This underrated Scooby-Doo film is a kid-friendly homage to ’80s slashers

Hanna-Barbera’s since 1969 Scooby Doo has earned the love of countless fans across multiple generations for its ability to tell kid-friendly horror stories with a mystery twist. Combining aspects of Universal Monsters, Sherlock Holmes-inspired detective stories, and a buddy dynamic between its characters, the franchise features many great films. There are also some underrated projects that, despite being excellent, go under the radar for mainstream audiences.

From 1969 Scooby-Doo, where are you? captivated an entire generation of children through its use of mysteries that forced young viewers to figure out the answer before an episode was over. Praised by many for providing thoughtful stories for children rather than the same old slapstick Looney Tunesthe series soon spawned countless imitations as animation studios sought to capitalize on the genre. As the franchise rose to success, the company began releasing a long list of animated films, numbering nearly fifty as of 2024. The quality of these films ranges from forgettable to brilliant, and that’s hard to deny with the flood of animated films out there. In terms of content, some great stories have been overlooked. In 2010, Warner Bros. released one of the best films in the series – and it tapped into the 80s slasher trend.

Scooby-Doo gave fans some of the best animated films of all time

The Mook films remain iconic

While previous attempts to deliver good animated films for Scooby and the gang were hit or miss, writers and directors were able to repeat the success through films as the franchise continued. The series was known for its ongoing, self-contained short crime stories, which typically drew inspiration from the classic Universal Monsters. The brand experienced its qualitative peak in the 1990s, when the legendary “Mook films” revived the general public’s interest in young detectives. Starting with Scooby-Doo on Zombie IslandThe quadrilogy explored a more mature approach to the characters, better fleshing out their lives outside of puzzle solving.

From the introduction of the Hex Girls to great voice actors like Tim Curry, these films immediately won over a new generation while also appealing to older fans. In the era of thriving animated films, thanks to films like Toy Story, The Lion King and the impending success of Pixar, there couldn’t have been a better time for a franchise comeback. This followed a notable slump for the gang, with mediocre to divisive projects such as the recording of Scrappy and the redesign of the gang A puppy named Scooby-Doo. By the early 2000s, the gang had more to offer, with notable improvements including Daphne going from damsel in distress to investigative reporter.

The excellence of the Mook films was great for the franchise, but as they became the benchmark for the franchise, many subsequent films felt mediocre in comparison. From working with WWE to rebooting the Loch Ness Monster, these newer films have been somewhat of a mystery to the gang, but can be a godsend to fans. Although it is difficult to live up to this standard, some films have shown that it is not impossible and fans have a long list of good films to watch. One of the best Scooby films of all time, it combines pretty much everything that defines the franchise by taking inspiration from classic slashers.

Camp Scare brought ’80s slashers to Mystery Inc.

The 2010 gem broke new ground for the franchise

In 2010, Warner Bros. released Camp Scare, probably the biggest Scooby-Doo project since the 90s. Fred is set at Camp Little Moose, an old, rustic group of cabins that lives in the shadow of the wealthy Camp Big Moose. He takes a job as a consultant and brings the gang with him. With fond memories of attending camp as a child, Fred seeks to give a new generation of children the same adventure he had. However, the gang arrives at the camp immediately after an attack by the Woodsman, a mysterious, axe-wielding figure in a trench coat and dark hat. He is reminiscent of horror villains such as Victor Crowley, Jason Voorhees, the Creeper and Freddy Krueger and terrorizes the children and counselors.

As the gang deals with the Woodsman, they also learn about several other local horror legends, notably the Fishman and the Specter of Shadow Canyon – both of which they encounter during their stay. Despite the chaos, the gang still tries to make the most of their stay, with Shaggy and Scooby spending time with the children while the others investigate. However, when they learn of a lost city at the bottom of a nearby lake, sealed off by a dam, they realize that the monsters pursuing them are after something – a lost treasure being hunted by a notorious gangster.

The film culminates in the destruction of the dam, revealing the lost city and allowing the real criminals to begin searching for lost loot. When the gang realizes there is a traitor among them, they try to find the woodsman before he can escape, allowing them the classic exposure – and giving the film a real return to form after previous films with the supernatural had played. After the gang solves their latest mystery and the camp kids are all the happier for it, Scooby and his friends celebrate their victory and prepare for their next adventure.

How Camp Scare embraces the slasher genre

The film channels Friday the 13th and Hatchet

Scooby-Doo: Camp Scare makes no secret of its slasher inspiration, from casting the gang as camp counselors to the sinister villain who terrorizes them with his axe. However, the film also borrows from the classic Scooby-Doo and ensures that the gang has a cavalry of monsters, including the Fishman and Specter of Shadow Canyon, who give the film its urban legends. Along the way, they find a series of clues that point to a larger conspiracy, from mysterious newspaper clippings to an upgraded RV disguised as part of the canyon wall. The film plays with classic horror tropes, from the gang splitting up into rustic cabins that they sneak up on one by one, to the encounter with a “harbinger” figure at the beginning. After a fair warning in classic slasher style, they try to enjoy their vacation, but the monster has other plans.

Camp Scare is both a love letter to slashers and a holiday comedy from the ’70s and ’80s, with the Big Moose vs. Little Moose rivalry reflecting classic summer camp comedies. In this sense, the film is perfect for retro horror fans as well as fans of old-school comedies. The film encompasses all the hallmarks of classic 80s youth pop culture cinema and is a major throwback to its iconic decade. From portraying the gang in swimsuits to fighting their own rascals to introducing a gangster subplot:

Camp Scare brought the franchise back to basics

The film showed that Scooby doesn’t have to be supernatural to be scary

While the Scooby-Doo franchise enjoyed some resurgence in the late 1990s, it also deviated from the original series format in key ways. Where the films included the supernatural, like TV series What’s new, Scooby-Doo? I opted for a more comedic tone, more interested in the wonders of 21st century technology than anything else. Camp Scare managed to incorporate everything that was the franchise at the time into one great film, combining high-tech with a darker tone without relying on the supernatural. By providing a solid mystery to the gang and brilliantly concealing the identity of the perpetrator, one of the franchise’s greatest stories to date was created.

Unfortunately, the late 2000s and early 2010s are something of a void for mainstream Scooby fans, even for great shows like Mystery Incorporated It takes a while for it to gain momentum. The result is that while hardcore fans know about Camp Scare, it fell completely under the radar for the typical viewer and therefore failed to gain widespread traction Zombie island did. TV series aside, few films have come close to topping this 2010 gem, and the shift to 3D animation as the new norm hasn’t helped. In animation, the 2010s included franchises like Toy story, Shrek, Frozen, And Ice Ageleaving little room for direct-to-video 2D films like Camp Scare to make a strong impression.