“Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster” DVD Review

On March 1st, 2011, Warner Home Video released Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster on DVD and Blu-ray.  This is the exciting sequel to its hit predecessor, Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, and features the same popular cast of the original and includes special appearances by Ted McGinley, Marion Ross, and others.  You can purchase Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster in stores and online, retailing for $27.95 for the DVD and $35.99 for the Blu-ray combo pack.

SYNOPSIS:

Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster finds the Mystery Inc. gang heading toward summer jobs at a country club owned by Daphne’s uncle, only to stumble onto strange happenings around the lake – including an enormous Frog Monster terrorizing the locals.  There’s mystery afoot and romance in the air that only the fearful foursome-plus-one can solve.  Group leader Fred, drama queen Daphne, brainiac Velma, fun-loving Shaggy and the cowardly Scooby-Doo are on the case!

Director and producer Brian Levant (Snow Dogs; The Flintstones), producer Brian J. Gilbert (The Deaths of Ian Stone; Wrong Turn) and writers the Altiere Brothers (Daniel and Steven-jkl; Dr. Doolittle: A Tinsel Town Tail; Gym Teacher: The Movie) return from their successful roles at the creative helm of Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins.

The Atlas Entertainment /Telvan Productions/Nine/8 Entertainment production also features encore performances from the live action cast of Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins: Robbie Amell (True Jackson, VP) as Fred, Kate Melton (Lucy: A Period Piece) as Daphne, Hayley Kiyoko (Wizards of Waverly Place, Lemonade Mouth) as Velma and Nick Palatas (True Jackson, VP) as Shaggy.  Scooby-Doo will appear via computer-generated animation courtesy of Animation Picture Company, and is voiced by veteran artist Frank Welker, a member of the original Scooby Doo, Where Are You! voice cast.

Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster also boasts some top line guest stars from throughout the history of entertainment, including Ted McGinley (Married With Children), Richard Moll (Night Court), Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek), and Marion Ross (Happy Days).

In its Cartoon Network premiere on October 16, 2010, Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster are presented as an exclusive, never-before-seen extended cut of the film specially created for the home entertainment release by director Brian Levant.

An animated creation from the legendary Hanna-Barbera studios, Scooby-Doo is one of the longest running, most beloved franchises in cartoon history.  Starting with Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! the awkward, snack-craving Great Dane and his four unique pals have been solving mysteries through 11 television series (the latest, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, now airing on Cartoon Network), seven TV specials/telefilms, 15 made-for-video animated films (Scooby-Doo: Camp Scare, now available on DVD ), and two live-action theatrical features (Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed).

“As the perfect follow-up to the monstrously successful Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster is an entertaining, comically-spooky romp with all the classic moments fans have come to expect in this long-running franchise,” said Hersin Magante, WHV Marketing Director of Family and Animation.  “As evidenced by a new TV series, new animated direct-to-DVD productions and this second blockbuster live-action film, Scooby-Doo is endearing family entertainment that fans continue to embrace.  We’re proud to continue adding to the Scooby-Doo legacy.”

Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster will include approximately 2 hours of entertaining bonus features, most notably:

• – Featurette: “Jeepers! Jinkies! Zoinks – A Tribute to the Classic Gags of Scooby-Doo” – From Scooby snacks to the unmasked villain’s iconic line, “I would’ve gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling kids and your dog!”, Scooby-Doo mysteries are filled with familiar moments.  Director Brian Levant ups the ante in this new film utilizing these and other signature Scooby-Doo devices to pay tribute to the very best of the franchise.  This fun and nostalgic piece uses clips from classic episodes, celebrates the hallmarks of the franchise and showcases the current cast’s modern spin on these beloved characters.
• – Featurette:  “Scooby-Doo: Rock, Rap and Rollerskates” – Get your groove on with Scooby-Doo and the gang as you go behind the scenes of the many musical moments in Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster.  Decked out in over-the-top costumes on lavish sets, the Mystery Inc. gang bounces from a vaudeville soft shoe song and dance and a groovy 60’s frolic in a field to a Ramones-esque punk rock group and a fly 70’s funk-jam band – as well as a hilarious rap featuring the gang in their original iconic costumes from the cartoon (complete with a blonde Fred!).  Toss in a roller disco spectacular set to Discovery Zone’s “I Can’t Be Scared With You” and fans will delight in this exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the making of these entertaining sequences.
• – Gag Reel:  Ruh-roh!  Behind the Scenes Hilarity – Catch all the off-camera silliness, often shot by the cast on their own Flip cameras, in this side-splitting gag reel.
• – Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a digital copy of the feature film.

I received a copy of “Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster” on Blu-ray and DVD from Warner Home Video to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.