Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico (2003 Video) User Reviews

Not the best... or the worst

[joesgirljeri · 6/10 · 25 May 2009]

This movie had a lot going for it. The voice cast, sound effects and smoother animation felt more like the original Scooby Doo and I appreciated the classic feel. I really liked that Scott Innes was not voicing Shaggy. Velma is good for relating some good Mexican history. The behind-the-scenes, blooper reel and cast commentary on the DVD are great! There were definitely parts where the plot was interesting and a lot of vintage Shaggy/Scooby comedy that made us all laugh.

That being said, the plot didn't hold together very well for me. Somewhere in the middle, things get a little TOO confusing and far-fetched, even for Scooby. The story seems to slow down and then jump ahead making the movie lurch along awkwardly. Daphne's voice seems slow and... old! The dialog really dragged in parts. The extra characters didn't have much personality or add interest to the movie, they were just... there.

Overall the movie was OK and my kids enjoy it now and then. Not the greatest... but pretty good.

Donde Estas Scooby Doo?

[amiranda-39274 · 6/10 · 16 April 2019]

I'm a big Scooby doo fan and i am Mexican American and i feel this movie is exactly what it was made to be. When i was a little kid, my parents were worried that my siblings and i didn't get enough Mexican culture, and so they bought this movie for us, and Ive got to say it worked. In this film Fred is invited to Veracruz, Mexico by his pen pal named Alejo, for the day of dead festivities, which i think is just perfect for a scooby doo film. The film shows us that the monster is none other than the legendary El Chupacabra ( the goat eater), which is actually now considered to be just hairless diseased coyotes, but none the less, when this movie came out the chupacabra was an infamous creature in Latin America, supposedly responsible for the deaths of countless livestock. In this film the chupacabra is depicted as a big foot like creature instead of the most common description of a reptile dog. To add to the mystery several other supernatural creatures are added to the frey, such as ghosts, Aztec creatures, and a creepy shaman with a internet website. Despite the movie having a goofy, lighthearted atmosphere ( mostly because of the soundtrack), there is still a heavy presence of dread through out, such as during the monster attacks ( especially when the monster almost attacks alejos son) and i will admit the creatures in this did terrify me as a child. All the new characters in this film are extremely fun and likeable, especially Alejo, his brother Luis, and their family, even minor supporting characters have stand out moments. (Daphne questions the locals about the monster, she asks a man, what does the monster look like? the man: Like my uncle flaco. Daphne: what does the monster smell like? The man: like my uncle flaco.) The movie provides good explanations and examples of Mexican culture, not to mention great jokes such as fred constantly messing up talking in Spanish. The animation is especially very bright in this movie and looks really good. And i adore the soundtrack, while the gang is traveling to Mexico the song ' Viva Mexico" plays over the montage, capturing the joy of traveling to Mexico, also the song during one of the chase sequences " donde vas" is extremely catchy and i love it. Their is a lot more comedy in this film, and most of the jokes are great. Overall the movie is extremely fun, and strangely made me want to improve my Spanish ( i don't want to be like Fred.) Buenas dias!

This is no time to be chicken

[kyle-mcdonald · 6/10 · 29 June 2011]

Well I have to say that this Scooby-Doo cartoon although far from the greatest its also far from the worst. This cartoon definitely brought a smile to my face. It was funny, smart, but it could also get confusing, I often found myself lost near the middle and end of the movie. I found there were many funny jokes and many unfunny jokes, many smart twists and turns and many predictable twists and turns, but overall a good mystery, but many points during the middle and end its gets confusing.

Fred informs his friends that one of his best friends tells him that this a great time to travel to Mexico. Quickly after hearing the great news Scooby along with Fred, Shaggy, Velma, and Daphne hurry to pack their bags and are fast on their way to beautiful Mexico. Velma tells the gang that they will be there in time to attend the annual day of the dead, of course Scooby-Doo and shaggy are terrified. When they arrive in Mexico the gang hears a creepy story of El Chupacapra that has been terrorizing the town. After coming face to face with El Chupacapra decide they have a case on their hands. Along the way the gang is met with funny and unfunny gags, clever twists and turns and predictable twists and turns, and a confusing middle and end, but by the time its over you will still have a smile on your face.

