''Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King'' is a 2008 direct-to-DVD

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

comedy horror Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three types: "black comedy, parody and sp ...

film, and the twelfth in the series of ''

Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...

'' direct-to-video films produced by Warner Bros. Animation (though it used a

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...

logo at the end of the film). It was dedicated to Paulette Oates, who helped resurrect Warner Bros. Animation in the late 1980s. All the main voice actors of Mystery, Inc. reprise their roles. The DVD was released on September 23, 2008. This is the first Scooby cartoon produced entirely without either one of the original producers,

William Hanna William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator and cartoonist who was the creator of ''Tom and Jerry'' as well as the voice actor for the two title characters. Alongside Joseph Barbera, he also founded the anim ...

and

Joseph Barbera Joseph Roland Barbera ( ; ; March 24, 1911 – December 18, 2006) was an American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist who co-founded the animation studio and production company Hanna-Barbera. Born to Italian ...

. This film calls back to the shared premise of '' The Boo Brothers'', '' The Ghoul School'', and '' The Reluctant Werewolf'' films from the late 1980s, where the fantastical elements of the story are genuine, and Scooby and Shaggy alone discover and befriend an entire society of supernatural beings.

Plot

The Mystery, Inc. gang goes to the annual Coolsville

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival t ...

on Halloween night. While there, they encounter the resident magician "The Amazing Krudsky" (voiced by

Wayne Knight Wayne Elliot Knight (born August 7, 1955) is an American actor. In television, he played Newman on '' Seinfeld'' (1992–1998) and Officer Don Orville on '' 3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1996–2001). He also voiced Igor on ''Toonsylvania'' (1998 ...

) who refuses to allow Scooby to see his show after an accident. In retaliation, he and Shaggy, who feel that Halloween is the one night of the year where the usual scares have to be fake, expose Krudsky as a fraud during one of his acts, causing his audience to walk out and Krudsky to swear revenge on the duo. The gang gets thrown out of the carnival and decide to go

trick-or-treating Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. During the evening of Halloween, on October 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "trick or treat". The ...

instead. In his tent, Krudsky reveals his desire to become a real magician. The

Fairy A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, ...

Princess Willow (voiced by Hayden Panettiere) enters Krudsky's tent and accidentally causes Krudsky to notice an entry about the

Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on ...

Scepter in a spellbook, which can be combined with fairy magic to control Halloween. Krudsky then gets an idea to obtain the scepter and rule the world with it. Willow decides to toy with him, but knocks herself out; Krudsky sees that she is a fairy and absorbs her magical powers, thus becoming a real magician. Meanwhile, Shaggy's and Scooby's last stop trick-or-treating is a spooky-looking house which claims to be a "genuine magic shoppe". Once inside, a thunderstorm begins, frightening them. The proprietor of the magic shop, Mr. Gibbles (voiced by Wallace Shawn,) reveals to the duo that magic really does exist. Krudksy enters the shop chasing Willow, captures her, and then turns Gibbles into a

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit sp ...

and steals the magic equipment before leaving. Mr. Gibbles explains Krudsky's plan to Shaggy and Scooby and shows them a vision of Krudsky turning their friends into monsters, horrifying the two. Gibbles gets them to board the Grim Reaper Railway which will fly them to the spirit world, warning them that they have to return home before sunrise or else they will be trapped in the spirit world forever. Before they depart, Shaggy and Scooby are magically disguised with the use of temporary magic cards into monster-like versions of themselves. Meanwhile, while looking for Shaggy and Scooby back in the real world, the rest of the gang see Krudsky conversing with the Goblin King (voiced by

Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London ...

) through a mirror who reluctantly agrees to exchange his scepter for Princess Willow at midnight. Seeing all the magic causes the overly rational Velma to fall unconscious; Fred and Daphne leave Velma to rest in the mystery machine while they set a trap for both the Goblin King and Krudsky. In the magic world, Shaggy and Scooby's disguises disappear as they encounter a

werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...

. In order to get past him, they convince him that they are collectively a werewolf. Fooled, he brings them to a monster-filled bar. During the song "Bump in the Night", Shaggy adds in a lyric asking how to get to the Goblin King's castle, terrifying all of the monsters into running away. The Goblin King's two bumbling goblin henchmen, Glob and Glum (voiced by

James Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security'' ...

and

Larry Joe Campbell Lawrence Joseph Campbell (born November 29, 1970) is an American actor and comedian best known for his role as Andy on the ABC sitcom '' According to Jim''. Early life Born in Cadillac, Michigan, Campbell graduated from high school at Pine Ri ...

), attempt to capture Scooby and Shaggy, but are stopped by

Jack O'Lantern A jack-o'-lantern (or jack o'lantern) is a carved lantern, most commonly made from a pumpkin or a root vegetable such as a rutabaga or turnip. Jack-o'-lanterns are associated with the Halloween holiday. Its name comes from the reported phenomen ...

(voiced by

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's '' The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 20 ...

