The Scooby gang takes a vacation to Australia. Shaggy and Scooby are bored so the gang decides to travel the outback to attend a music contest at Vampire Rock. Upon their arrival, they meet their old friends and competing band, the Hex Girls. They also learn of the kidnapping of several bands by the legendary Yowie Yahoo Vampire. The gang goes undercover as the band, "Those Meddling Kids," to discover the identity of the Vampire and "ghosts" of another band that has gone missing the previous year and are now helping the Yowie Yahoo.
"Scooby-Doo! And the Legend of the Vampire" is another updated version of Scooby-Doo. It fits in perfectly with the original shows. The whole movie feels very retro, but the music is modern.
The story is your standard Scooby whodunit with normal people posing as vampires. The Australian outback offers an exotic backdrop to the usual mystery. It is straightforward and easy to follow for viewers of all ages. This time, the movie should be suitable for even the youngest viewers. There are no real monsters and nothing is really scary at all.
The atmosphere is not very scary. The location is a cool variation, but it is not as cozy as if the mystery occurred inside an old mansion or in Salem.
One cool thing about this movie is that it reprises the role of the all girl punk band, "The Hex Girls." We last saw them in "Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost" (1999).
Most viewers will be happy to know that the art and characters looks like the original. Being set in the outback, the scenes are not as colorful as in other Scooby movies.
Casey Kasem again voices Shaggy and Frank Welker voices Scooby-Doo and Fred. It is good to see two of the originals doing what they do best. The only real guest voice is Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go's, who sings and voices Dusk, one of "The Hex Girls."
The music is great. Another great rendition of "Scooby-Doo Where Are You?" is performed by Krystal Harris. "Getaway Yeah" performed by Holland Greco. "Hex Girl" performed by Kimberly Brooks, Jennifer Hal, and Jane Wiedlin, and "Who Do Voodoo?" performed by Jane Wiedlin.
The DVD has a ton of extras to keep children busy. It is one of the most jam-packed Scooby movies available. The features include: Audio Commentary by Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and Fred, Get the Beat with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy!, Monster Factory (build your own monsters!), Family Favorites (trailers of other movies), and PC DVD-ROM Features with sneak peeks of three Scooby-Doo Mystery Adventures PC games (Showdown in Ghost Town, Jinx at The Sphinx, and Phantom of the Knight).
Overall, "Scooby-Doo! And the Legend of the Vampire" has it all, in regards to capturing the feel of old school Scooby-Doo. And it is safe for children of all ages.