The plot and setting are now once again like the original style Scooby-Doo where the villain turns out to be a man in a mask. This type of plot and setting I find gives the old feeling back of when I used to watch the old TV show, while I will always like when they use real monsters I always like the original way more.

The storyline the movie follows is not bad, its far from the best but still enjoyable. While the movie offers many funny Scooby-Doo gags but also gives some unfunny ones. The movie does get confusing near the middle and end while it is a good twist it can still be confusing.

Once again this Scooby-Doo cartoon has an all star voice cast such as: Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo and Fred, Heather North as Daphne, Nicole Jaffe as Velma, and of course Casey Kasem as Shaggy. Each voice actor does a great job as the character they are voicing.

By the time this cartoon is over I still had a smile on my face. I found that you either like this cartoon or you don't like this cartoon, it is in the middle. There could be many improvements but there are also aspects that just cant get any better. I would have liked to have seen more of El Chupacapra during the movie. This cartoon will never be called one of the best but it will definitely never be called one of the worst as it is an enjoyable cartoon but an enjoyable one that could be just a little bit better. So you may want to read some of the reviews to this cartoon before making your decision on buying or renting it, but for this movie you should make the decision yourself because you either take or leave this Scooby-Doo adventure.

Overall rating: ****** out of **********

*** out of *****

Retro Scooby-Doo in movie form

[shokwave-1 · 7/10 · 15 November 2020]

The Monster of Mexico borrows elements from the classic Scooby-Doo era. The Mystery Machine, the outfits and the soundtrack are all back in this entry. For me this one is better than the similarly styled Legend of the Vampire.

The soundtrack is heard almost all the time again, but it does not distract from the excellent voice cast. There are a lot of funny moments and lines, a staple of Scooby-Doo. The story, characters and setting are all charming. I didn't see the end coming either.

This one is hard to find on Blu-Ray now but is available in HD via streaming services. Highly recommended.

A 10-foot hairy monster with big feet and sharp teeth? Sounds like something out of a cartoon!...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 24 May 2017]

Essentially when you have seen one Scooby-Doo animated movie, then you have virtually already seen them all, as they are all cut from the same mold. But isn't that part of the charm of the Hanna-Barbera franchise? And while "Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico" is indeed an animated movie that follows the blueprint to the letter, then it still turned out to be one of the more entertaining and fun of the adventures of the Mystery Gang.

This time Scooby-Doo and the friends are in Mexico, where they have a face to face encounter with local Mexican legend El Chubacabra. I found the story to be fun and entertaining to watch, and the take on the mysterious El Chubacabra was actually nice.

The animation is good and the art style is good. I love the consistency of the franchise, that they stick to what was initially established back in the early days and continue on with the same style.

As an animated movie, then having a proper cast for the voice acting is very essential, and "Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico" is true to the legacy of Scooby-Doo and brandishes some great talents on the voice acting cast. It is, as always, a real treat to have Casey Kasem and Frank Welker do voices in the animated movies.

"Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico" is definitely one of the better of the numerous animated Scooby-Doo movies that I have seen. If you are a fan of the franchise, then this is definitely a good addition to the Collection.

Nice Entry in the Series

[Michael_Elliott · 6 October 2015]

Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico (2003)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Scooby and the gang get an invitation to come see a friend in Mexico for the Day of the Dead festivities but as soon as they arrive there they learn a Bigfoot like monster is haunting the people. Soon the Mystery Machine is out trying to determine who is trying to scare people off.

