When first getting into the show, when in double digits but not yet a teenager way back when Boomerang was good as part of the channel Scooby Doo summer, "Scoobra Kadoobra" immediately won me over despite it scaring me. It was one of my first episodes of 'The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo', first being "That's Monstertainment" (yes saw the show out of sequence), so of course there would be immediate fondness for it as a young adult.
"Scoobra Kadoobra" for me is even better than it was as a child now, and an episode that gets better with each viewing thanks to understanding the humour and references more when being familiar with the stuff being referenced. It is one of the best episodes of 'The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo', alongside "That's Monstertainment" and "It's a Wonderful Scoob" ("A Spooky Little Ghoul Like You" is up there as well) and have always considered Maldor one of the more memorable villains. The scene that didn't do it for me for a long time, as it didn't strike me as either funny or necessary (as well as overlong), is now one of the episode's highlights and one of the show's cleverest moments.
Have always found Flim Flam unnecessary in this episode, shining only when posing as a lawyer, his conning tricks in my view have always been more irritating than clever. Which is why everybody he tries to trick throughout the show gets offended and it became a very repetitive running joke that was already old.
That is pretty much it when it comes to the issues. Maldor is as said easily one of the best villains of 'The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo' in my view. He has a cool intimidating look which never lets go, he is one of the few ghosts to pose a genuine threat and Peter Cullen's booming menacing voice work helps a lot. The climax is exciting and suspenseful, and the 'The Fly' nod (which went over my head as a child) is clever. There are a lot of funny moments in the dialogue, once again containing some witty wordplay, Vincent's Edgar Allan Poe-like voice overs, wonderfully self aware culture references. The scene on the stream has always had me in stitches and Scrappy's newsreporter gag (the moment that was mentioned of not doing it for me as a child but considering it an episode and show highlight) is the single funniest and cleverest example of the show's breaking the fourth wall humour.
Do still find some of "Scoobra Kadoobra" quite scary, Maldor's first appearances terrified me when younger and has not lost its impact. Same with the trees. "Scoobra Kadoobra" also shows how much the gang cares for Daphne, and it is done in a way that's tear inducing. All the voice acting is great, Cullen gives the best vocal performance of the episode but Vincent Price shines throughout his too short time. Can't fault Casey Kasem, Don Messick and Heather North. The animation is fine too, especially the character design for Maldor and the truly spooky forest. The music has playfulness and atmosphere that gels beautifully throughout, plus the theme tune is epic (one of my favourite theme tunes of the franchise) and the opening titles sequence imaginative and creepy.
Concluding, great. 9/10.
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