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Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster
Warner Bros. // Unrated // June 22, 2004
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Since their first appearance in 1969, Scooby-Doo and his pals have gone after many, many monsters and creatures. Some of them have been quite unique to the show, such as the Glowing Alien from ""Spooky Space Kook". But, several have been familiar archetypes, such as a Wolfman, a mummy, a witch, etc. In the latest made-for-video movie, Scooby travels to Scotland to tackle one of the most famous mythological creatures in the world in Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster.
In Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster Scooby-Doo (voiced by Frank Welker), and the gang, Shaggy (voiced by Casey Kasem), Fred (voiced by Frank Welker), Velma (voiced by Mindy Cohn), and Daphne (voiced by Grey DeLisle), venture to Scotland to visit Daphne's cousin, Shannon (voiced by DeLisle), who resides in the ancestral home, Blake Castle, which is on the shore of Loch Ness. Shannon is hosting the first Loch Ness Highland Games and has invited her cousin to join in the festivities. However, Shannon is having some difficulty getting the Games off the ground, as the infamous Loch Ness Monster has been spotted near Blake Castle. Fortunately, Loch Ness Monster expert Professor Fiona Pembroke (voiced by Sheena Easton) is on hand to help investigate, as well as "Nessie" admirer Del (voiced by Jeff Bennett). Also, famed Monster debunker Sir Ian Locksley (voiced by Bennett) has come to judge the Games and scoffs at the idea that any monster is trying to stop the festival. Scooby-Doo and the gang soon see the Monster themselves and are thrust into another weird mystery.
Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster plays very much like the other direct-to-video movies which have come along since 1998's Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island -- Scooby and the gang visits some exotic locale and encounter a creature/mystery and then go about sorting through the clues. The decision to have the gang meet one of the most famous "monsters" in the world was a good one, as it puts a slightly new spin on the story. And the Scottish locations (some of which appear to be geographically correct) are a nice touch. Still, there is very little originality here, and after 35 years of having viewers solve the mysteries along with Scooby, Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster throws in several red-herrings and has a conclusion that can easily be accused of cheating. The film has not one but two gratuitous musical montages.
But any Scooby-Doo outing which doesn't include Scrappy-Doo must be considered watchable. The story has some interesting moments and the Scooby/Shaggy antics are fun as always. The movie does a fine job of integrating CGI into the traditional animation, most notably in the use of water effects. Most kids will probably enjoy the movie, although the monster may be too scary for younger children (it's glowing red eyes and deep growl could easily frighten the kiddies!). Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster doesn't do much to break new ground in the Scooby pantheon, but nor does it diminish the good Scooby-Doo name.
Video
Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster swims onto DVD courtesy of Warner Home Video. The movie is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio (most likely because it was made for airing on Cartoon Network). The image looks very good, showing no grain or defects from the source material. The colors are excellent, ranging from the familiar bright costumes of the Scooby gang to the rich blacks of the nighttimes scenes. The digital transfer does highlight some of the drawbacks in the animation and there are times when there is obvious stuttering of the image. Overall, a nice transfer.
Audio
The DVD offers a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track for Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster. This track offers clear dialogue and music reproduction with no indication of hissing or distortion. The stereo effects are good, but the surround and subwoofer effects are a bit too discrete. The only time the sub really comes to life is when the Monster arrives and emits its low growl, which sounds remarkably similar to that of the T-Rex in Jurassic Park.
Extras
The DVD contains an odd assortment of extra features. We start with "National Geographic's Inside Scoop" (9 minutes), in which Shaggy and Scooby ask "Kid Y" for info on Loch Ness. This animated character, who speaks in a barely audible muffled voice, provides information on the history of Loch Ness and the sightings of the Monster. There is a very weird sing-along from other infamous creatures, which introduced me to the Mongolian Death Worm, with whom I was unfamiliar. There is a 2-minute reel of faux "Bloopers", similar to those found in the Pixar films. "The Case of the Missing Scooby Snacks" is a set-top game in which the viewer explores Blake Castle. "How to Speak Scottish" (5 minutes) gives an overview of the Scottish words, locations, and events heard in the movie. The last two extras are quite odd. Both "How to Solve a Mystery" (5 minutes) and "Catch Nessie" (4 minutes) are essentially synopses of Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster made up of clips from the film. This is very strange considering the fact that we just finished watching the movie. Why would we want to see the highlights again?
I've always had an interest in strange phenomenon such as the Loch Ness Monster, and I've been a Scooby-Doo fan since I was 2. Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster brings these two interests together in a movie which is somewhat homogenous, but still entertaining.
