a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

"Scooby-Doo! Ghastly Goals" is an American 22-minute cartoon from 2014 directed by Victor Cook on the occasion of the Soccer World Cup and here we have Scooby and the gang right near the football action on the field. Of course, a monster shows up again that is in search of a very particular ball that may bring it some personal gain. And of course said monster is just a bad human in disguise as almost always with Scooby short films. Cook worked on a few Scooby films recently and the expertise is visible when it comes to the more comedic site like Daphne drooling over the players and Freddy not being too amused about it. But the other 3 are even more forgettable this time, also surprisingly weak material overall for Scooby in here, so I admit having a Scooby cartoon take place in a sports world championship setting was a tough premise for sure, but I don't think it worked out well at all from the story-telling aspect, the "monster"s motivations and the perhaps most important entertainment component. That's why I'd recommend watching it really only to the very biggest Scooby fans out there. There are luckily several better specials out there from the last 20 years and this one's just a cheap attempt to cash in with a huge event. Watch something else instead.

All 6 of the direct-to-video Scooby Doo specials/short films are well worth watching. 'Spooky Games' for me is the best, and 'Beach Beastie' the weakest, but 'Ghastly Goals' is a very close second best.There's not an awful lot that's an issue with 'Scooby Doo! Ghastly Goals'. The story does get quite predictable in places, with not quite enough of a fresh spin on the typical Scooby Doo ingredients, and while it's very well-paced on the whole such a lot happens that it doesn't really breathe and feels rushed. While Velma is true to role and not as annoying as she has been since 'Mystery Incorporated' she has been more resourceful and likable before.On the other hand, the animation is great with every scene looking vibrant and colourful and it's all very beautifully drawn and rich in detail. The music is solid and fitting, it has a real atmosphere and groove too and a little exoticism that suited very well. 'Ghastly Goals' benefits from strong writing. Have always liked, even loved, the humour in Scooby Doo, nearly always from Scooby and Shaggy, and while it is goofy it also endears, charms and raises a number of laugh-out-loud-laughs.'Ghastly Goals' story is not perfect, but is a lot of fun and has a little nice suspense. The relationship between Scooby and Shaggy amuses and affects still, Brazil provides a very colourful location, the soccer scenes are intensely thrilling, Eshu is a cool-looking villain and brings a pleasing intensity without traumatising and the reveal is thankfully nowhere near as obvious as that in 'Mecha Mutt Menace', as a matter of fact of the six specials it was one of the more surprising ones. Also loved how Mystery Inc. had a more active role than usual in battling against the villain, it added to the climax's thrills.Scooby and Shaggy are still lovable characters, Daphne is fine and true to character and Fred shows great leadership and brains. Voice acting is just fine, with Matthew Lillard and Frank Welker (as Fred) standing out from Mystery Inc. and Danny Trejo and Gabriel Iglesias faring particularly strongly in the supporting character roles. It's always a pleasure to hear Rob Paulsen too.On the whole, the second best of the Scooby Doo specials and recommended. 8/10 Bethany Cox