The _Scooby-Doo_ franchise started out as a series of whodunits; the ghosts, monsters, etc., were merely people in masks. After the addition of Scrappy, the human characters other than Shaggy were gradually eliminated, and the focus changed. The _13 Ghosts_ series was all about real ghouls, while one series wasn't about monsters at all. When _Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island_ came out, it was touted as the first mystery featuring "those meddling kids" where the monsters were actually real. Every year after that, another direct-to-video film came out in the series; some featured real ghouls, whereas others didn't.

Why mention the history of Hanna-Barbera's most successful franchise? Simple: _Samurai Sword_ combines elements of the previous incarnations. While the traditional unmasking is present, some of the monsters are actually real. It also features action violence in the form of martial arts battles. Parts of it feel like the old-school _Where Are You?_ cartoons, but much of it has a more modern feel.

It's entertaining for what it is, and the animation is fabulous; the graphics are much better than any version of "those meddling kids" I've previously seen, even the _What's New_ series. However, some lame soundtrack choices, especially an absurd song during a chase scene, messed things up a bit. I was also surprised to hear Fred say "dang" in one scene; while that's not exactly profanity, it's still stronger language than I'm used to in these cartoons. Fans of that insane Great Dane will likely enjoy this, but, unless you're a Scooby fanatic, I can only recommend renting this one.