DVD Corner

Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island: Terror Time Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Review

The “Citizen Kane” of Scooby-Doo animated films. 

“Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island” is a 1998 direct-to-video animated feature film that comes to Blu-ray by itself just in time for Halloween. Near the beginning of the story, we find that the members of Mystery Inc. have gone their own separate ways. Velma runs a mystery bookstore, Shaggy and Scoob work at airport customs, and Daphne is a successful TV host whose show is produced by Fred. Daphne is about to film some segments about hauntings, but Fred surprises her for her birthday with a Mystery Inc. reunion. The gang travels to New Orleans where they at first debunk numerous haunts. They soon learn about the haunted Moonscar Island and decide to investigate. For once, the place actually is haunted, but there’s even more going on than they realize. 

Not only has “Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island” gone on to achieve cult status, but it’s widely considered the GOAT of Scooby-Doo animated films. It’s not hard to see why. The film pokes fun at the franchise’s formula of unmasking alleged monsters and ghosts and instead finds Mystery Inc. encountering real scary creatures and ghosts in this mystery-horror tale involving everything from a ghost pirate, cat creatures, zombies, and voodoo dolls. Of course, given that this is a Scooby-Doo film, there’s plenty of comedic hijinks and, yes, plenty of moments with Shaggy and Scooby eating snacks and food (and a whole lot of hot peppers). 

The film also benefits from that delightful 90s hand-drawn WB Animation style that is so missed in this era of CGI animation. It’s a lost art, but it lives on in films like this.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.33:1 1080p. How does it look? This is a solid hi-def upgrade although there are noticeable print imperfections. For those wondering, this is the same transfer as last year’s Warner Archive double-feature release.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? This track is lively in all the right spots.

Extras include a trailer, a booklet featuring an essay by film historian Matt Dugan and commentary by Matt Dugan.

October 29, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Animated Film, Daphne, Fred, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island, Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island: Terror Time Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review, Shaggy, Velma