Fatma Suarez
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Ella-May O'Brien
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
Logan
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
generationofswine
It does have Scrappy, for warning, but it seems to have him along with the understanding that people don't really like him as much as they used to.It's also Scooby Doo made in the 1980s that still feels like its set in the 1970s so there is another rather odd feeling with this, not unlike the feeling that Scooby Doo goes to Hollywood leaves one with.And it seems to debate if it's a movie or a cartoon and can't decide which, so a lot of it has a rushed half-an-hour feel despite its actual length.But, it's still funny. The humor is still there even if it's dated and it is still a lot of fun to watch.The only real problem is that it can't seem to decide it it's a cartoon or a cartoon movie and because of that a good chunk of the film feels like it's just thrown in there.
Noel (Teknofobe70)
Okay, okay ... first the good stuff. Some of the colors here are very cool, particularly the intense greens and blues in Dracula's castle. But that's not what Scooby-Doo is about, right? It's about corny jokes, frightened squeals and Ghostbuster-style monsters. And there's plenty of that here, if that's what you want. Many of the usual cast -- Fred, Velma and Daphne -- are Missing In Action, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.But for those of us who aren't huge fans of the cartoon, there's really not much appeal. The monster race takes up about 50% of the movie, simply Shaggy and Scooby driving along while Dracula continually thinks up new ways for him and his cronies to stop them. As soon as they get past each of the obstacles, they're straight in the lead again. And that's pretty much what this movie has to offer. Well ... I say 'movie' ... really it's just an extended cartoon episode. There's nothing here to suggest that it's a departure from that, aside from the running time. Don't get me wrong -- I don't mind Scooby in small doses, but ninety minutes of this was just about all I could take without my brain melting.Good for big fans, and maybe for kids, but not much appeal for anyone else.
Shawn Watson
I saw this like a hundred times when I was a kid and I did not think I would laugh at it as much as I did then. Especially considering this is old school Scooby animation and not the sleeker, brighter animation of recent years. I was surprised at how much I still enjoy this. Reluctant Werewolf is very fast moving and funny thanks to a tight script cartoon vetran Jim Ryan.There is no Mystery Inc or Mystery Machine in this movie. It's just Shaggy (wearing a red shirt instead of a green one), now making a living as a racecar driver, Scooby, and Scrappy (in his last appearance) and Shag's girlfriend Googy. Shaggy lives in an alarmingly large, mansion-esque house and is chosen by Count Dracula to become a werewolf so he can take part in a race for monsters.Despite looking cute and cuddly as a Werewolf, Shaggy obviously doesn't want to do it but Dracula promises to change him back to human if he wins. What follows is a Scooby Doo version of the Wacky Races as insane customized cars battle it out on an anything-goes Transylvanian race-course. The majority of laughs come from Dracula, ever so desperate to keep his wicked plan from falling apart and always making a complete idiot of himself. It's also new to see Shaggy not jump into Scooby's arms every time he sees a monster, and this time they're real too, not just some guy in a mask.I would definitely recommend this to Scooby fans and casual viewers (like me). It's very funny and totally rewatchable.
gventola
There are three problems I have with this movie. One deals with breaking character. When we first see Shaggy in this film, he apparently now has a career as a race car driver. At first, I thought, "Oh, that's a cool professional for a non-conformist like him!" Then I remembered something: Shaggy is a self-professed coward. What coward would take on the dangerous line of professional auto racing?The second problem is romantic. Who is this Googie girl? Why is she Shaggy's girlfriend? I would have much rather have had Daphne, or even Velma, in the role.The third problem is boredom. Once the big monster car race gets started, it turns into an extended version of Hanna-Barbera's other show, "The Wacky Races", and is really very tedious.
