History YMMV / HappyHalloweenScoobyDoo

** Elvira is also pretty surprising due to not being traditionally associated with family entertainment (well, outside of Knotts' Berry Farm anyway) and being pretty obscure to most under the age of thirty. However, this marked her second inclusion in this Scooby series.

** The revelation about an earlier script has lead to some criticism about the film's lack of covering some elements from the previous two movies. The Mystery Machine's random comeback only to be taken out early seemed weird. The promotion of Bill Nye and Scarecrow into important roles also doesn't suit well given that the movie may have instead have given other Scooby characters a chance to return.

** The film isn't a continuation of a prior story or incarnation like ''Curse of the 13th Ghost'' and ''Return to Zombie Island'', likely due to how [[ContestedSequel controversial]] both films were with handling elements of the prior material. [[spoiler:The film does, however, resolve a plot thread from both of those films, that being the Sheriff turning out to be EvilAllAlong.]]

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The premise of Scarecrow leading an army of monster pumpkins to wreak havoc is an entertaining idea, but Scarecrow is a RedHerring. The movie being your standard lighter-toned ''Scooby'' fare means that we don’t get what could’ve been a genuinely creepy, scary film.

* WereStillRelevantDammit: The movie really gluts itself on late 2010s/2020 slang, catchphrases, and elements. When Velma is explaining the mystery at the beginning, Daphne keeps spouting phrases like “basic” and “womp womp”; air drop and mic drop are used during Bill Nye’s introduction; and Scarecrow even calls the gang the “avocado toast generation.” It comes off as trying too hard to sound hip without a lick of self-awareness.

* InferredHolocaust: The town of Crystal Cove is presumably destroyed by collapsing into a cataclysm, possibly killing god knows how many people, but this is never commented on.

* {{Narm}}:
** The rampant use of slang, as noted below in WereStillRelevantDammit, comes off as the movie trying way too hard to sound hip.
** The main piece of music is, like in ''Return to Zombie Island'', a cheesy happy love song that sounds really out of place.
** A lot of scenes lack a musical score, making things way too stagnant and quiet.

** Seems the writers of ''Return to Zombie Island'' realized the wasted potential in not fully using Elvira. So this movie seeks to rectify that.
** For those taking issue with Velma's behavior in the previous two movies, she gets called out here, and also comes to realize how close minded and stubborn she became.

* InferredHolocaust: The town of Crystal Cove is presumably destroyed by collapsing into a cataclysm, possibly killing god knows how many people. But this is never commented on.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The premise of Scarecrow leading an army of monster pumpkins to wreak havoc is an entertaining idea, but Scarecrow is a RedHerring. The movie being your standard lighter toned ''Scooby'' fare means that we don’t get what could’ve been a really creepy, scary film.
* TrailersAlwaysLie: The trailer makes it seem that Jonathan Crane, aka The Scarecrow, is the BigBad. Instead, he's being framed by another party, who's been plotting against Mystery Inc. since ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndTheCurseOfThe13thGhost''.

** Elvira is also pretty surprising due to not be traditionally associated with family entertainment (well outside of Knotts' Berry Farm anyway) and being pretty obscure to most under the age of thirty. Though this marked her second inclusion in this Scooby Series.
** To a lesser extent Bill Nye also had put in appearance on ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndGuessWho'' but him appearing also in a DirectToVideo movie was also surprising.
** The return of the Sheriff is a near aversion only because after he returned in the previous movie some were expecting he wasn't done.
* WereStillRelevantDammit: The movie really gluts itself on late ‘10s/2020 slang and catchphrases and elements. When Velma is explaining the mystery at the beginning, Daphne keeps spouting phrases like “basic” and “womp womp”; air drop and mic drop are used during Bill Nye’s introduction; and Scarecrow even calls the gang the “avocado toast generation”. It comes off as trying too hard to sound hip without a lick of self-awareness.

** The rampant use of slang, as noted below in WereStillRelevantDamnIt, comes off as the movie trying way too hard to sound hip.
** The main piece of music is, like in Return to Zombie Island, a cheesy happy love song that sounds really out of place.

* WereStillRelevantDamnIt: The movie really gluts itself on late ‘10s/2020 slang and catchphrases and elements. When Velma is explaining the mystery at the beginning, Daphne keeps spouting phrases like “basic” and “womp womp”; air drop and mic drop are used during Bill Nye’s introduction; and Scarecrow even calls the gang the “avocado toast generation”. It comes off as trying too hard to sound hip without a lick of self-awareness.

** The film isn't a continuation of a prior story or incarnation like ''Curse of the 13th Ghost'' and ''Return to Zombie Island'', likely due to how [[ContestedSequel controversial]] both films were with handling the supernatural elements of the prior material. [[spoiler:The film does, however, resolve a plot thread from both of those films, that being the Sheriff turning out to be EvilAllAlong.]]

** Seems the writers of ''Returns to Zombie Island'' realized the wasted potential in not fully using Elvira. So this movie seeks to rectify that.

* AdvertisedExtra: [[spoiler: Scarecrow doesn't actually have as much screen-time as advertised as part of a misdirect. Unfortunately, when he first showed up at the beginning, he doesn't show up again until Velma interrogates him.]]

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Seems the writers of ''Returns to Zombie Island'' realized the wasted potential in not fully using Elvira. So this movie seeks to rectify that.

* AdvertisedExtra: [[spoiler: Scarecrow doesn't actually have as much screen-time as advertised as part of a misdirect. Unfortunately, that means that his only important scenes are at the beginning and doesn't show up again until Velma shows up to interrogate him.]]

* AuthorSavingThrow: Seems the writers of ''Returns to Zombie Island'' realizes the wasted potential in not fully using Elvira. So this movie seeks to rectify that.

** To a lesser extent Bill Nye also had put in appearance on ''ScoobyDooAndGuessWho'' but him appearing also in a DirectToVideo movie was also surprising.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Averted. You'd think Mystery Incorporated taking on a member of Batman's Rogues Gallery without an appearance of the Dark Knight would be this, but it's done surprisingly well, especially where he used more in a supporting role there was no Creator/HannaBarbera equivalent too.
* BrokenBase: Maxwell Atoms clearly knows his Scooby Doo history as the film is loaded with MythologyGag and odes to various different eras. As a result if you disliked the era it came from you'll dislike it's presense here. TO name a few if you disliked''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' you aren't going to like them using Crystal Cove over Coolsville. If you didn't like ''WesternAnimation/BeCoolScoobyDoo'' you aren't going to like this version of Daphne. If you didn't like ''WesternAnimation/TheNewScoobyDooMovies'' you aren't going to like the The Three Stooges and Phyllis Diller references, etc.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Averted. You'd think Mystery Incorporated taking on a member of Batman's Rogues Gallery without an appearance of the Dark Knight would be this, but it's done surprisingly well, and since Scarecrow has much in common with a usual Scooby villain, it works well.

* UnexpectedCharacter: The BigBad this time? [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Jonathan Crane aka]] ''ComicBook/TheScarecrow''.
** Elvira is also pretty surprising due to not be traditionally associated with family entertainment (well outside of Knotts' Berry Farm anyway) and being pretty obscure to most under the age of thirty.

** Elvira is also pretty surprising due to not be traditionally associated with family entertainment (well outside of Knox Berry Farm anyway) and being pretty obscure to most under the age of thirty.

* UnexpectedCharacter: The BigBad this time? Jonathan Crane aka ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} The Scarecrow]]''.

* UnexpectedCharacter: The BigBad this time? Jonathan Crane aka ''The Scarecrow''