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Parents' Guide to

Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo!

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Creepy but silly holiday tale has cartoon violence, peril.

Movie NR 2020 80 minutes
Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Webbinaro
Webbinaro Parent of 5 and 7-year-old
October 31, 2022
age 6+

Cheap holiday fun..with caution

It's classic Scooby Doo in good and bad ways. Silly fun and eye rolling shenanigans are the norm, the kids 5&7 were enraptured. Fun to see Bill Nye and other cameos. And like the cartoon off my childhood it relied heavily on reused background scenes. The bad? Senseless violence (yes on pumpkins, but being impaled or beheaded or smashed in disturbing ways) and cringworthy commentary that are just unneeded. The Fred commenting on Daphne's ability to do things, whether she's even holding things correctly! Even though they tone down Elvira's dress she's constantly commenting about her looks and 'hotness.'. Showing police as having lots of equipment but little intelligence. A violent scene smashing pumpkins as guts cover everything. a movie to talk to afterwards "was that ok behavior? Why, why not? Was that why she was picked? Would a police officer really do that?" Etc I didn't turn it off, but I won't be playing it again..

This title has:

Too much violence
SiRenfield
SiRenfield Adult
January 6, 2022
age 5+

Cute but a bit of a 90 minute commerical (* I actually really love of this movie, I'm just being objective here)

Like Scooby Doo has always had this thing of real world celebrity guest stars and crossovers with other properties, but this one takes the cake (or rather pumpkin pie) for having THREE at the same time...granted I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't acknowledge I watched this movie due to being a super fan of Batman (and in particular the Scarecrow character), Elvira, and Bill Nye ;but that still doesn't mean I'm still a little concerned about the presence of consumerism in children's media especially post-Lego Movie. But for what it's worth it has a decent message for kids about how it's okay to admit that you're afraid rather than letting it bottle up (especially in nowadays with increasing rates of anxiety among youth) while not letting it control you either. And while some would question the presence of Elvira, I didn't mark "sex" because her design has been toned down for the film and for what it's worth she is a role model especially in regards to Cassandra Peterson's real life activism, same goes for most of the actual characters (...for the most part) especially Velma. So if you have a child that likes DC comics (specifically Batman), Bill Nye, Halloween, and somehow hostess Elvira, Mistress of the Dark....you have a VERY specific child, but this movie is for them. On a more serious note, this is made by the same guy who created Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy so if you like that you're in safe hands.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much consumerism
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In HAPPY HALLOWEEN, SCOOBY-DOO!, Scooby (Frank Welker) and the gang are in Crystal Cove to take part in a parade and also stop a monster called the "Haunted Scarecrow." After capture, the Haunted Scarecrow is revealed to be one of Gotham City's most evil super-villains: Dr. Jonathan Crane. As he's being arrested, Crane warns Velma of more evil to come. Soon, Scooby and Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), as scared and snack-crazy as ever, stumble upon a pumpkin patch that's getting soaked in toxic waste oozing from a tanker truck. The toxic waste appears to bring the pumpkins to life, with a giant pumpkin as its leader, and these tentacled, demonic-looking pumpkins begin attacking the reporters on the scene. Meanwhile, Fred and Velma try getting used to a modernized Mystery Machine van with Bill Nye as its holographic assistant, and Daphne becomes the understudy of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Together, they must stop these "Jackal Lanterns" and figure out who's really behind this mystery.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This is a standard Scooby-Doo mystery that balances all the beloved Scooby-Doo cliches with attempts at modernity. Of course, there are some monsters (or are they?), Shaggy and Scooby are as easily scared and as snack-crazed as ever, and there are some celebrity cameos (in this case, Bill Nye and Elvira). These blend in with bringing Mystery, Inc. into the Gotham universe, and Fred, Daphne, and Velma are now tech-savvy millennials who use apps to help crack cases as the bad guys make cracks about their presumed love of avocado toast. It keeps the franchise fresh without ruining it, even as the action of the story is mostly an extended vehicle chase.

Scooby-Doo fans will find lots to enjoy, as will their nostalgic parents. Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! is a pretty standard Halloween-themed mystery, but it's a silly and fun way to get into the Halloween spirit.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about modern versions of classic cartoons. How is this version of Scooby-Doo different from the cartoon series from the 1970s? Which version do you prefer? Why?

  • How did Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! address topics such as science and technology?

  • Were the violence and monsters too much, or were they okay because they're part of a story set at Halloween? Explain.

Movie Details

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