DVD
What's New Scooby-Doo?
Volume 2 - Safari, So Goodie

Starring: Scooby-Doo
Warner Home Video
RRP: £12.99
D0H2388
Certificate: 15
Available 28 June 2004


There's never a dull day when Scooby and the gang are on the scene and the latest compilation of Scoob-tastic fun-filled frolics won't disappoint. Join the petrified pooch, his ditzy best pal Shaggy and their loyal companions as they fight jungle demons, uncover danger at the Thrillrides theme park, battle to control the Mystery Machine which suddenly seems to have a mind of its own and travel to Las Vegas to unknowingly join a ghastly ghost hunt...

Volume two in the What's New Scooby-Doo? series represents excellent value for money. The exploits of the gang have been updated to appeal to a new generation of Scooby fans. The gang have changed their appearance - well, Fred has a change of outfit. And now Velma is a whiz with technology, especially the Internet.

The episodes on this collection are:

It's Mean. It's Green, It's the Mystery Machine - The Mystery Machine becomes a mystery itself when it suddenly seems to have a mind of its own; Roller Ghoster Ride - The gang prepares for a day of adventure at Thrillrides. But fun turns to danger and mystery when they counter a series of "accidental" malfunctions on the park's attractions; Safari, So Goodie - Concerned about the region's diminishing animal population, Velma takes the gang to East Africa for a video safari. Once there, they learn the animals aren't just disappearing - they're being replaced by shape-shifting jungle demons; Riva Ras Regas - The gang's trip to Las Vegas for a pop concert turns into a ghost hunt when the spectre of Rufus Raucous, a masked magician thought to be dead, wreaks havoc in the theatre.

This volume also reveals the origins of The Mystery Machine - it used to be the tour bus of an old child-band called Mystery Kids. I also liked the subtle Atari joke which was included when the gang enter the Hatari Game Preserve. Now, while Hatari means "danger" in Swahili, it is pronounced "Atari" and the fact that it is a "game" preserve is surely not coincidental.

In addition to the four action-packed animated episodes, the DVD includes a number of special features. These include a trailer for Scooby-Doo 2: Monster's Unleashed; a Scooby-Doo Road Trip (which shows clips of the adventures on this collection and then offers the viewer trivial information on the locations of each episode; and a "Learn the Lingo featurette" which explains some of the street talk kids are currently using.

Updated animation, modern music and better jokes (thankfully) mean that this collection is well worth picking up.

Ray Thompson

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£9.74 (Amazon.co.uk)
   
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