Since their first appearance in 1969, Scooby-Doo and his pals have gone after many, many monsters and creatures. Some of them have been quite unique to the show, such as the Glowing Alien from ""Spooky Space Kook". But, several have been familiar archetypes, such as a Wolfman, a mummy, a witch, etc. In the latest made-for-video movie, Scooby travels to Scotland to tackle one of the most famous mythological creatures in the world in Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster.
In Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster Scooby-Doo (voiced by Frank Welker), and the gang, Shaggy (voiced by Casey Kasem), Fred (voiced by Frank Welker), Velma (voiced by Mindy Cohn), and Daphne (voiced by Grey DeLisle), venture to Scotland to visit Daphne's cousin, Shannon (voiced by DeLisle), who resides in the ancestral home, Blake Castle, which is on the shore of Loch Ness. Shannon is hosting the first Loch Ness Highland Games and has invited her cousin to join in the festivities. However, Shannon is having some difficulty getting the Games off the ground, as the infamous Loch Ness Monster has been spotted near Blake Castle. Fortunately, Loch Ness Monster expert Professor Fiona Pembroke (voiced by Sheena Easton) is on hand to help investigate, as well as "Nessie" admirer Del (voiced by Jeff Bennett). Also, famed Monster debunker Sir Ian Locksley (voiced by Bennett) has come to judge the Games and scoffs at the idea that any monster is trying to stop the festival. Scooby-Doo and the gang soon see the Monster themselves and are thrust into another weird mystery.
Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster plays very much like the other direct-to-video movies which have come along since 1998's Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island -- Scooby and the gang visits some exotic locale and encounter a creature/mystery and then go about sorting through the clues. The decision to have the gang meet one of the most famous "monsters" in the world was a good one, as it puts a slightly new spin on the story. And the Scottish locations (some of which appear to be geographically correct) are a nice touch. Still, there is very little originality here, and after 35 years of having viewers solve the mysteries along with Scooby, Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster throws in several red-herrings and has a conclusion that can easily be accused of cheating. The film has not one but two gratuitous musical montages.
But any Scooby-Doo outing which doesn't include Scrappy-Doo must be considered watchable. The story has some interesting moments and the Scooby/Shaggy antics are fun as always. The movie does a fine job of integrating CGI into the traditional animation, most notably in the use of water effects. Most kids will probably enjoy the movie, although the monster may be too scary for younger children (it's glowing red eyes and deep growl could easily frighten the kiddies!). Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster doesn't do much to break new ground in the Scooby pantheon, but nor does it diminish the good Scooby-Doo name.
Video
Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster swims onto DVD courtesy of Warner Home Video. The movie is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio (most likely because it was made for airing on Cartoon Network). The image looks very good, showing no grain or defects from the source material. The colors are excellent, ranging from the familiar bright costumes of the Scooby gang to the rich blacks of the nighttimes scenes. The digital transfer does highlight some of the drawbacks in the animation and there are times when there is obvious stuttering of the image. Overall, a nice transfer.
Audio
The DVD offers a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track for Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster. This track offers clear dialogue and music reproduction with no indication of hissing or distortion. The stereo effects are good, but the surround and subwoofer effects are a bit too discrete. The only time the sub really comes to life is when the Monster arrives and emits its low growl, which sounds remarkably similar to that of the T-Rex in Jurassic Park.
Extras
The DVD contains an odd assortment of extra features. We start with "National Geographic's Inside Scoop" (9 minutes), in which Shaggy and Scooby ask "Kid Y" for info on Loch Ness. This animated character, who speaks in a barely audible muffled voice, provides information on the history of Loch Ness and the sightings of the Monster. There is a very weird sing-along from other infamous creatures, which introduced me to the Mongolian Death Worm, with whom I was unfamiliar. There is a 2-minute reel of faux "Bloopers", similar to those found in the Pixar films. "The Case of the Missing Scooby Snacks" is a set-top game in which the viewer explores Blake Castle. "How to Speak Scottish" (5 minutes) gives an overview of the Scottish words, locations, and events heard in the movie. The last two extras are quite odd. Both "How to Solve a Mystery" (5 minutes) and "Catch Nessie" (4 minutes) are essentially synopses of Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster made up of clips from the film. This is very strange considering the fact that we just finished watching the movie. Why would we want to see the highlights again?
I've always had an interest in strange phenomenon such as the Loch Ness Monster, and I've been a Scooby-Doo fan since I was 2. Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster brings these two interests together in a movie which is somewhat homogenous, but still entertaining.
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