Scooby Doo on Zombie Island Review

Happy Halloween everyone!  To celebrate, I am going to review one of the scariest cartoons I remember watching when I was younger.  That honor goes to the direct to video movie Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  This movie came out in 1998 and is credited for renewing interest in the Scooby-Doo franchise.  It paved the way for several new Scooby-Doo series, some live action movies, and a TV movie every year since.

This was the first Scooby-Doo production to not have Casey Kasem as the voice of Shaggy.  Kasem refused to voice Shaggy unless Shaggy was characterized as a vegetarian like he was.  In fact, Frank Welker was the only actor from the original series to reprise his role for this movie.  The original voice actor for Scooby, Don Messick, died nearly a year before the movie's release.  A dedication to Messick appears in the credits.

The movie is meant as a follow up to the original 1969 TV series.  The gang is slightly older, and they have gone their separate ways.  Fred and Daphne have their own television series, Velma owns a mystery bookstore, and Shaggy and Scooby bounce from job to job.  To celebrate Daphne's birthday, Fred organizes the gang to reunite and accompany him and Daphne while they are filming new haunted house segments for their show. 

The gang eventually arrives in New Orleans after a series of disappointing adventures where the monsters they encounter always end up being people in costumes.  They receive an invitation by a young woman named Lena to accompany her to her employer's mansion on Moonscar Island, which she says is haunted by the ghost of the pirate, Morgan Moonscar.  Soon, ghosts and zombies appear all over the place.  Everyone tries to come up with a logical explanation for what they are seeing based on their previous experiences with supposed supernatural beings.  However, as the movie goes on, they are forced to accept the horrifying truth: these monsters are real.

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is a significant departure from the original series.  It is much darker, which is due in part to the fact that the zombies are depicted as being real.  Scenes of death also appear throughout the movie.  The animators and sound designers didn't try to make the zombies less frightening either.  One terrifying scene in particular shows Scooby and Shaggy encountering a skeleton which grows skin, hair, and clothes to become a zombie.  A supernatural light causes other zombies to emerge from the depths of the bayou.  While trying to "unmask" one of the zombies, Fred accidentally pulls its entire head off, and the gang toss it around in terror.

Rotten Tomatoes gave Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island a rating of 88%.  Critics and viewers praised the voice acting, the animation, and the story's originality.  I remember when I first saw this movie, I was still scared for over a week afterwards.  Now that I am older, I can appreciate the good aspects of this movie.  It still ranks among the best Scooby-Doo movies I've seen.  Characterization is strong, and the surprise twist in the story is expertly done.

Scary imagery aside, the music for this movie totally rocks.  Two songs that play during the movie, "The Ghost is Here" and "It's Terror Time Again," were performed by the Los Angeles based rock band Skycycle.  The "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" title track was performed by Third Eye Blind. 

I would recommend this movie to children aged 10 and up.  Anyone younger might get too scared while watching it.  Please believe me when I say that I can attest to this.  For those who can handle the terrifying imagery, it is a great movie to watch with family and friends during Halloween.

Say Hello to Genesis

We all saw this coming.  Hyundai has finally realized its desire to offer a full line of luxury vehicles with the introduction of the Genesis brand.  It is pleasing to see how Hyundai has marched forward with this plan over the better part of the last decade to the point where most people do not raise their eyebrows at a Korean luxury car.  Anyone can throw some leather and wood in a car and call it luxurious, but it takes more than that to win over the opinion of the public who will ultimately purchase and support the product.  To that end, some major credit must be given to the marketing team, management, and engineers who made this possible.
 
 Hyundai began its climb up the luxury ladder in 2009 with the Genesis sedan.  It was positioned as more luxurious and sporting than the ho-hum Azera.  With rear wheel drive and an available V8 engine, plus Hyundai’s excellent warranty, the Genesis offered buyers a cheaper alternative to other entry level luxury sedans.  It scored favorably in comparison tests, and stayed in production until 2015 when it was replaced with a second generation model.

 The next Genesis featured noticeable improvements in design and performance.  Although the interior was still not quite up to the level of fit and finish seen in Audi, Lexus, or Mercedes, it was attractive and befitting of a $40,000 car.  More importantly, Hyundai worked diligently to address criticisms of the first car’s ride and handling.  To do this, Hyundai partnered with Lotus to sort out deficiencies with the car’s anti-roll bars, springs, dampers, steering calibration, and engine mounts.  A stiffer structure also helped contribute to a better sorted suspension.  Initial tests praised the 2015 Genesis’s steering as attentive and well-weighted; and its ride comfortable over rough roads.

 The second model of Hyundai’s luxury product assault was the Equus, a full size luxury limo.  It debuted in 2010 as a 2011 model.  Using the same platform as the Genesis, the Equus was sized and equipped to compete with the venerable Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Lexus LS, and Audi A8.  To differentiate itself from other cars, the Equus came with a unique ownership experience known as “Your Time, Your Place.”  An industry first interactive owner’s manual app provides a convenient and simple way for owners to become familiar with the vehicle’s capabilities.  Maintenance is completely free for three years or 36,000 miles.  When service is required, owners can schedule an appointment online, and can even have their vehicle picked up for them with a complementary loaner left in its place.  Once maintenance is completed, the owner chooses the time and place for their vehicle to be delivered.  Hyundai has introduced this program to all Genesis models, and it is likely other luxury brands will offer similar programs. 

Now in 2016, the Hyundai Genesis has become the 2017 Genesis G80, andis essentially the same as last year's model.  A few more optional equipment items are now standard such as lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, and blind spot detection.  Prices start around $40,000 for a V6 car and $54,000 for the V8. 

 The Genesis G90 is the successor to the Equus and benefits from a comprehensive refresh.  Much like the second generation Genesis, the new G90’s ride, build quality, and technology have been improved upon.  Pricing for the G90 should undercut the competition at around $70,000.  The G90 also has standard equipment items that are pricey options on German cars, further enhancing its value.

 For the time being, Genesis cars will be sold out of Hyundai dealerships, although the plan is for them to eventually have their own showrooms.  More models will be added to the lineup in due time, including a couple SUVs, a smaller sedan, and a coupe.  The big question remains though whether Hyundai's multibillion dollar investment in the Genesis brand will be worth it.

Hyundai likens Genesis as a Lexus for a new era.  Remember, Lexus was created by Toyota to take on the best of Europe at a more affordable price.  However, Lexus's real advantage was its superior build quality compared to its competitors.  The original Lexus LS shook the luxury market to the core with its hair thin panel gaps and bullet proof Toyota reliability.

 It will take years to see how much market share Genesis gains, but it can be expected that the new brand will build a healthy following for its value proposition and personalized ownership experience.  Hyundai has also demonstrated that it learns from past errors and continually works to improve its cars to stay in line with customer expectations.  Such diligence is admirable and can only be rewarded with success.