This entry in the movies of Scooby-Doo isn't nearly as bad as its reputation makes it out to be. While the film certainly isn't among the best movies from the franchise, it's at least entertaining, colorful and offers up a pretty good monster and a nice little twist at the end. I will say that the only disappointing thing is that there wasn't more comedy because many of the comic bits fall flat.

With that said, I really enjoyed the look of the Bigfoot monster as well as the myth surrounding it. I thought visually the monster looked extremely good and it was certainly entertaining enough to keep you caught up in the story. The animation, as you'd expect, was very good as well as the vocal performances. I really enjoyed the colorful nature to the animation but I will say it's a shame that the Day of the Dead ceremony wasn't used more. Still, if you're a fan of the series then you should enjoy this one.

An Honest Review

[generationofswine · 7/10 · 1 April 2017]

The opening song was worth it. It really was. Actually, the music as a whole was worth it.

And some of the jokes were fully even if one or two of them may have bordered on blatant stereotypes, but in a harmless way.

It starts off strong. It starts off like an old episode of Scooby Doo...it just sort of ends with a "meh." In fact, what kills it is that one can walk away and forget how it ended by the time you get done using the bathroom.

But the first half is memorable and the songs are catchy, so it's a wash.

Coming from a Scooby Doo fan, I found this film rather weak!

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 1 September 2009]

Monster Of Mexico is one of the weaker Scooby Doo movies I've seen. I am not saying it is the worst, I am merely saying that this could have been so much better. On the plus side, the animation is not at all bad, and neither is the voice acting. There are some nice characters thrown into the mix. However, what didn't wow me as much, was the rather unimaginative plot, and the perpetrator I found rather obvious. Also I never was fond of the soundtrack either, at the end of the day, it felt rather monotonous for my liking. There were times when the mystery got very predictable, like when Louis claimed to have been hit on the head, and the gang suspected he was faking it, I was thinking now where have I heard that before? The dialogue wasn't particularly that inspiring either. I am not saying that Monster of Mexico was a terrible movie, it wasn't, it just didn't work for me that's all. If you want a great Scooby Doo movie, try Witch's Ghost, Goblin King or Zombie Island. And Pirates Ahoy! was fun too. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Again another classic-style entry

[wile_E2005 · 9/10 · 3 March 2005]

Now, I have said before that starting with "Arabian Nights" in 1994, Scooby cartoons became crap, with some exceptions (like "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost" and "Chill Out, Scooby-Doo!"). But "Scooby and the Legend of the Vampire" of 2002 is very, very good compared to "What's New Scooby-Doo." Despite that and "Monster of Mexico" being produced at Warner Bros. Animation rather than Hanna-Barbera, this is a nice follow-up to the vampire one. Again, we have the old voice cast (complete with Heather North and Nicole Jaffe,) the old Hanna-Barbera sound FX, the remakes of the 1968-1973 Scooby underscore, the original outfits, etc. The animation is crisp and smooth, and almost matches the high-quality animation of the first four direct-to-video Scooby-Doo films, and is much better than the bad animation of "What's New, Scooby-Doo?" and the even worse animation of "Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!" This adds more charm to the cartoon, and the Mexican music is fun, especially the eerie Latin American violins and handclaps that accompany the opening credits. Overall, the nice animation and retro format make this and "Legend of the Vampire" seem like they were done at Hanna-Barbera and not WB!

Shaggy knows Spanish: like tacos, burritos

[MarkLynnIreland1294 · 6/10 · 28 June 2022]

I received this Scooby-Doo movie on VHS tape few years ago.

The opening song: Viva Mexico by Maria Carmen Diaz is memorable.

Some laughs or humour the gang receiving email notifications in terms of their catchphrases: (Alright, Jeepers!, Jinkies!", Zoinks! You have mail!")

Some trivia points Fred mentioned to his pen-pal Alejo that Shaggy has got a high metabolism.

In this movie, the Mexican mythical monster terrorising Veracruz is mentioned Chupacabra as some purple Bigfoot. Should be reptilian that sucks blood from goats.

