Throwback Breakdown: Scooby Doo on Zombie Island- A Dark Masterpiece

[@savagebooks7482]

1) This took so much work to upload (because nothing can be easy with youtube. AAAAND 2) Did you guys like this type of video? It was almost like a documentary really. Let me know what you think!

[@wisdommanari6701]

Yes keep producing more content like this please and Thank you.

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

Savage Books, PLEASE do a throwback breakdown video on Mask of the Phantasm! Another great animated film that's ostensibly aimed at kids, but contains so much emotional depth and nuance that only adults will really get. That would be a sick video!

[@HxH2011DRA]

I'm biased because I love documentaries but this type of analysis I found excellent!

[@davidbjacobs3598]

@@TH3F4LC0Nx I second this!! Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman cartoon by far, and one of the best Batman films in general. It's also the only time I've ever been invested in Batman having a love interest.

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

@@davidbjacobs3598 Ain't it tho?! Mask of the Phantasm, for me, stands shoulder to shoulder with The Dark Knight. Seriously, I honestly feel that it's THAT good! (The romance is for sure better.) I haven't even seen it in years, but I would LOVE to see an analysis of it on this channel! C'mon bro, let's get the motion started! :)

[@LazyAlternativeBrat]

PSA: Scooby Doo on Zombie Island is on Netflix

[@danieltoft2116]

Bless up

[@eeriehaku6709]

You a real one ❤

[@yoogikoo]

THANK YOU

[@johntshorter]

Not in my country 😭

[@5xg378]

@@johntshorter x2

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

I can only imagine after Zombie Island came out and people responded well to it, the producers must have been like, "Alright, we made an unexpectedly dark and mature Scooby-Doo movie and people liked it. Let's make another one and make it even more dark and twisted!" And voila, we got The Witch's Ghost!

[@Donut0389]

And Alien Invaders!

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

@@Donut0389 That one wasn't as dark as the two before it, tho. The first 2 of those 4 Scooby-Doo movies were pretty dark; the second two were more lighthearted.

[@davidbjacobs3598]

If Witch's Ghost weren't following up on Zombie Island, it would be appreciated just as much. Instead it's usually forgotten, despite the amazingly creepy warlock villain and the best part: the Hex Girls!

[@heartless2147]

@@davidbjacobs3598 Witch's Ghost will probably be forever remembered for having Tim Curry as the villain and being a lot of people's sexual awakening thanks to the Hex Girls. Jennifer Hale's voice coming out of that blood haired goth girl, it's so beautiful.

[@wolfbones666]

And The Hex Girls were created.

[@Nevri.]

Stereotype that animation is primarily for children and can never be aimed solely at adults is honestly one of the things I despise the most.

[@HxH2011DRA]

Silly rabbit, drawings creating the illusion of motion are for kids!

[@joaomarcoscosta4647]

It's kind of interesting that usually when an animated show made in the U.S doesn't have children as their target audience, they feel the need to constantly remind us that it's an adult show. I mean, other than the Simpsons, how many cartoons that target an older audience can you name that are not filled with over-the-top violence/sex/foul language? And that are not comedy, for the matter... Not saying those shows are bad, some of them are truly great - Bojack, Rick and Morty, etc. - but... it feels like there are some pretty strong stereotypes about what "adult cartoons" must be at this side of the ocean. ^^;

[@chunchunmaru5761]

The only computer animated movie that isn’t designed 4 kids and theatrically released is Sausage Party

[@richardsantanna5398]

It really irks me. And ironically, the adults who believe this are usually dumber.

[@hannahmetzger6622]

@@chunchunmaru5761 Dear God I love that movie! 🤣. It's fucking hilarious!!

[@jbcatz5]

What’s also great about the monsters being real is that Mystery Inc don’t know how to defeat them. Lena, Simone and Jaq having a celestial deadline is a stroke of luck and the zombies being laid to rest by the felonious feline trio failing to meet this deadline is also very luck based. When the zombies come for the group all they can do is run. They’ve wisened up to the mystical lore to a certain degree by the next movie, where they resolve the Witch’s Ghost by using the same mystical logic that released her in order to trap her again. The movies expanding and evolving this could have been interesting, where the group’s ongoing involvement with magic and mystic has an impact on their credibility, or they start to bring the logic and science intermixing with the magic.

[@Strawberrysatori]

Jay Barry I’m legit mad this comment is so underrated. That was a brilliant observation!

[@ItsYaBoi-ATA]

i would have loved to see a more grown up and experienced group dealing with more credible threats as the movies continued.

[@kelsey2333]

Well in zombie island velma turned a voodoo doll into one of either simone or lena and used it against them. So they did use mystics for defeat the cat monsters

[@CassandraPantaristi]

@@ItsYaBoi-ATA I really wish the films would've kept the seriousness of Zombie Island and Witch's Ghost. Legend of the Vampire wasn't even a real vampire. If I remember, it was a hologram and wind effects.

