Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Blu-ray Movie Review

Fanboys unite!

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 22, 2025

One of the most popular entries in Hanna-Barbera's infinitely deep catalog of direct-to-video movies, 1998's Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is a favorite for fans of a certain age. Yours truly missed the boat as I was deep into my college years when it emerged from the shadows but, in hindsight, I can appreciate its analog animated merits and surprising commitment to actual horror rather the the usual "janitor in a mask" routine. Rabid fan demand led to a long-overdue Blu-ray edition from Warner Archive in May of 2024 (odd timing indeed), but it was a featureless disc paired with the monumentally bad 2019 sequel Return to Zombie Island, a film so bad that it's not worth a hyperlink.

Fast-forward a little over a year later and we're now getting this so-called "Terror Time Collector's Edition" of Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, which omits the terrible sequel while adding in a new audio commentary along with packaging and menus that might remind long-time collectors of a fun but frivolous Special Edition DVD from the 2000s: it comes complete with named chapter stops, an interior print, a slipcover, and even a glossy booklet, but the good-not-terrific A/V merits remain exactly the same. It all adds up to a decent but not entirely worthwhile effort that honestly feels like a cash grab after the now comparatively cheaper WAC double feature; plain and simple, asking fans to pony up another $25 for a few fluffy upgrades will rightly irk those who feel we should've got this version first.

For total n00bs, the following synopsis has been ported over from my earlier review with a few revisions:

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is fondly remembered by S-D fans of a certain age and still stands out for its surprising commitment to gross-out horror gags; it also claims to be the first time Fred, Daphne, and the gang face off against real monsters, which of course isn't true by a long shot. (Did no one see 1985's The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby-Doo or most of the original series?) No matter -- its lightly self-aware script and colorful animation make the first Zombie Island at least a solid outing for our heroes, even if it's not a flat-out masterpiece like nostalgic fans insist.

This 1998 movie -- which, believe it or not, is now almost closer in time to the original 1969 series than the present -- feels "old school" enough to satisfy die-hard fans, but naturally the formula's been updated a bit. It's been a year since the Mystery Inc. gang last worked together, and as such everyone's gone their separate ways: Daphne (voiced by Mary Kay Bergman) has her own successful "ghost hunter" show with Fred (Frank Welker) as her faithful man-servant, Velma (B. J. Ward) now owns a bookshop, and Shaggy (Billy West) and Scooby (Scott Innes) work for U.S. Customs and pilfer imported food at security checkpoints. Daphne's idea to finally search for actual ghosts prompts a reunion, and soon enough they're off to Moonscar Island in New Orleans, allegedly haunted by a long-dead pirate captain.

Zombie Island doesn't take long to bring in the creep factor, and at times gets gross enough that it's probably not recommended for younger audiences. Those of a certain mindset will love it, however: after we're introduced to the usual group of supporting characters -- in this case, it's estate owner Simone Lenoir (Adrienne Barbeau), lovely Lena Dupree (Tara Strong), grumpy gardener Beau Neville (Cam Clarke), and local weirdo Snakebite Scruggs (Mark Hamill) -- things pick up quickly, and a chance discovery by Scooby and Shaggy soon uncovers the truth that zombies are, well, on the island. It takes a little while for the rest of them to come around, but literal writing on the wall finally convinces Fred, Daphne, and Velma that there's more to the area than hot peppers, catfish, and pirate legends.

This 77-minute film moves along at a good clip with a lightweight mystery that playfully pokes fun at the franchise's formula, but it still unravels in a similar way as your average episode of the original show. The voice acting, despite boasting a pretty solid lineup of names, isn't all that great either. (I love Billy West as much as the next guy, but he's just plain wrong for Shaggy.) Yet the all-in gross-out factor gives Zombie Island a much-needed shot in the arm, and its colorful but appropriately moody atmosphere and fairly dynamic visuals mop the floor with Hanna-Barbera's usual stiff-as-a-board compositions. Those benefits alone at least propel the original Zombie Island to modest heights, making it an adventure worth (re)visiting and worthy of standing apart from its poorly-made sequel.

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This new Blu-ray edition of Zombie Island uses the same master as what we got on the previous WAC double feature Blu- ray, so please see my linked review for more details to back up my modest 3.5/5 rating.

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix remains the same as that previous release.

Once again, optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras below.

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with colorful cover artwork and a matching slipcover. There's a nice interior print with a chapter list too, and also tucked inside is a glossy collectable 12-page booklet with images as well as a new essay written by Matt Dugan, who we'll hear from again very soon.

• NEW! Audio Commentary - Scooby-Doo historian and Zombie Island superfan Matt Dugan serves up a lively and trivia-heavy commentary track, a whirlwind affair whose only substantial breaks arrive during a few music cues. I'll be honest in that there's a lot of gushing and on-screen narration to contend with (mostly early on)... but we also get a lot of deep trivia cuts as well as tributes to seasoned and lesser-known voice actors, including a few famous names in minor roles you may have missed. Overall, it's a fun track and more enthusiastic than some group commentaries I've heard, although a first-hand participant or two would've been nice.

• Promo Trailer (3:26) - This surprisingly long trailer can also be seen here.

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The perpetually popular 1998 DTV film Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island remains a pretty solid adventure for old Scoob and the gang, boasting attractive analog animation, plenty of good gags, and a surprising commitment to actual horror during key moments. It's good enough to stand on its own four feet without the terrible 2019 sequel Return to Zombie Island, which it got paired with only last year on a double feature Blu-ray released by Warner Archive. This stand-alone "Terror Time Collector's Edition" is obviously a better release when you factor in fancier packaging and the new audio commentary... but with identical A/V merits, the lack of more new bonus features, and of course the dreaded "double-dipper's remorse", this one's an awfully tough sell at over $20. Recommended once it goes on sale... but geez, how about WB just lets Warner Archive put together a release like this the first time and be done with it?