Some unnecessary moments like Alejo's brother Luis lied about being hit knocked unconscious.

That robotic eagle Paco reminds me of bilingual parrot (same name) in "Maya & Miguel".

This is also the last time Nicole Jaffe and Heather North voice Velma and Daphne, respectively, before North died from bronchitis in November 2017.

Obviously, this movie is good or rather I like on its own, yet hardly outshines some of the others like Witch's Ghost (with Hex Girls and Tim Curry).

A Poorly Written and Executed Scooby-Doo Movie

[carologletree · 3/10 · 7 June 2017]

This is possibly the worst animated Scooby-Doo movie. The film just feels uninspired and poorly put together. I liked it when I was younger, but it's amazing how many things wrong with it I now realize there are.

One thing I can't review this movie without mentioning is the obvious fact that the Chupacabra here is inaccurate to the legend. In this movie, it is a purple Big Foot, whereas the legends generally depict it as a malformed wild dog. A little research would probably help, you know!

The script has many inconsistencies, and there is a fair amount of exposition and redundant scenes to drag things down. Also annoying is how stupid the townspeople were for not realizing how obvious it is that the bird was mechanical, not to mention them immediately believing the bird that Scooby and the gang are criminals without any evidence.

The voice acting is surprisingly dull with the voices of the gang phoning it in, especially Heather North as Daphne. I also hated that the villain was somebody we hadn't even seen in the movie at all. His motivation didn't even make much sense.

I can't call this movie unwatchable, because I did enjoy the Mexico setting, there are some funny scenes, and the animation is pretty decent. However, this is still a pretty poor Scooby-Doo movie overall. Definitely not recommended to anyone other than Scooby-Doo fans, but even the fans don't really need to see it.

RATING: D+

The Greatest Cinematic Art Piece of this Millennia

[finleyrobertsawesome · 10/10 · 31 December 2021]

The title says it all.

Godspeed Scooby doo.

This movie really does ask the question, "what's up, Scooby doo?" and "Scooby doo, where are you?" It dives deep into a world where magic is real and food is everything. Food is a symbol that symbolizes truth and illumination of that which was once dark.

The many chase scenes all add to the thrill of this masterpiece. They are funny and humorous!

There are also many plot twists that remind me of my favorite minions memes. I love minions memes!

This is a great movie! I hope everyone loves it as much as I do! You can learn lots of Spanish!!!!!

One of the Weaker Post VHS Animated Scooby Flicks

[WasiReviews · 7/10 · 6 February 2021]

Scooby-Doo Monster in Mexico was boring and the animation was less than spectacular for me at least. I will give it credit for having a complex plot that required 2 pages in the summary section of Wikipedia. That doesn't change the fact that the voice acting was incredible with the best being Daphne who had a pleasant cougar voice rest in peace Heather North. Shaggy's voice actor Casey Kaseem also died which is unfortunate. The animation is an acquired taste. You'll either tolerate it, like it, or hate it. For some reason, it looks worse than the direct to video late 90s movies despite this film coming out 5 years after Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. I will give the movie credit for having so many twists and turns especially for a kid's film quite surprising the main villain unmasking even though I think I saw this film as a kid when I was around 7-9. I was half entertained. It's all right but this is one of the weaker Scooby-Doo animated films better than the Reluctant Werewolf, Ghoul School, and Mask of the Blue Falcon. However, it is far weaker than the Classic VHS films like Zombie Island, Cyber Chase, Alien Invaders, and Witch's Ghost. WWE crossovers were also more entertaining and the other late 2000s films greatly improved upon this film's animation, formula and voice acting. This is the second film created after Cyber Chase in 2001 so I'll give it some credit there. Still in the bottom third. If you're Mexican and/or you have Mexican kids you might like the scenery and reference. However, it could make the film even worse for your viewing experience.