[@matthewmazzatto8003]

@@CassandraPantaristi Legend of the Vampire is the 5th film of the chain of Scooby-Doo movies that Zombie Island kicked off. It's also when the Scooby-Doo movies fully reverted back to the "Classic" Formula: a few greedy people in masks (and/or with tech) trying to scare away people to make money, gain fame, etc. They were already going back to this route in Alien Invaders and Cyber-Chase though. The main villains were people trying to either get rich (Alien Invaders) or drive away competition (Cyber-Chase). You'd occasionally see a true monster in later installments (like the Ghost Samurai in Samurai Sword), but they became much more sparse after Alien Invaders. This wouldn't be a bad thing if the plots were good, but they're largely not. I wish we got more movies like Zombie Island and Witch's Ghost as well.

[@killdashade314]

Zombie island is the goat. The writers didn’t have to go that hard, but they did, they did that for us.

[@flyinryan4825]

the goat sacrificed on the alter of cheap sloppy nostalgia cash-in giving us RETURN to Zombie Island.

[@wisdommanari6701]

"OH ITS TERROR TIME AGAIN"

[@otisl.1422]

They got you running through the night

[@lamejor615]

I was hoping someone would address how AMAZING the soundtrack for that movie was!

[@Vercalos]

@wigglesza Such a good song, period. I wish it was available for karaoke. I'd be singing it EVERY HALLOWEEN.

[@zeynaviegas]

this song alone and another scary night I what led my 9yr old ass to translate things to English using an old dictionary I had and now I can speak English properly. God I love that movie

[@carleeelizabeth]

that song didn't need to go that hard, but it did and we're all grateful.

[@DaxxLexx]

I remember once someone complaining about Zombie Island because "Scooby-Doo is suppose to show kids that monsters aren't real, and everything has a logical answer." Honestly, that never sounded right to me.

[@michaelwolfe9496]

That sounds like how someone who never watched Scooby Doo would try to explain it, while trying to force in a message where one doesn't exist.

[@Jgaldragon]

In a sense the monsters ARE people in the movie. People who made terrible choices and became monsters.

[@troykv96]

@@Jgaldragon That is a quite meta stuff, and fits perfectly, every monster (literal) was created from people that became monsters (in the metaphorical way).

[@FabbrizioPlays]

"Everything has a logical answer", except the part where the titular Great Dane can talk, we ain't got shit to say about that.

[@Jgaldragon]

@@troykv96 I remember reading a theory somewhere that the classic era of scooby took place during an economic depression (or recession however you wanna call it) that's why the majority of the criminals caught were using old ghost legends to keep people away while they searched for treasure, smuggled, or any other illegal means to make money.

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

I love the sexual tension between Daphne, Fred, and the Cajun chick. When I saw this movie, I was like, "Finally! Somebody thought to address the fact that there's definitely something going on between Fred and Daphne!"

[@de4th1snt3nough]

I couldn't agree more, in the original series they act like it never remotely existed lmao

[@coreym29]

de4th1snt3nough then in mystery incorporated they actually got together

[@EthalaRide]

Or the nuanced attention Velma and Beau the Gardener got. It wasn't as laid out os the Triangle of Tention, but it was there and made it feel fleshed out.

[@razkable]

bo gave a nice little triangle for velma and daphne for once

[@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820]

Or how about in witch’s ghost when Fred was flirting with the Hex Girls. Or Alien Invaders when he was flirting with Dottie the waitress. Man, Fred was really getting around in these old movies, I don’t blame Daphne for getting back at him by flirting with Beau haha...

[@mikerueffer579]

Parent's groups:"We don't like whats being shown on TV!" Me: *THEN TURN IT OFF AND ACTUALLY TRY PARENTING YOUR KIDS*

[@lesteryaytrippy7282]

Exactly

[@V-Oblivion]

Over 50 years of that excuse yet we keep repeating it... that is sad from an species point of view.

[@logan9042]

Have you ever tried simply turning off the TV, sitting down with your children, and hitting them? -bender futurama

[@will4127]

@@logan9042 Why can't more parents be like Bender?

[@kaytlinjustis5643]

Yeah, that's the thing. My own childhood had seen a LOT of violent TV and I didn't like other's pain (mostly involved real-life magicians and their violent tricks), but my folks explained things to me and how it was all fake. No one was seriously hurt, and people were actors in a play. While I still don't like certain violence (in horror), I choose not to watch what I don't like; simply changing the channel. However, I grew up on Scooby Doo (60s series) and 'The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest' and LOVED The Trilogy of Scooby Doo movies with real monsters! I was so in awe with everything, is that I wasn't afraid at all! I even watched 'Scooby Doo on Zombie Island and the others on my Aunt's TV set! ^^

[@allature]

Broke: "The monsters are REAL" Woke: "The monsters are real people."

[@JoshKnoxChinnery]

Theme of my novel: the monsters and people are real monsters and also real people

[@Dorkeydaze]

Keshon Broadbelt Your PFP physically disgust me.

[@allature]

@@Dorkeydaze I drew it ages ago lol I know it's not perfect, but I've gotten used to it; y'know?

[@walternelson2687]

@@allature You sound "toxic".

[@allature]

@@walternelson2687 ... Really? I'm sorry... Did I say something rude or offensive? Seriously, I don't know what I did/said that came off as toxic...