). The trio then encounters the

Headless Horseman The Headless Horseman is a mythical figure who has appeared in folklore around the world since the Middle Ages. The figure is traditionally depicted as a rider upon horseback who is missing his head. Description Depending on the legend, the Hors ...

who wants Jack for a pumpkin head. They escape the Horseman and arrive at the

Witches Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

' Hut where they meet the Grand Witch (voiced by

Lauren Bacall Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary ...

) and her two fellow witches (voiced by Grey DeLisle and

Russi Taylor Russi Taylor (May 4, 1944 – July 26, 2019) was an American voice actress. She is best remembered as the official voice of Minnie Mouse from 1986 to 2019, and was notably married to voice actor Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse, until h ...

). The witches send Shaggy and Scooby on a ride on their flying broomstick towards the Goblin King's castle, but they are shot down by Glob and Glum by a goblin cannon. Crash-landing in a small fairy village in a forest, Shaggy and Scooby find three fairies named Sparkplug, Honeybee and Tiddlywink, who help them to the Goblin King's castle entrance. Using a potion from the witches (apparently made from someone called "Scratch"), Shaggy and Scooby disguise themselves as Daphne and Velma in order to get inside the castle. Only a few minutes away from midnight, Shaggy and Scooby try to steal the scepter from the Goblin King but are captured when their disguises wear off and sent to the tower dungeon. Back in the mortal world, Krudsky and the Goblin King are almost through with their trade when Fred and Daphne spring a trap, only managing to catch the Goblin King. Krudsky takes the scepter, turning himself into the new Goblin King before turning the Goblin King into a

goose A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the ...

. Krudsky and his new goblin army set off to take over the world. He turns the Mystery Machine into a living monster vehicle called the "Monstrous Machine" to chase Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Willow. The goblins capture the three and Krudsky uses his newfound powers to turn Fred into a

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

, Daphne into a

witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...

, and Velma into a

(fulfilling the terrifying vision that Scooby and Shaggy were shown by Mr. Gibbles earlier). At that moment, Scooby, Shaggy and Jack O'Lantern arrive, having been saved from the dungeon before sunrise by the fairies and Broomy. Jack sacrifices himself, making Krudsky drop the staff. Scooby then uses the staff to break Krudsky's spells before returning it to the Goblin King, who is revealed to be Princess Willow's father. The Goblin King holds his daughter responsible for all the trouble caused and punishes her by declaring her grounded for a year, though he admits he's relieved to have her back and safe. Mr. Gibbles brings Jack back to life with the Goblin King's help as the latter takes Krudsky prisoner for his crimes. He, the goblin army, Willow, Jack, Broomy and Mr. Gibbles all return to the magical world. Before departing, the Goblin King uses one final spell to erase the memory of the events from Fred, Daphne, and Velma's minds, to keep the balance between the worlds. However, Scooby and Shaggy are allowed to keep their memories as they have proven their courage.

Voice cast

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...

, Fred Jones *

Casey Kasem Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) was an American disc jockey, actor, and radio personality, who created and hosted several radio countdown programs, notably ''American Top 40''. He was the first actor to voice No ...

- Shaggy Rogers *

Mindy Cohn Mindy Cohn (born May 20, 1966) is an American actress, who appeared on VH1's List of "100 Greatest Kid Stars". She starred as Natalie Green in the sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' from 1979 to 1988, and is known for voicing Velma Dinkley in the ''S ...

Velma Dinkley Velma Dinkley is a fictional character in the '' Scooby-Doo'' franchise. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange turtleneck sweater, a short pink pleated skirt (or in later episodes an A-line skirt, or sometimes shorts), knee socks, Mary Ja ...

* Grey DeLisle - Daphne Blake, Cat Witch, Honeybee *

- The Amazing Krudsky *

* Wallace Shawn - Mr. Gibbles *

- The Goblin King,

Werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...

Jim Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom '' According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include '' Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security' ...

- Glob *

- Glum * Hayden Panettiere - Fairy Princess Willow *

- The Grand Witch *

Thom Adcox-Hernandez Thom Adcox-Hernandez is an American voice actor, known for his roles as Brian in the prime-time soap opera ''Falcon Crest'' and the voices of Felix the Cat in ''The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat'' and Lexington on '' Gargoyles''. Life and caree ...

- Sparkplug *

- Owl Witch, Tiddlywink

Original Songs

* "Who's at the Door?" - Sung by Wallace Shawn * "Bump in the Night" - Sung by the Halloween Monsters * "Goblin Oogie Boogie" - Sung by

References

External links

Reuters
* {{Warner Bros. animation and comics 2008 animated films 2008 films 2008 direct-to-video films 2000s American animated films 2000s monster movies American children's animated mystery films American monster movies Films about fairies and sprites American films about Halloween Films about magic and magicians Films about magic Fictional goblins Goblin films Films about parallel universes Scooby-Doo direct-to-video animated films Warner Bros. Animation animated films Warner Bros. direct-to-video animated films Films about witchcraft 2000s children's animated films Films directed by Joe Sichta 2000s English-language films