TLDR; This is one of the weaker Scooby-Doo Animated Films avoid this one and the 80's TV Movies check out the VHS films, late 2000's films, and pretty much all of the 2010's films. Avoid Mystery Map, and the Lego films unless you have very young kids even still I wouldn't recommend them.

Very, very weak

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 4/10 · 7 May 2004]

Back again in the brand new slicker animation form, the Mystery Inc gang head down to Mexico to visit Fred's e-mail pal but get caught up in the Chupacapra mystery as said beast begins terrorising the locals. It's not very good as the plot is practically discarded in favor of endless running around scenes and over-indulgence in set pieces.

The recent Scooby Doo feature-length animations have had decent stories, nice atmospheres and a couple red-herrings. It's very post modern and has certainly help revamp the franchise. But Monster of Mexico feels very dated and 60's. The gang are back wearing their old clothes instead of the modern gear they wore in the first four animated movies.

The ending is no surprise and completely unsatisfying. I don't like it. I wish for the next one to be a little more sophisticated. I mean children are intelligent and they deserve intelligent entertainment. Monster of Mexico may have been okay back in the 60's but in the modern day it's quite poor.

The DVD has a great 1.33:1 picture and a rather good Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. The extras are rubbish apart from the commentary by Shaggy and Scooby which is actually a really neat touch. I was excited at the Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman trailer featured here but it's 20 seconds long and shows you nothing. What's the point?

Rollicking Monster Mystery South of the Boarder

[Aegelis · 6/10 · 4 October 2020]

Some redeeming factors include that the location is a different country, the movie keeps the series running, will keep child fans entertained, and the music is above average. Perhaps the the best and surprising part is finding out that Scooby ends up having a gal in Mexico. Otherwise, I'm thinking this one could've used more comedy, twists, and better cultural immersion. The Chupacabra was the biggest puzzle, they should've gone for the gollum-like vampiric creature instead of grape ape.

Not my favorite by any stretch...

[naters-96502 · 4/10 · 2 April 2018]

The Monster of Mexico has a good score (& original voices) but besides that this isn't my first pick of Scooby movies. It is certainly child friendly & the animation is smooth but it lacks any real draw & I find the movie boring. It's not historically accurate but that isn't my problem w/ a cartoon like this, but it isn't funny or clevor so I can't say it's good like other Scooby movies.

A good Scooby Doo Movie

[MihaiSorinToma · 8/10 · 8 September 2017]

Scooby and the gang are invited to Veracruz, Mexico, by Fred's pen friend to celebrate a local tradition. As usual, they encounter a big, scary monster, El Chupacabra, who scares of all tourists and threatens the Otero's business. So once again, they must investigate and finally elucidate the mystery to help their new friends in need.

It's a Scooby Doo movie (like a normal episode, only longer) which manages to be funny, entertaining, quite complex featuring a classic Scooby Doo plot. I enjoyed it a lot, especially it's musical sequences which bring special moments to a new level. It's a good movie but nothing groundbreaking. Enjoy it Scooby Doo fans!

Strange

[brookenichole-98054 · 4/10 · 17 May 2020]

I thought I had seen all the Scooby movies but I found out I had missed one. I also found out it wasn't a great one. The plot makes really no sense and the bad guy at first literally made me say, "who is that?" Then once they explained more it just felt weird. Daphne and Velma's voice actresses (especially Daphne) were so emotionless just like the movie before. However, it was super entertaining to watch. But was it good? No.

Beautiful

[tomcomer-41751 · 10/10 · 28 March 2018]

Fans of scooby doo movies would not be let down with this beautiful masterpiece

It just exists...

[dontaepittman · 3/10 · 13 December 2020]

I don't have much to say about this one. The story was bland, the mystery was predictable, and the animation was middling. It's not bad, it's not good, and it's not anything, really. It just exists and that's its greatest sin.

Zoinks - its okay.