[@hieisasuke232]

PLEASE talk about Atlantis omg I would love to hear that

[@AvgJane19]

I need infinitely more secondary Atlantis content than there currently is.

[@ivyw4920]

and The Hunchback of Notre Dame?

[@flowercrown-eevee]

I remember this movie extremely fondly. As a kid this movie terrified me as I was an already cowardly kid, but now that I'm older and braver, and have developed a love of darker media, I love it. I think part of that love comes from how genuinely scared I was of this movie.

[@lauramarschmallow2922]

I think it was Don Bluth who said: you can show a kid nearly everything as long as it has a happy ending.

[@TheKarret]

Don Bluth was a master.

[@WULDORI]

case in point: Littlefoot’s mother vs the sharptooth, and American Tail’s showing of cats dragging screaming mice off to their demise

[@SunlightGwyn]

Never heard of him so I looked him up and he's one of the directors of one of my favorite childhood movies Titan A.E.! Such an underrated gem.

[@bradyryan5105]

​@@WULDORI Or Scar slinging Mufasa to his death in the stampede

[@WULDORI]

@@bradyryan5105 yea but that wasn’t from a Don Bluth film though

[@TheGamingVillas]

This was always my favorite Scooby movie. My favorite movie as a child, and it still holds up rather well. No, it's never scared me, but it's scary for most children. Hell it's scarier than most horror movies. Of course, that's just because most horror movies aren't scary.

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

It's actually smarter than most horror movies today, too. It emphasizes dread over gore. Now obviously there was no way the animators were ever gonna get away with showing hardcore violence in a Scooby-Doo cartoon, so in order to make it atmospheric, they placed emphasis on the dread and the unknown, thus making it arguably more effective than trash like The Curse of La Llorona, and other modern horror movies that are reliant solely on jump scares.

[@sozi6451]

as a kid i was a huge scooby doo fan and LOVED this movie so much and i was around 4 years old when i started watching it. the only scary parts were the pirate ghost scenes i think but they weren’t that scary just more spooky but isn’t that what scooby doo is supposed to be lol. the original show was even a little spooky for kids imo.

[@EmrysMerlin8807]

"There are no real monsters in Scooby Doo!" The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo: *Am I Just a Joke To You?*

[@otisl.1422]

Reluctant Werwolf: Like, why did I even win that race?

[@Someguyhere111]

Shame the movie was such a letdown :(

[@poisonpotato1]

The boo brothers

[@Tarrenger]

Was the Ghoul School a Hoax then? The Alien Invaders? The ADDAMS FAMILY?!

[@217sherlock]

Scooby Doo and the reluctant werewolf and Scooby doo at the Ghoul School second that thought

[@Donut0389]

Zombie Islands success then spawned two more fantastic Scooby-Doo "the monsters are real" movies. "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost" and "Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders". Both kept the animation style and story depth of Zombie Island. Then there was "Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase". Imho, this was where the formula started losing its charm. A various number of reasons came into play. Animation quality went down, story telegraphed the ending too much, and the big monster was pretty meh. Though it did have a shining moment when the gang meet their digital selves that are based on all of their old adventures. After Cyber Chase I didn't really keep close tabs on Scooby-Doo related stuff until Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated went on air. LOVED the fresh art style, new twists on character personalities, and the fact that it went back to the Zombie Island formula of having bad guys in rubber masks AS WELL AS actual monsters. This time dipping HEAVY into Lovecraft-style horror.

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

Mystery Incorporated was another oddly dark Scooby-Doo product. I never watched it all that much, but I do remember there was one episode where the cops in the show all of a sudden just whipped out some shotguns, and I was all like, "Well, this is...different." lol

[@davidbjacobs3598]

Agree except that as a kid I totally loved Cyber Chase beyond reason. Haven't watched it in years so I don't know if it would hold up (I hope Netflix gets all these movies though like they did Zombie Island). But I was just a big fan of the "stuck in a videogame" story arc that became an animation staple for a bit (used in Fairly Odd Parents, Danny Phantom, Jimmy Neutron, probably a few others but can't think of them) that created this totally natural set of obstacles which are literally designed to be difficult but not insurmountable. I also enjoyed the video game based on Cyber Chase which is probably crazy dated now. But I'll give you that it's kind of a weird sci-fi twist on what's always been a supernatural show. I just give them the pass because the rules of Scooby-Doo are pretty flexible.

[@Donut0389]

@@davidbjacobs3598 Yeah as a kid I loved Cyber Chase. I even had the PS2 game. Now as an adult I still get enjoyment out of watching the first three, but Cyber Chase is meh.

[@ZoeCave]

I think it was because Cyber chase was given digital color, which is why Cyber Chase stands out. After all, in terms of color because it's heavily saturated, which I think everyone noticed. Also, the other three films were much darker and pretty much had the lighting similar to Batman: The animated series. Which I think made the stories more terrifying. Lastly, in my opinion, what made Zombie Island great is that the team behind the film is that they had creative freedom, whereas the other three did not.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@ZoeCave When you think about it Scooby Doo is a great way for kids to get into horror stories. To have good horror you need good mystery and Scooby Doo is Mystery without horror. Most of the time.

