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Scooby Doo - Legend of the Vampire
Warner Bros. // Unrated // March 4, 2003
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Beginning in 1998 with "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island", Warner Bros. began a new chapter in the history of that famous canine sleuth, Scooby-Doo. Newly made Scooby-Doo "movies" would alternately air on Cartoon Network and then be released on home video (or vice versa). These movies were to introduce Scooby and his pals to a new generation of viewers (and, presumably, created hype for the 2002 "Scooby-Doo" feature film). Some of these movies made changes to the original characters which were unwelcome by fans. The latest installment, "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" feels much more like the classic "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" episodes.
"Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire", finds Scooby (voiced by Frank Welker) and the rest of "Mystery, Inc.", Fred (voiced by Frank Welker), Daphne (voiced by Heather North Kenney), Velma (voiced by Nicole Jaffe), and Shaggy (voiced by Casey Kasem) visiting Australia. After touring Sydney, they decide to head into the Outback for a rock-music festival which is being held at Vampire Rock, thusly named for its bat-like appearance and for the local legends stating that it is inhabited by vampires. Upon arrival at the festival, the gang learns that several of the bands have been mysteriously kidnapped by what appears to a Yowie Yahoo, or an Australian vampire. With the festival in jeopardy, the gang decides to investigate the mystery and explore the reality of the vampire.
Those who were turned off by the changes to contemporize "Scooby-Doo" in the earlier movies should love "Legend of the Vampire", as it plays like a feature-lenght episode of "Scooby-Doo, Where are You?". The two major changes that occurred in movies such as "Zombie Island", was the appearances of the main characters, and the fact that they were fighting an actual occult entity, and not simply exposing a hoax. POSSIBLE SPOILER! Well, those mistakes have been corrected here, as Scooby and the gang are all wearing their trademark attire, and, not to give anything away, but the monsters here are most likely fake. END SPOILERS! But, that's not where the nostalgia factor ends. On many episodes of the original shows, especially "The New Scooby-Doo Movies", the gang got involved in a mystery involving music, and cheesy music was to be had. "Legend of the Vampire" certainly delivers in that area, as the music-festival offers many different acts which mimic real-life bands. And, of course, Scooby and his friends have to try their hand at performing as well.
As far as a "Scooby-Doo" story, "Legend of the Vamipre" isn't a classic, but it's not that bad either. The classic episodes all had great monsters/villains, and the Yowie Yahoo and his flunkies don't make the cut. They simply aren't scary, although they may frighten youngsters. Other than that, the movie does feature some nice set-pieces and the usual menagerie of supporting characters, including The Hex-Girls, who previously appeared in "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost". And, of course, there is the typical dose of food-related comedy from Shaggy and Scooby.
Video
As "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" was presumably made-for-TV, it is presented on this DVD in a full-frame format. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no grain or distortion. Also, there are no visible defects from the source material. The only noticeable problems occur when horizontal lines are present in the animation. At times, these lines appear broken and display some shimmering. The colors are very good, as the movie features a nice mixture of hues.
Audio
Despite it's TV roots, "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" features a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. This track provides clear dialogue and sound effects, with no distortion or hissing. The track features some nice stereo effects, but reserves the surround sound effects mainly for musical cues and action sequences. And, of course, the cheesy music comes through loud and clear.
Extras
This DVD is light on extras, but it certainly features one which is worth mentioning. The DVD contains an audio commentary with Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby. This is played completely straight as the trio comments on the proceedings as if they actually happened. While this is fascinating, it's not quite as funny as one would hope. There are some good jokes, but for the most part, this commentary is good as a novelty only. The other extras don't fare quite as well. "Get the Beat with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy" features three music videos from the various Scooby movies. And "Monster Factory" allows the viewer to create their own picture of a monster. Doing this unlocks "bloopers" from the movie...which aren't all that funny.
While nothing will ever match the magic created by the original "Scooby-Doo, Where are You?", "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" is a nice hommage to those old shows. It manages to capture the spirit of those episodes and delivers a fun story. The DVD offers a nice transfer, but the extras are somewhat lame.