[QueenoftheGoons · 3/10 · 29 September 2023]

Nicole Jaffe & Heather North return from the 70's to do voices on here, kind of nice though i thought Ms. Cohn was always the best Velma. They did come from the best Scooby's though. Fred gets stuck in traffic in 1 scene he sums it up perfectly. Who wouldn't want to bash their head against their steering wheel. No desire to go to Mexico for a number of reasons but the gang goes and they meet the Mexican bigfoot. Songs are okay. Mexicans are annoying and of course yes they have a mutt to hook up with Scooby Doo. Can't they leave that alone? Always trying to hook up Scooby. That is so stupid. Charlene is annoying too. Can't tolerate the unusuals.

Arriba!

[GOWBTW · 8/10 · 16 May 2006]

This movie really get people dancing. Scooby and the gang are heading out to Mexico. Where there will be a Fiesta, that gets spoiled by a chupacabra(Goat sucker). To me, this creature resemble the Jaguaro, and I think they oughta done better. The adventure beings all good, and nothing seems to be lost in every way. A little lady dog seem to have eyes for Scooby. However, any lady dog will take Scooby seriously. The other cast like Charlene was a shady character from the beginning. She was always spilling the beans, coffee beans to be exact. And the robot characters in the theme park had all the tourists fooled. When everything went well, it was back to the fiesta, and who would know that Shaggy would take the lead. Just like any other Scooby-Doo cartoon, this movie is still the gem. You can learn some Spanish, solve along with the gang, and eat. I don't care what the critics think, I enjoyed this movie from day one! Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Numerous Plot Holes Litter This Lackluster Would-be Classic

[godipellypeter · 2/10 · 3 February 2022]

When I saw a Scooby Doo movie set in Mexico, I was excited to say the least! What unparalled potential! However, I was let down greatly. Not only is surface level racism rampant throughout the feature film, the weak voice acting detracts from the enjoyment even further. In the chase scene by the pyramids, the sand monster knocks down stone pillars with great strength. This is simply blown off as "special effects." Can you believe that?? Additionally, the gang takes a ride on a giant bird made of stone that flies through the air. What. More "special effects?" And to add insult to injury, Fred doesn't even build a trap. The Chupacabra just trips into a strand of lights. It's like this movie was made for people on edibles, it makes sense for about 45 minutes (just in time to come up) then it hits the fan. Would not recommend to a friend unless as a cruel prank.

movies is madness

[xbrad68 · 9/10 · 6 September 2006]

Scooby Doo and the Monster of Mexico is an entertaining movie for children. For young children I recommend parental supervision for the scary parts. My Daughter Julia was watching a Scooby Doo movie and then went to play a video game on the computer saying tell me when the monsters come back in the movie Daddy. Children are tougher than some parents realize. To my real Daughter in a real Moonfleet orbiting Earth Yahweh Apophis greetings and Loving salutations as the Roman Empire leaders used to say to each other. You are a remarkable thinker but I would still love you no matter what you were like my Daughter. Robot Number 5 sounds really neat and probably has my other real daughter on Earths Julias artificial Intelligence computer. Incredibly this is the fifth highest ranking Robot in the Universe. Any idiots that attack our Creators Moonfleet with nukes need professional Psychiatric help. Do not Worry Yahweh Apophis you are safe because even I the American Shadow Vice President do not know exactly where in the Moonfleet you and your 107 clone Sisters are. I consider you all to be my Daughters and A Pal Sneezy Morgan and his 7 clone brothers to all be my loved Sons loved ones as well. As Kennedy aye mutts always remain loyal to the Creator Stealth Seti the Et alien and Memphis Jack Kennedy the top Care Rank Ki or Kennedy Aye mutts as they are also known. Remember that your DNA sequences are eternal and that it is possible to have a good time serving a Creator who even cares about the survival of his Forward Observation Officers. I remember the trip to Earth on Apollo 16 fondly. We came mostly in Peace for all Mankind. Thank you to IMDb for supporting freedom of speech like the kind that President George W Bush and I support. Support IMDb.