[@heartless2147]

This new series is starting off with a bang. Zombie Island was always the most popular movie in the fandom, but now we have an in depth and articulated video explaining why. That segment starting at 23:56 when you explain how the Werecats and Zombies/Ghosts have reasons for why they act the way they do was great. What really hit home was when you showed that even if the Werecats were sympathetic in their origin, they have since become the monsters that Moonscar and his pirates were. You did the same with the Confederate soldiers and Moonscar, they may have aided the gang and were thankful for their souls being freed but they still did horrible things in life. That complexity is something I really enjoy in characters. Can't wait to see you tackle other cartoons with dark themes like Atlantis. Though I am unsure what dark themes are in El Dorado, aside from the whole Cortez thing since he was barely in the movie but his actions would still happen offscreen while Miguel, Tulio and Chel go adventuring at the end.

[@TheDopestOfShit]

I agree, the dichotomy of being tormented souls victimized by pagan werecats while being Confederate soldiers willing to die to keep men enslaved and pirates who raped and pillaged is one I hadn't picked up on as a child, but one I appreciate now looking back. This video was necessary to highlight the excellence achieved in storytelling many of us overlooked or missed.

[@wakkaseta8351]

*"Secondly the pirates may have been in the right to begin with as the real pagan cults that this plot was based on was known for pedophila and male genital mutilation."* Did the pirates know that?

[@sherlocksmuuug6692]

Yes, totally wasn't about slavery. Let's have a look at what the traitor states had to say in their declarations of secession, shall we? Mississippi: "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization. That blow has been long aimed at the institution, and was at the point of reaching its consummation. There was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition, or a dissolution of the Union, whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin." What about the champion of historical revisionism, Texas: "Texas abandoned her separate national existence and consented to become one of the Confederated Union to promote her welfare, insure domestic tranquility and secure more substantially the blessings of peace and liberty to her people. She was received into the confederacy with her own constitution, under the guarantee of the federal constitution and the compact of annexation, that she should enjoy these blessings. She was received as a commonwealth holding, maintaining and protecting the institution known as *[would probably get blocked on this channel]* slavery-- the servitude of the African to the white race within her limits-- a relation that had existed from the first settlement of her wilderness by the white race, and which her people intended should exist in all future time. Her institutions and geographical position established the strongest ties between her and other slave-holding States of the confederacy. Those ties have been strengthened by association. But what has been the course of the government of the United States, and of the people and authorities of the non-slave-holding States, since our connection with them?" Or how about the main traitor, the inbred, the legend, South Carolina: "The General Government, as the common agent, passed laws to carry into effect these stipulations of the States. For many years these laws were executed. *But an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery,* has led to a disregard of their obligations, and the laws of the General Government have ceased to effect the objects of the Constitution." How strange, I thought the north loved slavery, a KZbin comment with no sources told me so after all. Read about "fugitive slave laws", the refusal of the northern states to comply with those was one of the main reasons for the South to turn traitor. The constitution of the confederacy also explicitly forbid its member states from abolishing slavery. Those must be those states rights I hear so much about.

[@wisdommanari6701]

@@sherlocksmuuug6692 yeah it's funny as shit when people say that the Civil War wasn't about slavery when most of the states in the declaration of succession explicitly cited slavery for their reasons for leaving.

[@noahcinzio3250]

@Heartless214 Well freakin said 👏👏👏👏👏👏 Damn that was a pleasure to read

[@TheDoomBlueShell]

Zombie Island I think got in that super hard spot that it is creepy for kids but didn't make them have nightmares, at least for what I remember everyone loved this movie a lot, I think the fact that the zombies being the good guys and the main villains not being super scary helped on this. And then came the other movies that I still get sad remembering being hyped by the witch one...

[@BabyGirlTiny]

The zombies weren't exactly the good guys and the women werent exactly the bad guys and that's what makes this film so good. Lena and simone are only doing what they have to do because they've traded their lives to get revenge against the pirates who killed their entire colony. Theres this nuance of, they're bad so we killed them, now we have to drain people's life energy, all the while the spirits of the island are trapped and want to escape and warn the people.

[@alexanderchristopher6237]

Homez18 basically, they became the very thing they swore to destroy

[@ANite-vx1vk]

Well, the "good guys" sold their souls for retribution and became the very thing they hated. Even worse in some ways. The bad guys became the lesser of two evils by comparison, and only realized their screw up once a couple of magic pagans killed them. Still evil, just second to mass murdering magic cats. They weren't even really being the good guys either when you step back? They were killed and lingered, probably for revenge, warding people away. Eventually the werecats would die without anyone to feed on, so it was kind of a self serving goal with a silver lining? There were no good supernatural in this movie.

[@BabyGirlTiny]

@@alexanderchristopher6237 they never swore to destroy anyrhing. All they wanted was revenge against their people. If you really think about it, that was their land and anyone who come on it was trespassing like the pirates. Like the pepper plantation guy was trespassing even if he didn't know. Plus, they were doing what they did to survive. Yeah luring people is bad, but still survival non the less. Nothing about the pirates suggested the same

[@CassandraPantaristi]

@@BabyGirlTiny The tourists that were drained weren't bad guys, they were completely innocent. One of them was pregnant. The one with the floral dress, purse, and hat.

