Plot: What’s it about?
Scooby-Doo and his friends are back in another mysterious and action packed adventure, but this time they face some of the most puzzling mysteries ever. The team finds themselves in a remote town with little going on, other than some unusual antics. It seems this town is overrun with strange scientists and why they’re all here, the gang has no idea. If anyone can figure out why though, it is Scooby and pals and as such, they decide to uncover the mystery behind all the peculiar behavior patterns. Surrounded by massive saucers and the scientists, the crew soon run into something beyond their wildest dreams, space aliens! As soon as the green aliens show up, things start to happen that no one can explain and it is up to Scooby and friends to get to the bottom of this case. But it won’t be easy in the least, as the aliens chase them all over the place and Scooby & Shaggy find themselves falling in love with their dream girls along the way. Can even this team of master mystery solvers crack this one?
This one is of course aimed at a younger audience, but even us older folk can find a lot to like with this disc, especially if you’re a fan of the television show. Although the voice actors have been replaced and the animation is a little more modern, this still turns to be another humorous adventure for Scooby and his gang. I was impressed with the new voice talent involved, as they manage to capture the characters well and also infuse some new elements, which is always cool. I suppose the most important piece is that they sound about the same and thankfully, that is the case with this new cast of voice actors. As far as the animation, it retains the basic look and style of the television show, but also reflects a more refined edge and I think it looks terrific. This new style keeps the roots where they be and then improves on the branches, just as it should be done. The storyline is classic Scooby-Doo and fans of the series will feel right at home, as the gang finds themselves in yet another adventure. This one has some new faces too, which is always cool and in the end, I was very entertained by this film. Scooby-Doo fans unite and pick up this terrific disc!
Video: How does it look?
Scooby-Doo & The Alien Invaders is presented in a full frame transfer, which preserves the film’s original aspect ratio. This was shown on television, but looks much more defined on this release. There is a certain sharpness in this transfer that would be missing from the television version, which is nice to see present here. I also noted that the animation itself suffers from no problems, which is always a plus of course. This movie uses a wide sample of rich and bright hues, but no errors in the least appear, which is impressive. Even the deepest reds and oranges can be seen with no signs of bleeds or smears. This might be a direct to video release, but it still looks excellent on this disc.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is Scooby-Doo and as such, no real need for powerful or dynamic sound is present. The included 2.0 surround track handles all the elements with no problems, even kicking in some nice surround use here and there. Sound effects of course are the same “zoiks” and “bonks” we’re used to, but have a clean and distinct sound in this mix. Dialogue is the master element here and it sounds good, never overshadowed by the other elements and showing a nice degree of crispness as well.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc houses two featurettes, each worth a look even if a little too brief. The first contains interviews with the voice actors behind the characters and makes for a funny and interesting piece. The second deals with making the Scooby-Doo video game and was not as cool, at least in my opinion. You also get a host of trailers and a text based extra which breaks down Scooby’s detective skills.
