It’s two thrilling trips to Zombie Island one one Blu-ray Disc as Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred reunite to solve the most frightfully funny mystery of their careers. The scream team’s headed to a haunted bayou island to investigate the ghost of Moonscar the Pirate. But it turns out the swashbuckler’s spirit isn’t the only creepy character on the island. The sleuths also meet up with cat creatures and zombies…and it looks like for the first time in their lives these ghouls might actually be real. SCOOBY-DOO ON ZOMBIE ISLAND is the most hilarious Scooby adventure of all time that dishes up equal portions of music, laughs, thrills and chills. The gang’s trip to ZOMBIE ISLAND became one of the most popular of Scooby’s feature-length adventures, and twenty years later led to a sequel! In SCOOBY-DOO! RETURN TO ZOMBIE ISLAND, Scooby, Shaggy and the Mystery Inc. gang win a vacation of a lifetime at Monster Island Resort. Velma, Daphne and Fred can’t help but notice how strangely familiar the surroundings are there. The gang soon finds that paradise has a price as they encounter an army of zombies and creepy cat people. Hop on board and travel with Scooby-Doo and the gang as they unearth the mystery of ZOMBIE ISLAND in this long-awaited sequel to the original.
For thoughts on Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island/Return to Zombie Island, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Warner Archive brings Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island and Return to Zombie Island to Blu-Ray looking splendid in their original aspect ratio which will surely please any animation fan. Both films do a nice job of maintaining their original look with a standout amount of detail and clarity to the picture. We do not believe these are fresh masters prepared by Warner Archive, especially since the 2019 sequel does not really need one, but they each hold their own on the format with an excellent encode. The films are saturated with sumptuous, bright colors and no trace of damage after the care taken with this new release.
There is very minor softness with certain shots in the original Zombie Island which seems to stem back to the animation style, but these issues do not ruin an overall terrific experience. The textures of all the various background environments appear properly defined and give the adventure a nice sense of depth. There are small signs of DNR on the original effort that would indicate the remaster was not handled by the normal Warner Archive team, but it is not a major detriment. The animation quality is quite strong with unique character details that look gorgeous in high definition. Black levels hold up perfectly with no instances of crush or noise in sight. This disc allows the original look of the films to flourish in HD. Warner Archive has made fans of the character so happy.
Audio Quality
The audio quality of the Blu-Ray disc works in tandem with the video thanks to an amazing DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that brings each film to life perfectly. Any sonic limitations with previous releases are made completely irrelevant with this robust soundscape that provides flawless clarity to the dialogue, sound effects, and music throughout. The sounds of the adventures fills the room with grand fidelity. The environmental elements are more complex than you might imagine for a youth-oriented film, and it achieves a depth that really springs to life in the speakers. This track sports no obvious weaknesses and represents this one well. This disc includes optional English SDH subtitles.
Special Features
- Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island Promo Trailer: A three-and-a-half-minute extended look at the film is provided.
- Scooby-Doo! Return To Zombie Island Promo Trailer: The nearly two-minute trailer is provided.
Final Thoughts
Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island is one of the greatest animated features ever created for this series. The outing took the series in some surprising directions that shook up the formula and also injected some genuinely creepy developments that allowed it to feel more mature. The jokes are also genuinely funny and the plot breezes by in a journey of fun times. The sequel is quite a step down, but it is a decent watch in terms of more recent Scooby outings. We are glad it is included for completionist’s sake. Warner Archive has delivered a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. Any Scooby Doo fan will need this in their collection. Highly Recommended
Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island/Return to Zombie Island can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