[@Wolfman7870]

What happened to Swat Kats was an absolute injustice. I loved that show as a kid.

[@aaaaAlexandra.Clawaa]

I definitely think that you should make more videos like this. Mostly because this is the kind of content that I love to watch on KZbin. Also I really want to make videos like this too, so it's pretty good inspiration for me too I guess

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

I too like to watch videos where people who obviously know the ins and outs of writing analyze the stuff I watched as a kid from an adult/creator viewpoint. It allows me to wax nostalgic while also being awed at all the stuff I missed when I watched it as a kid.

[@mack9403]

I was raised on Scooby Doo, and the first time I watched Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, I thought it was a horror movie. Now that I'm ten years older, I realize it's just a nice, mature movie I can watch to honor my father.

[@stevenconnelly1468]

Personally, the three main things that I loved about this movie was the location, the script, and the storyline.

[@dylanlewis5113]

This was one of the few Scooby-Doo things to actually scare me. The zombies and cat monsters being real (and the detailed animation for them) freaked me out. The other things were the mummy episode (the voice and that scream thing he made) and the Alien Invaders (aliens used to creep me out, and again the highly detailed animation).

[@ikesweitzer9815]

“Spoilers for Scooby Doo Zombie Island”

[@rickydillon]

one of my favorite movies as a kid ugh its so good

[@gavo7911]

I feel like this movie was basically the basis for the entirety of Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc, a show that’s basically just like the movie. Typical wacky hijinks, but with real monsters and stakes.

[@TASodeinde]

It definitely must have been

[@DiscountSeanConnery]

I DONT HAVE TIME TO WATCH THIS RIGHT NOW BUT YOU BET IM COMING BACK AFTER THIS INTERVIEW

[@wisdommanari6701]

Good luck mate.

[@hippietrippyposs566]

Yo bro, how'd your interview go?

[@DiscountSeanConnery]

@@hippietrippyposs566 haha forgot about this. The in-person bit went well and I think I knocked the essay out of the park. Still waiting though!

[@hippietrippyposs566]

@@DiscountSeanConnery ayye nice bro! You got this!

[@animefan77]

10:24- and in a sense, it’s still played straight as the villains are unmasked as the literal, and immoral monsters they truly are, just being demonic cat monsters with hedonistic self-preservation disguising as humans.

[@Someguyhere111]

@Pieces109 It's a bit of both to be fair. They need to feed on humans to survive so there's the self-preservation aspect, but they're also doing it willingly and even roped somebody else into it to help lure in victims. So yeah they're monsters but at the same time I can't fault somebody for wanting to live.

[@darkraven2116]

We can't discredit how the soundtrack for this movie (and Witch's Ghost) absolutely slaps lends to the film's success!

[@bsperoz]

26:15 Yes. More please! But one thing...YOU FORGOT TO MENTION the BANGER that is "Terror Time". I mean come on that song in the climax is STILL stuck in my head 3 decades later...

[@michealvega1373]

Great soundtrack for sure.

[@JGirDesu]

I watch Zombie Island maybe once or twice a month, and best believe I sing my heart out when that song comes on lol

[@ZoeCave]

That was great about Zombie Island, which is that they had rock band Skycycle (I think) that made the song, and Third Eye Blind was also part of the project.

[@AxOfTheHorde]

Exactly. I still remember the whole song and I've seen the movie like 15 years ago.

[@TealTreeKangaroo]

I loved this movie and still do today - I especially love the art direction of this movie in the characters and their stark shadows. It looks very nice and like how I want my own art to look like. I also loved your analysis, it was very in depth and put together nicely. Thank you for making such a great video!

[@challway5767]

This is the G.O.A.T. for scooby doo. Oh and Savage wants to explore more of my childhood favorites? no... please don't.. stop.....

[@emilyfarfadet9131]

I just had a flashback of wanting to theme my birthday after this as a kid- with a Pinata of a zombie. And my mom and I ended up having an entire conversation about how it just wouldn't feel right to hit any of these monster characters with a baseball bat. Now that's good writing.

[@DrGreatScott]

Hot-take: If it weren't for Ted Turner's hasty actions to cancel SWAT KATZ, we may never have gotten Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. But seriously though, we need a SWAT KATZ reboot/continuation!

[@XiaoFury]

No we don't. This sorry generation can't reboot anything right. It's better to leave it in the books unfortunately.

[@megatamtam99]

@@XiaoFury you get the original creators like how they are redoing invader zim

[@SolitareHeartz]

What about Ducktales? The Ducktales reboot was pretty good.

[@TheEndokuken]

Yeah! It's Good Swat Kats Got Cancelled Because, If It Continued It Would Of Got Watered Down And Stale. I Think they Probably would of Ran Out Of New Ideas For A Season Three And It Would Of Sucked And Probably Killed The Whole Series! Like Killer Instinct; They Only Had Two Games, Part One and Two Was Kind Of Shaky, A Killer Instinct 3 Definitely Would Of Sucked Butt! Just Like The Shit Iron Galaxy Made For the Xbox One! A New Swat Kats Probably Could Work Because Of The New Fighter Jets That Exits Today!

