Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost (1999) Review

"That's the mystery!"
-Velma Dinkley



Mystery Inc. meets famous, horror writer, Ben Ravencroft (Tim Curry) and accompany him to his hometown of Oakhaven, Massachusetts.  They quickly discover that that the town is being haunted by the ghost of Sarah Ravencroft (Tress MacNeille), Ben's ancestor, who was executed for supposedly being a witch.  As Mystery Inc. tries to get to the bottom of the mystery, they discover that the Witch's Ghost might actually be real!


What Works:

Like Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, The Witch's Ghost has a much darker tone than previous installments in the franchise and I'm totally here for it.  I love seeing Scooby (Scott Innes) and the gang take on real monsters.  There's a sense of danger here that raises the stakes.  It's good stuff.

The best part of the movie is Tim Curry.  Whoever cast him in a Scooby-Doo movie is a genius.  He also plays a stand-in for Stephen King, which makes it even better.  Curry gives an excellent performance and Ben Ravencroft is a great character.  He shines every time he opens his mouth.

This movie also has the Hex Girls, who are just the best.  They don't get as much to do as I remembered, but they are still a great addition to the story.  Their musical numbers are awesome and some of the best parts of the film.

The 3rd act of the movie is a lot of fun with Mystery Inc. in an extended game of keep-away with the Ravencroft's.  We get some really fun sequences here with the gang being attacked by evil pumpkins, a tree, and even a giant turkey.  The Mystery Machine even gets used in a chase sequence.  It's an absolute blast and a great climax of the story.


What Sucks:

This is a short movie.  77 minutes and that includes the credits.  This definitely could have been longer.  The first two thirds of the movie focus on the hoax version of the Witch's Ghost.  This mystery could have been drawn out longer to better develop some of the supporting characters and even Fred (Frank Welker) and Daphne (May Kay Bergman), who didn't get much to do.

Finally, the hoax plot really doesn't make a lot of sense when you think about it.  There are a ton of plot holes in this scheme and maybe making the movie longer could have given them time to fill in the holes.


Verdict:

While not quite as good as Zombie Island, The Witch's Ghost is another solid addition to the Scooby-Doo franchise.  The tone is excellent, Tim Curry is wonderful, the Hex Girls kick ass, and the 3rd act is a lot of fun.  The movie should have been longer and there are a lot of plot holes, but this movie has still got it going on.

 8/10: Really Good 

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