Beginning in 1998 with "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island", Warner Bros. began a new chapter in the history of that famous canine sleuth, Scooby-Doo. Newly made Scooby-Doo "movies" would alternately air on Cartoon Network and then be released on home video (or vice versa). These movies were to introduce Scooby and his pals to a new generation of viewers (and, presumably, created hype for the 2002 "Scooby-Doo" feature film). Some of these movies made changes to the original characters which were unwelcome by fans. The latest installment, "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" feels much more like the classic "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" episodes.
"Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire", finds Scooby (voiced by Frank Welker) and the rest of "Mystery, Inc.", Fred (voiced by Frank Welker), Daphne (voiced by Heather North Kenney), Velma (voiced by Nicole Jaffe), and Shaggy (voiced by Casey Kasem) visiting Australia. After touring Sydney, they decide to head into the Outback for a rock-music festival which is being held at Vampire Rock, thusly named for its bat-like appearance and for the local legends stating that it is inhabited by vampires. Upon arrival at the festival, the gang learns that several of the bands have been mysteriously kidnapped by what appears to a Yowie Yahoo, or an Australian vampire. With the festival in jeopardy, the gang decides to investigate the mystery and explore the reality of the vampire.
Those who were turned off by the changes to contemporize "Scooby-Doo" in the earlier movies should love "Legend of the Vampire", as it plays like a feature-lenght episode of "Scooby-Doo, Where are You?". The two major changes that occurred in movies such as "Zombie Island", was the appearances of the main characters, and the fact that they were fighting an actual occult entity, and not simply exposing a hoax. POSSIBLE SPOILER! Well, those mistakes have been corrected here, as Scooby and the gang are all wearing their trademark attire, and, not to give anything away, but the monsters here are most likely fake. END SPOILERS! But, that's not where the nostalgia factor ends. On many episodes of the original shows, especially "The New Scooby-Doo Movies", the gang got involved in a mystery involving music, and cheesy music was to be had. "Legend of the Vampire" certainly delivers in that area, as the music-festival offers many different acts which mimic real-life bands. And, of course, Scooby and his friends have to try their hand at performing as well.
As far as a "Scooby-Doo" story, "Legend of the Vamipre" isn't a classic, but it's not that bad either. The classic episodes all had great monsters/villains, and the Yowie Yahoo and his flunkies don't make the cut. They simply aren't scary, although they may frighten youngsters. Other than that, the movie does feature some nice set-pieces and the usual menagerie of supporting characters, including The Hex-Girls, who previously appeared in "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost". And, of course, there is the typical dose of food-related comedy from Shaggy and Scooby.
Video
As "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" was presumably made-for-TV, it is presented on this DVD in a full-frame format. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no grain or distortion. Also, there are no visible defects from the source material. The only noticeable problems occur when horizontal lines are present in the animation. At times, these lines appear broken and display some shimmering. The colors are very good, as the movie features a nice mixture of hues.
Audio
Despite it's TV roots, "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" features a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. This track provides clear dialogue and sound effects, with no distortion or hissing. The track features some nice stereo effects, but reserves the surround sound effects mainly for musical cues and action sequences. And, of course, the cheesy music comes through loud and clear.
Extras
This DVD is light on extras, but it certainly features one which is worth mentioning. The DVD contains an audio commentary with Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby. This is played completely straight as the trio comments on the proceedings as if they actually happened. While this is fascinating, it's not quite as funny as one would hope. There are some good jokes, but for the most part, this commentary is good as a novelty only. The other extras don't fare quite as well. "Get the Beat with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy" features three music videos from the various Scooby movies. And "Monster Factory" allows the viewer to create their own picture of a monster. Doing this unlocks "bloopers" from the movie...which aren't all that funny.
While nothing will ever match the magic created by the original "Scooby-Doo, Where are You?", "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" is a nice hommage to those old shows. It manages to capture the spirit of those episodes and delivers a fun story. The DVD offers a nice transfer, but the extras are somewhat lame.
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