[@lymphaticjeopardy]

I have a strange relationship with Scooby Doo on Zombie Island. I was born after the Scooby Doo renaissance and after many of the best Scooby Doo movies were made. That didn't stop me from watching and loving everything scooby do that I could get my hands on. I watched every movie, even the live action ones and the ones with only Scoob, Scrapy, and Shag, and I loved them all, even Zombie Island. But when my parents split, I lost most of my Scooby Doo DVD's, including Scooby Doo on Zombie Island. Several years later, at the age of 11, I rewatched it while visiting my dad. And I was horrified. I cried twice watching it. I loved the music, the animation, the story, but it was so much scarier than I remembered. It felt dark in a way I didn't remember and wasn't ready to face. Everyone in my family was utterly confused by my drastic shift in reaction. Only now do I realise that it was a change in perspective that brought me to tears after that viewing. When I was 5 years old and had been watching the movies extensively, I didn't realise how dark everything was. I had fun, I felt suspense, and then everything was okay. As I've gotten older, I realise that it really is a dark movie. To this day I still get anxiety when I start watching it (although thank god I haven't cried again since that reintroduction to the movie). I take that as a testament to the craft and elegance of this movie. Bless the animators for all their hard work through so many movies and episodes. They shaped my childhood in a way I still can't properly quantify.

[@iangsell8899]

El Dorado, Atlantis, and Sinbad are some of my favorite animated movies, and I think it would be awesome if you did a video like this on them.

[@petermorrell9865]

The movie holds up so well, so many good memories watching the film as a kid and even more recently with my boyfriend. That’s how you know it’s really special, when you enjoy it just as much as an adult as you did as a kid.

[@scotcheggable]

I remember CN had an entire Scooby Doo week when I was a kid, and they showed literally nothing but Scooby Doo episodes and films, including the oft forgotten Scooby Doo goes Hollywood.

[@seanhooper446]

As a kid, I was absolutely in love with this new complex take on scuby doo. The horror, complex characters, and twists was everything I wanted from this franchise.

[@williamstark9568]

I really liked Scooby Doo on Zombie Island when I was a kid. It was also like the first time there was real magic and supernatural stuff going on in the series.... and had a good guitar riff on the chase scene.

[@peachpot]

I loved watching this movie with my dad when I was a kid! I watched it again recently as an adult and I still love it. The writers didn't waste a minute and they did an excellent job creating a creepy atmosphere. I would absolutely love to see more videos like this!

[@divyenjoshi1168]

This film transcends the conventional Scooby-Doo narrative and ended up giving such a compelling, unparalleled toon experience. Truly a fantastic film.

[@lordodysseus]

I loved Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, even if it scared the shit out of me.

[@ysabelladelgado5503]

This movie SCARED me as a child, and it's my favorite portrayal of they mystery gang of all time You really should do Atlantis, I recently rewatched it and I STILL get chills on certain scenes.

[@aria5614]

I love this. I didn't grow up on SWAT CATS necessarily, but I remember seeing reruns of it and Johnny Quest on Boomerang. Not too many, just an episode here and there. They were odd, bizarre and disturbing to me. Now that I've grown I kinda want to see them again, and its sad that SWAT CATS got culled so abruptly. I'd be very interested in you doing a deep dive into El dorado, Sinbad, and Atlantis. While they do have videos talking about them there are not nearly enough.

[@lesteryaytrippy7282]

Swat Cats was so cool, so ahead of its time and the smooth animation! Wow! It really is sad 😔

[@LaterHarmony]

Best piece of Scooby Doo anything I've ever seen! I had this on VHS When I was younger.

[@V-Oblivion]

All this time I was wondering: WHY THE FLUFF A CAT GODDESS!? This makes it all clear now. Thanks.

[@ANite-vx1vk]

(ignoring the reasoning provided via real life) Well, cats are mystic, vengeful little shits with a mean streak. So cat goddess isn't too far fetched considering a lot of mythologies in real life. This isn't uncommon plotline, actually. Though the real reasoning is fair and definitely better than cookie cutter plot I expected.

[@SamaritanPrime]

I love how parents groups were complaining about how violent a show I'd never heard of until this video was in the early 1990s. They've only gotten more action-packed since then!

[@tiberiuskirk2593]

In the 90's the west was clutching its pearls at Swat Cats. Meanwhile, in 80's Japan Kenshiro is making heads explode in the post apocalypse.

[@Bigbadredg14nt]

Its amazing what a group of people who love and respect the project they are working on can do when they are told go wild.

[@dinolover]

"This time, the monsters are real..." that quote created a core memory the first time I heard it.

[@1krani]

So much advice from these writers that the team for Return to Zombie Island should've heeded.

[@matthewmabry1709]

I was hit with so many nostalgic feels when you played those Swat Kay’s clips. Hearing the story about its cancellation pissed me off.

[@wisdommanari6701]

Bruh

[@bajantexan8790]

I loved it, it shined a huge creative light on some of the deepest recesses of my memory, I remember watching Zombie Island as a kid (I'm 19 btw) and loving the action and the mystery. This appeals to me because animation is becoming child-centric once again in the US, which saddens me, of course alot of things are still awesome, but I would love to see something revolutionary.

