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First up, I have to say that the last Mystery Inc. animated outing, SCOOBY-DOO
AND THE LEGEND OF THE VAMPIRE, was lackluster and something of a
disappointment. That direct-to-video animated adventure certainly gave
this life long Scooby-Doo fan the impression that more than The Mystery
Machine was running out of gas. That is probably why I wasn’t too
eager to check out the latest caper SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF
MEXICO ($25). Still, as a Scooby fan and could only resist popping the
DVD in the player for so long.
I
am happy to report that SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO turned
out to be a better program than its predecessor, so I guess the
thirty-five year old dog isn’t quite over the hill yet. Sure, SCOOBY-DOO
AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO is no SCOOBY-DOO ON ZOMBIE ISLAND,
but it is definitely a step in the right direction. The plot of SCOOBY-DOO
AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO finds the Scooby Gang heading south of the
boarder to visit Freddy’s online pal and celebrate Mexico’s Day Of The
Dead. Unfortunately, before the meddling kids of Mystery Inc.
arrive in Mexico, the monstrous El Chupacabra has shown up in the town and
has driven off all of the tourist staying at Freddy’s pal’s hotel. So,
before you can scarf down that next Scooby Snack, Freddy, Daphne, Velma,
Shaggy and Scooby find themselves sniffing out clues to solve the mystery
of El Chupacabra. SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO features the
vocal talents of Frank Welker, Casey Kasem, Heather North, Nicole Jaffe
and Rip Taylor.
Warner
Home Video’s DVD release of SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO
is presented in the direct-to-video, 4:3 television aspect ratio (why
direct-to-video releases aren’t yet being produced in 16:9 is beyond
me). The animation is somewhat better than an episode of WHAT’S NEW
SCOOBY-DOO?, but not theatrical caliber animated feature. For the most
part, SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO looks very good,
producing an image as crisp and well defined as this type of 2D animation
can deliver. Colors are strongly rendered and are reproduced without noise
or signs of smearing. Since this is a direct-to-video DVD title, there is
no obvious wear on the elements, with everything appearing virtually
pristine. Digital compression artifacts are never an issue on this DVD
release.
For
this type of program, SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO comes
with a pretty darn good Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack. Sound
effects are well deployed in the full surround soundstage, and the sound
design is fairly active for a direct-to-video animated program. Music
sounds well recorded and comes across with a very good level of fidelity.
Dialogue is always completely understandably and the voices ring with a
distinct sense of character. A French Dolby Surround soundtrack is also
encoded onto the DVD, along with English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the basic (16:9 enhanced) interactive menus, which provide
access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as
some extras. On hand, providing a running commentary are those intrepid Mystery
Inc. sleuths Freddy, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo! The commentary itself has
its mildly amusing moments, but it is also a bit sparse. Creating A
Monster is a brief making of featurette that includes interviews
with the production crew and vocal talent. Monster Of Mexico
Scrapbook is a two-minute story recap with stills and narration by
Shaggy. A series of animated Bloopers, plus a few bonus trailers close out
the extras.
SCOOBY-DOO
AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO is a fun Scooby Gang adventure that proves
that our favorite cowardly canine sleuth has some life left in him yet. If
you are a Scooby-Doo fan, you will want to check out SCOOBY-DOO AND THE
MONSTER OF MEXICO on DVD.
.
I
am happy to report that SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO turned
out to be a better program than its predecessor, so I guess the
thirty-five year old dog isn’t quite over the hill yet. Sure, SCOOBY-DOO
AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO is no SCOOBY-DOO ON ZOMBIE ISLAND,
but it is definitely a step in the right direction. The plot of SCOOBY-DOO
AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO finds the Scooby Gang heading south of the
boarder to visit Freddy’s online pal and celebrate Mexico’s Day Of The
Dead. Unfortunately, before the meddling kids of Mystery Inc.
arrive in Mexico, the monstrous El Chupacabra has shown up in the town and
has driven off all of the tourist staying at Freddy’s pal’s hotel. So,
before you can scarf down that next Scooby Snack, Freddy, Daphne, Velma,
Shaggy and Scooby find themselves sniffing out clues to solve the mystery
of El Chupacabra. SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO features the
vocal talents of Frank Welker, Casey Kasem, Heather North, Nicole Jaffe
and Rip Taylor.
Warner
Home Video’s DVD release of SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO
is presented in the direct-to-video, 4:3 television aspect ratio (why
direct-to-video releases aren’t yet being produced in 16:9 is beyond
me). The animation is somewhat better than an episode of WHAT’S NEW
SCOOBY-DOO?, but not theatrical caliber animated feature. For the most
part, SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO looks very good,
producing an image as crisp and well defined as this type of 2D animation
can deliver. Colors are strongly rendered and are reproduced without noise
or signs of smearing. Since this is a direct-to-video DVD title, there is
no obvious wear on the elements, with everything appearing virtually
pristine. Digital compression artifacts are never an issue on this DVD
release.
For
this type of program, SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO comes
with a pretty darn good Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack. Sound
effects are well deployed in the full surround soundstage, and the sound
design is fairly active for a direct-to-video animated program. Music
sounds well recorded and comes across with a very good level of fidelity.
Dialogue is always completely understandably and the voices ring with a
distinct sense of character. A French Dolby Surround soundtrack is also
encoded onto the DVD, along with English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the basic (16:9 enhanced) interactive menus, which provide
access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as
some extras. On hand, providing a running commentary are those intrepid Mystery
Inc. sleuths Freddy, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo! The commentary itself has
its mildly amusing moments, but it is also a bit sparse. Creating A
Monster is a brief making of featurette that includes interviews
with the production crew and vocal talent. Monster Of Mexico
Scrapbook is a two-minute story recap with stills and narration by
Shaggy. A series of animated Bloopers, plus a few bonus trailers close out
the extras.
SCOOBY-DOO
AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO is a fun Scooby Gang adventure that proves
that our favorite cowardly canine sleuth has some life left in him yet. If
you are a Scooby-Doo fan, you will want to check out SCOOBY-DOO AND THE
MONSTER OF MEXICO on DVD.