Scooby-Doo (2002)
The first live-action Scooby-Doo movie basically pinches its structure – “let’s get the separated Mystery Inc. back together to fight genuine monsters” – from Zombie Island, but its slightly anarchic, irreverent tone keeps things fresh. The cast is perfect all-round and James Gunn’s script shows signs of the wit he would later bring to Guardians of the Galaxy. If you love this film, make sure to check out the deleted scenes, some of which really shouldn’t have been cut.
Scooby-Doo! And The Legend of the Vampire (2003)
In the first of the recurring trend of sending Scooby around the world in these movies, Legend of the Vampire sees Mystery Inc vacationing in Australia – where they encounter a terrifying demonic vampire. This one’s notable for bringing back together all four castmembers from Where Are You? to play the gang. Plus, the Hex Girls return! How there isn’t a Hex Girls spin-off show by now, I’ll never understand.
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
In response to the mixed reviews the first received, Monsters Unleashed tones down the meta angle and acts more as a straight-up love letter to the original cartoons. The decision to bring back tons of old monsters is a great one as it allows you to bask in nostalgia and play the ‘name that ghost’ game. Plus, there’s double the fun for Buffy fans as Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Daphne is joined by Oz himself Seth Green as Velma’s love interest.
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