[@aappaapp6627]

The most iconic part of that movie growing up were shaggy and Scooby eating all the crustaceans 😆

[@whalejawjones1152]

Yes, yes, yes, - LOVE THIS! Please do more in this series!

[@KindredKeepsake]

Zombie Island, Cyber Chase, Witch's Ghost, Alien Invaders, Boo Brothers, and Ghoul School were my LIFE! I am so happy to see the Scooby Doo VHS movies getting some recognition. ;w;

[@slime7390]

My grandma’s old car had a tv in it, and everyday for maybe 6 or 7 years we’d cycle through all of the scooby doo shows and movies we owned. I’m pretty sure every episode and movie is ingrained in my memory. And if not memorized, then they have a heavy subconscious influence. Thanks for a great video!

[@kattriella1331]

Scooby Doo in Zombie Island will always be one of, if not the best Scooby Doo movies ever made. Others that came from this era like Witch's Ghost and Alien Invaders are also up there, but Zombie Island was the only one that legitimately scared me as a kid, but in a good way. that scene where the pirate zombie slowly transforms from a skeleton into a full blown zombie scared the absolute crap out of me, and I loved it. Also, there's the fact that we never see anyone remove the magical alter, so what's to stop someone from finding and using it again? Plus, the cats with glowing eyes? I like an ambiguous ending that implies it's not over, so the gang could theoretically return someday. (We aren't going to talk about Return to Zombie Island, though, understand? Just no, that abomination never happened.)

[@richborn6700]

This ended up being waaaaaaay deeper and informative than the easy 30 minute nostalgia bomb I expected

[@keigoftw]

I loved the deeper messages. I was young enough that I didn't understand everything that was happening, but the pirates vs. the catwomen is the kind of thing that can teach a kid everything they'll ever need to know about conflict. That's the power of media, that's why you give kids things like Harry Potter: Good books that are slowly teaching them about the extremely hard topics (like human mortality) in a very easy to digest way. They may not understand all of it in the moment, but it will stick with them and as they get older their able to sort it out, piece by piece into fully formed opinions and thought of my own. I'm not really sure how many people realize how much storytelling helps us process our thoughts and feelings. (But then again, maybe take a writer's musings on their craft with a grain of salt?)

[@aisforamerica2185]

I loved/feared this movie as a kid. all of the dtv Scooby doo Movies were wonderful, as well as Legend of the Vampire

[@brandonjohnson3122]

Excellent video! Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is one of my favorite movies of all time and rightfully so. However, according to my research, you left out one important detail: Jim Stenstrum and Lance Falk also worked with Glenn Leopold and Davis Doi on Swat Katz: The Radical Squadron as writers for some episodes. In fact, one of the episodes written by Jim Stenstrum, "The Wrath of Dark Kat", had a scene where both Razor and T-Bone were having a contest to see who could eat the most hot peppers, and hot peppers appeared in Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, in which Shaggy and Scooby eat the hot peppers on Moonscar Island and are barely able to handle the spiciness. And in both mediums, the hot peppers served as a gag at first, but are then used at the climax of each story as a weapon that the heroes use against the villains, (Razor uses the mongo pepper to squirt its juice into a Creepling's eyes, and Scooby does the very same thing to Jacques when the latter is in Werecat form). Just throwing that out there.

[@IslaDrummond]

I loved this movie, but I think it might also be the reason zombies freak me out 20ish years after I originally watched it. You'd think probably not because the zombies were kinda the good guys in the end, but this is the first media I remember watching with zombies in it, and I've always been scared of zombies as far back as I can remember.

[@samuelrodriguez9801]

It is interesting how it explored the themes of how tragedy makes men into monsters and bad people can have empathy too.

[@jacob7079]

This was wonderful! Very informative and deep diving, while stirring some nostalgia. I would definitely watch more of this series if you continue down this path. I also know what movie I'll be watching tonight. It's terror time again!

[@slboro5289]

Did someone say Atlantis 👀

[@DoctorWortspieler]

20:25: The beauty of that particular moment in the "wacky chase scene" is that the first time you watch this film, you think that the zombie helping Shaggy by handing him a vine is another classic gag you've seen a hundred times before. But watch that scene again when the full plot in mind, and you realize that moment is foreshadowing that the zombies are not the bad guys of this film. Which also leads me to another point that isn't as talked about. We all know how "Zombie Island" is the one where the monsters are real... but it's also the one that shows us that not all the monsters are enemies.

[@cecollins68]

This was honestly terrifiying for me as a kid, I remember whenever it came on cartoon network I switched the channel I only ever appreciated it years after.

[@blakepriddy8641]

I'm almost 24. I hadn't thought about this in years. amazing movie and great video. thanks for reminding me about a piece of my childhood

[@clintmcbride7830]

You stated every reason why this is one of my favorite animated films of all time. It was more than just shallow entertainment. It had real depth to it that was never really there in much animation before it. And still isn't there much to this day.

