As a kid, "Lock the Door, It's a Minotaur" (one of the earliest episodes of the first season viewed) was nothing special really. Starting off promisingly, but after the end of the episode there was not an awful lot that was memorable about it. Something that seemed to be the case with quite a few episodes of the season from a kid's perspective. Some episodes that came over that way as a child actually fared better on subsequent re-watches (two of the episodes in question now for me being among the show's best episodes).
"Lock the Door, It's a Minotaur" is one of the 'Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo' episodes that didn't do much for me as a child that still doesn't do much for me now. It starts off fine and the setting cannot be complained about, but halfway through or so it loses lustre and not much stands out after that. Does that make "Lock the Door, It's a Minotaur" a bad episode? No it doesn't. But with a stronger mystery and villain it could have been a much better episode than it turned out.
Shall start with what works. The animation is attractive enough, especially the vibrantly detailed backgrounds. The music has the usual character and atmosphere, with a nice local flavour as well. The theme song is not one of my favourites in the Scooby Doo canon but it has always been listenable. The voice acting for the regulars is fine.
The dialogue has enough parts where it entertains, Shaggy never fails when it comes to amusing lines. A few of the gags amuse too, did like the Shaggy and Scooby dancing with the minotaur scene. That was fun. The setting is beautiful and very atmospheric, the inside of the ruins are particularly well done. The episode starts off well, with a quite formidable entrance for the minotaur.
Regarding the minotaur himself though, he is one of the villains that has always left me mixed. He has a scary look but like the Sky Skeleton, Neon Phantom and Sea Beast he would have been more menacing if he didn't talk. It took away from the mystery a bit and part of me felt that the deep voice and affected accent didn't fit the character design. As said, "Lock the Door, It's a Minotaur" starts off well but becomes very thin and predictable after Shaggy and Scooby's first encounter with the Minotaur in the ruins. The pace drags as a result.
Plot reads of a few familiar ideas stitched together, that probably accounts for why the episode is not very memorable (because of it being nothing new). Although the episode did do well with making one think that the minotaur was somebody else, the perpetrator's identity and the motive (this type of story for Scooby Doo often has this motive) were not surprising. While the regular voice cast are fine, the support isn't really. The supporting voice acting could have done with a good deal more energy and the accents would never pass for Greek.
Overall, nothing special but watchable. 5/10.
