SCOOBY-DOO!: CAMP SCARE
(not rated)
MOVIE: *** (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Scooby and the gang head out to Camp Little Moose where Fred spent his formative years. However, now there’s a creature haunting the woods, and it comes to life every time someone tells a ghost story. While the Mystery Inc. gang butts heads with the group from the cooler and fancier Camp Big Moose, they try to solve the mysteries of the woods.
WHAT I LIKED
I’ve been a fan of Scooby-Doo since I was a child, which is to say from the days of the original “Scooby-Doo! Where are You?” cartoons in the 1970s. Scooby and the gang have gone through many changes over the years, with appearances in multiple television series as well as direct-to-DVD movies.
Over the past decade or so, Warner Bros. has been developing a neat slate of direct-to-DVD movies, which takes the Mystery Inc. gang to new heights. Sometimes the monsters are real, and sometimes they’re not. I won’t say which is the case with “Camp Scare,” but the option is out there, so now you actually can wonder if it’s a real haunting or some greedy land grabber or Old Man Smithers.
“Camp Scare” brings Scooby and the gang to a new location, which offers a change of scenery. Plus, being set in a spooky campground allows this DVD selection to be a choice for a neat little Halloween scare for the kids, while keeping things safe.
“Camp Scare” is a typical Scooby-Doo show with all the characters falling into their familiar pattern. But isn’t that why we watch Scooby-Doo in the first place?
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Anyone over the age of twelve watching a Scooby-Doo mystery will find plenty of problems with cliches, formula and general silliness, but it’s not made for the grown-ups. While these direct-to-DVD movies fall more in line with grown up tastes than many of the other kids shows resurrected from our youth, it’s ultimately a movie for kids, and my kids loved it. That’s really all that matters.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD comes with spooky stories told from the movie as well as a bonus episode of “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Inc.” This last feature serves as a test run for anyone curious about the new iteration of the Scooby-Doo characters. It’s far better than “Scooby and Shaggy Get a Clue” and has a continuing storyline, which is nice to see for a change.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Original fans of the Scooby-Doo mysteries… and their kids.