[@chivaking]

"It's not Warner Bros, it Warner Brothers”, In my beat Hermione impression.

[@Imsleepeebruh]

I think I can thank this movie for at least a good 3% of my personality.

[@kianpelias2831]

As a kid watching this back then I would say that this is my favorite Scooby-Doo Movie and still up to now. I was amazed by the storyline and how dark the animation and the over all vibe.

[@jeffreygilson1565]

Sure would be a shame if there was a sequel to try and invalidate it.

[@joydeepdutta3650]

There is a sequel actually. But it doesn't invalidate it. Although it's just the opposite of the original in every way explained in the video.

[@mollyleea]

@@joydeepdutta3650 it was terrible

[@cramerfloro5936]

This movie scarred me as a child. Nice to see to see it covered

[@Nomarura]

You have no idea how much I’ve repped this movie and praised it and loved it since age four. It is absolutely a masterpiece, and I’ve always loved it

[@galaxeonart9338]

“Our lives are measured by what we leave our children.” So leave us a video on Atlantis eh?

[@rold-hx8bu]

2:51 visual representation of the plot in each episode

[@SeannyOg]

In the future for this series I suggest having a look at some of Don Bluth’s films for examples of films that fail on the dramatic level, particularly Rock-A-Doodle, Thumbelina, and A Troll In Central Park. As a child I enjoyed these films but as an adult they do not withstand some critical analysis as well as say one of Bluth’s best The Secrets of NIHM, as the formers pretend in an ironically childish way to touch on dark tones rather than actually engage them like the latter does.

[@LittleWeeGhost]

Basically Scooby-Doo tapped into its inner anime. The reasons explained in this video are pretty much why anime has such a big following

[@mad_quack]

My all time favorite Scooby-Doo ever. I still have Zombie Island on VHS.

[@schris3]

Davis was really on the money on this one, although at that time content really didn't mattered, the writing crew needed to brought up a quality product because VHS at early 90s weren't very cheap, buying a movie VHS was an investment.

[@claudeyaz]

We also cannot forget it wasn't just artists being given creative freedom period they also had something to prove cause this script had been from a show that they were making and was canceled period but they also loved scooby doo and they wanted to make a good scooby doo show period if we look things like the rings of power, or the With your TV show, or These other shows that make it obvious that the artist do not care about the source material

[@claudeyaz]

I meant "the witcher," TV show. Where it is obvious the writers hate the source material...and use the bare minimum to.write the stories and push the ideology THEY WANT TO.

[@claudeyaz]

There are many complete freedom movies that end up as dog trash, I really think it depends on your team and the challenge of your staff whether it is a good choice or not for a production

[@loC2ol]

1. Zombie Island 2. Witches Ghost (very close second) 3. Escape from Cyberspace (I think that’s the name?)

[@nillynush4899]

Hand drawn animation is still the best, love the grained poppy look

[@lordpowell3788]

Bra I fucking love the original scooby doos. I'm nearly 30 and I'll still go back and watch them. And yeah zombie island was good so was the witches ghost.

[@DragonxFlutter]

Found this channel through your Throwback Breakdown on Atlantis, and now I want to see more!

[@justanotherredheadattheend955]

Zombie Island kicked my ass in the best way as a spooky kid in the early 2000s, and it still kicks my ass now. I still carve my Halloween pumpkins while watching it, and every year I'm still impressed at how genuinely intense, complex and atmospheric it is.

[@puppymcpupsters]

Please oh my God do Atlantis it's one of the most underrated Disney movies ever and it's my favorite of all time please please PLEASE keep doing these especially one on Atlantis

[@robbyboucher2377]

Scooby Doo on Zombie Island would be the perfect movie to watch in a theater! The first part with the theme song combined with surround sound would give me goosebumps! 😬

[@LIJXFVKINBVY]

When scooby doo was brought back in a great era. Great animation, great voice actor for shaggy and scooby doo, great movies such as Witches Ghost, Alien Invaders, and Cyber Chase.

[@purpleomlet]

This movie was good as shit! I am honestly not a big fan of scooby doo, but scooby doo on zombie island is one thing I strongly remember fondly from my childhood.

[@nightowl8477]

The moral of the original Scooby Doo is _"Don't worry, kids. You're confused now, but everything will be explained."_ Jim Stenstrum, on the other hand, places a hand on your shoulder and says _"You'll never understand. Have fun with it."_

[@matttheking1655]

Making a 26 minutes video about Scooby Doo is Legendary.... Kudos! 😉

[@SnowCatKroe]

I feel this way a lot about Hey Arnold. I loved it as a kid, but my parents loved it too. A lot of the writing in the show felt organic and the animation was unique and homey. Man, now I have to rewatch Zombie Island.

[@ethpling165]

This video made me nostalgic for a decade I wasn’t even alive for. Or perhaps I’m just flashing back to the Scooby Doo movies I watched when I was little

[@KSCGGuy14]

This had to be the best video of reviewing Scooby Doo On Zombie Island's history. Quite longer than what I've previously learned through online research.

[@trevian1227]

I've seen several video essays about Zombie Island, and this is the first that takes a holistic, historical perspective about its inception and why it was so successful from the ground up. Well done.