Silly Scooby fun, but watch for spooky characters.

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Zombies haunt and witches cackle as the Mystery Machine gang explores a Halloween carnival's chills and thrills in "Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King." But Scooby-Doo and Shaggy (voiced by Casey Kasem) doubt all the monsters and magic. That is, until a dreadfully washed-up magician, the Amazing Krudsky (Wayne Knight), kidnaps Princess Fairy Willow (Hayden Panettiere) and stumbles upon the ancient powers of Halloween. Courageously hoping to save their friends, Scooby and Shaggy em-"bark" on the perilous journey to Halloween Land, encountering enough magical mishaps to make them believe in the stories of Halloween night.

With its kooky mix of haunting characters, "Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King" has some festive and fun moments, but lacks the spirit of the original TV series. Greeted by groovy ghoul music, families will likely enjoy some of the silly moments and jokes of this film, but may find its hungry canine to be the only real hero.

The loud-mouthed Jack O' Lantern (Jay Leno), random evil witch (Lauren Bacall), and even the scary Goblin King (the ever-villainous Tim Curry) don't quite deliver the cleverness that endeared us to the original, but the movie still makes for a festive and somewhat spooky story.

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this Halloween adventure is slightly scarier than the typical Scooby-Doo cartoon. Several spooky characters include a fire-shrouded headless horseman and a devil-esqe goblin, both of whom chase characters. Cartoon violence, while mild, is fairly frequent, but courage is emphasized as characters work together to meet the challenges as they come.

Families can talk about teamwork and friendship. How do these help us to overcome challenges? Also, where do Halloween stories and traditions come from? How do you think ghost stories began? When have you been scared and overcome your fears? How? Do you believe in monsters and ghosts, or supernatural creatures? Why or why not?

Rating: NR Studio: Warner Bros. Cast: James Belushi, Tim Curry, Wayne Knight Running Time: 75 minutes Release Date: 09/23/2008 Genre: Family and Kids

Reviewed by Stephanie Walton.

See more about "Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King" at Common Sense Media.