- Alternative Character Interpretation:
- It’s completely left to the viewer as to whether or not the aliens/bad guys really gave Lester the strongly implied Anal Probing. If they did, that certainly paints the bad guys in a new light.
- Were the bad guys really going to kill the gang by dropping them into the pit, or just trying to scare them to keep them quiet? Admittedly, there isn't much to indicate the latter, but they did spend an awfully long time not dropping Fred, Daphne and Velma into the pit after having made it clear they were going to do so.
- Is Steve or Max the Big Bad? The latter feels like the leader of the group during the scenes at the SALF station and was the one who found the gold in the first place but Steve has the most dialogue and prominence after The Reveal, poses the biggest threat to the heroes and seems to be giving orders.
- Angst Aversion: The movie is still well-regarded, but some people can't view it more than once due to the heartbreak of Shaggy and Scooby losing the girls who genuinely liked them back.
- Anvilicious: Velma’s scolding of the villains for not doing what she says they’re supposed to be doing as scientists is so heavy-handed it reaches out of the movie and hits the audience with a sledgehammer.
- Awesome Music: "The Aliens are Here" is a catchy chase song (with touches of Dramatic Irony given the truth about the real aliens) with some decently spooky parts.
- Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: Midway through the film, diner cook Sergio discusses the gang with Dottie and wonders why they’re still around. Dottie tells him to stop being suspicious, and we get a shot of Sergio eying the gang suspiciously… and he never appears again. Presumably this was meant to have him as another Red Herring, but it’s introduced and then done away with in one scene, nor does it jive with the fact that Sergio knew they were stranded in town due to the Mystery Machine’s radiator trouble.
- Ensemble Dark Horse: Lester, the outspoken local convinced about the alien threat who's also a good artist and nice enough to invite the gang to his house in the absence of a local hotel.
- Fan-Preferred Couple: Shaggy & Crystal and Scooby & Amber are both very popular among the fandom.
- Fridge Brilliance: After Scooby and Shaggy fall head over heels for Crystal and Amber, Lester posits that they're under "alien mind control", to which Velma says, "Oh, it's mind control all right, but not alien." Guess who turn out to be aliens after all, albeit nice ones?
-
Moment of Awesome: After Shaggy and Scooby realize that the aliens are really
Crystal and Amber, they put together a rescue and successfully fight off the villains. Yes, Shaggy and Scooby, the boy and his dog who once had to be bribed with Scooby Snacks to do anything remotely scary, fight the villains, who have already shown they’re not above bringing physical harm to anyone who gets in their way, and
win.
- Moral Event Horizon: The three scientists decide to kill the gang for discovering their hideout, especially after Velma's scolding. If that wasn't enough, they decide to capture and sell Crystal and Amber upon discovering they're really aliens. Think about what that implies.
- Narm: Velma's scolding of the scientists is pretty silly. You'd think she was scolding three year olds, and it's no wonder they try to kill her and the others afterwards!
- Narm Charm: “Groovy” definitely unapologetically saccharine, but some unironically enjoy it for being super sappy and sweet and for showing a slightly different side to Shaggy as he develops feelings for Crystal.
- Nightmare Fuel:
- The original trailer for the movie is infamous for being even scarier than the original trailers for Zombie Island, which is saying something considering that movie is far, far darker than this one. A terrifying narration from Jim Cummings, creepy music, psychedelic visuals, and a bleak, desperate tone. It holds its own against the similarly Darker and Edgier trailers for Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and Pokémon 2000 it was accompanied by on the original VHS.
- These particular lyrics from "The Aliens are Here" are very chilling, made even scarier with the singer's voice becoming distorted.
If they catch you on their ship, they'll experiment on you
And turn you into something for their interstellar zoo, dude!
Beware, you better hide!
They're closing in on every side! Oh, no!
- The villains are suprisingly ruthless despite not being real aliens. Not only are they willing to murder to protect their secret, but they also try to kidnap and exploit two fully sentient aliens for profit. Steve in particular nearly runs down Crystal with a bulldozer with disturbing relish.
- Nightmare Retardant: The trailer is way creepier than the movie itself turns out to be. Crystal and Amber's true forms can initially be somewhat intimidating, but they're still benevolent and on the heroes' side, thus negating any scariness factor.
- Popular with Furries: Amber's dog form is popular for her cute design and her relationship with Scooby.
- Rooting for the Empire: Velma’s childish scolding of the villains is so unbelievably narmy that many viewers found themselves siding with them over her in the moment.
- So Okay, It's Average: The movie is generally regarded as a decent, but not terrific installment thanks to a slower pace, a progressively lighter tone, and some weak villains.
- Suspiciously Similar Song: The old VHS promo
features a soundalike song to the theme song for The X-Files. Fitting, since the movie has an X-Files feel. - Vindicated by History: As years have passed, many fans have come to appreciate the fact that this movie was one of the first pieces of Scooby-Doo media to give Shaggy and Scooby real character development beyond their classic “hungry coward” personas (which even Zombie Island and Witch’s Ghost kept, despite their other subversions of classic Scooby-Doo tropes)
