frank Welker and Casey Kasem do the voices. Furthermore there are some rather great voice appearances in this particular animated movie as well, such as Tim Curry, Jim Belushi and Jay Leno.

The storyline in "Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King" was somewhat too generic and stereotypical, even for a Scooby-Doo movie, and that was the main reason why my rating of it ends on a mediocre 5 out of 10 stars.

Excellent

[kyle-mcdonald · 9/10 · 16 August 2014]

Well first off let me say this was by far one of the best Scooby Doo cartoon adventures I have ever seen. From beginning to end I was smiling being a long time fan of Scooby Doo I'm always excited to see what the next movie will bring, and this time around I was definitely not disappointed.

Scooby and the gang are enjoying a wonderful Halloween night at a Halloween carnival filled with exciting rides with a few scares thrown in. After Scooby is denied entry into a magic show Shaggy and Scooby decide to take it upon themselves to show that this magician is a fraud. After upsetting this magician, he is determined to get his revenge and unleashes an rage of black magic. It is now up to Shaggy and Scooby to save humanity from this evil magician before he sets forth dire and irreversible circumstances.

The storyline this Scooby Doo movie follows is filled with non stop excitement, action, laughs and just pure old fashion fun. Shaggy and Scooby must travel to the super natural world to retrieve the Goblin Kings magical wand before it gets into the hands of the amazing Krudsky. Along the way we are met with funny characters, catchy songs and a story that will keep you interested until the end and begging for more. The only thing I wish there could have been of was good plot twists, there was only one twist at the very end of the film which was an OK twist but could have been a bit more interesting. I also like the fact that this movie returns to the use of real monsters and that it travels to the supernatural world, it just made this adventure that much more fun and exciting.

I must say, by far the best part of this Scooby Doo adventure was the all star voice cast. This one has everyone such as the regulars: Frank Welker as Scooby Doo and Fred, Casey Kasem as Shaggy, Mindy Cohn as Velma and Grey Delisle as Daphne who all do an amazing job as their characters as usual. On top of the regular cast we are gifted with the likes of: Wayne Knight as The Amazing Krudsky, Wallace Shawn as Mr. Gibbles, Jay Leno...yes I said Jay Leno as Jack O' Lantern, Tim Curry as the Goblin King and even James Belushi as Glob, who all do such a wonderful job which just makes this Scooby Doo adventure shine.

So if you're a Scooby Doo fan or you are just looking for a good Halloween movie to enjoy with your kids this is the movie for you, from the great comedy to the great voice talents, it is a movie for all ages and is defiantly worth watching.

Overall Rating: ********* out of **********

****1/2 out of *****

I hate this movie so much it's unreal

[gwmcdougalljennife · 1/10 · 29 August 2022]

This is the worst scooby doo movie to ever exist. Do not watch, I have wasted so much time watching this same movie every single year. It's the only movie that's on tv over Christmas and Halloween, and I lose more sanity each time I watch it again. I hate that green fairy and how she gets stuck everywhere. I hate the fat ginger man that owns the mansion I wish the worst for him and the fairy. I also hate that big stupid magician, why is he the way he is? We will never know but he is one of the most annoying characters in this movie. I am absolutely sick to death of this movie, I have watched it almost every year of my short, pathetic life. So far, I have wasted 975 minutes on watching this movie since it's on every year and literally nothing else is on tv. I could have spent those minutes outside, or talking to actual human beings, but no. I am a committed scooby doo super fan. One of the few things I like about this movie is that shaggy and scooby finally get their deserved roles as main characters. But I hate the rest of the movie.

Decent Scooby Adventure

[Michael_Elliott · 8 October 2012]

Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Scooby and Shaggy go to a magic show with the gang when they call out a fake magician who in return turns Fred, Velma and Daphne into monster. Scooby and Shaggy must then enter the monster underground to find a cure but first they must go up against the Goblin King. This feature is pretty uneven and I'd probably call it the weakest I've seen so far. It's certainly not a bad movie and I'm sure fans of Scooby will be entertained but there were several moments where my son's interest (as well as mine) was not fully into the picture. I think the start of the film is a lot of fun as the gang are on a roller coaster ride with all sorts of scary monsters around. The ending is also a lot of fun as Scooby and Shaggy have to dress up as Velma and Daphne to get into the Goblin King's party. This here adds some nice laughs and there's another great sequence where the duo go to a monster party. The animation during this party sequence is great and there's a lot of good imagination going on with the various creature looks. The biggest problem is in the middle of the picture where it just seems like the writers didn't know where to take the material and we've got a lot of scenes that just drag without much happening. Still, fans of Scooby should at least be mildly entertained and we even have the likes of James Belushi, Tim Curry and Wayne Knight and Jay Leno adding some vocal support.