Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (also known as Scooby-Doo 4 or Scooby-Doo 4: Curse of the Lake Monster) is a 2010 American made-for-television comedy film directed by Brian Levant, produced by Warner Premiere and distributed by Warner Home Video. The film aired on Cartoon Network on October 16, 2010, and later released on March 1, 2011 on DVD and Blu-ray. It is the fourth installment in the Scooby-Doo live-action film series, revealing how the Mystery Inc. gang met and the events of their very first case.
The live-action cast features Robbie Amell as Fred, Kate Melton as Daphne, Hayley Kiyoko as Velma and Nick Palatas as Shaggy. Scooby-Doo was created using computer-generated imagery and his voice is provided by Frank Welker, who also was a cast member of the animated series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and The Scooby-Doo Show, providing the voice of Fred.
The music is scored by Academy Award-nominee David Newman, who had previously scored the theatrical films Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). The film is dedicated to Lorena Gale, who died during production.
Plot[]
Summer vacation has come and Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo meet up with Fred and Daphne so they can go to meet Daphne's uncle, Thornton "Thorny" Blake V, who has given them summer jobs at his country club in Erie Point in order to pay back damages from a prior mystery. The night of the club's opening party, a huge frog-like monster suddenly appears and wreaks havoc. The gang decides to investigate the only person who has ever taken a picture of the lake monster, a lighthouse keeper named Elmer Uggins. He then tells them the story of the lake monster: when people were first settling in Erie Point, a witch named Wanda Grubwort warned them not to come onto her land. They paid no attention to her, so she used her magic staff - which used moonstones as the source of her power - to turn a frog into a horrible monster that attacked the villagers. Wanda was later tried for her crimes and burnt at the stake.
The next day, Velma shows the others security footage of the lake monster meeting a mysteriously cloaked figure on the beach. They begin to zoom in on the figure to see its face, but Velma accidentally spills her green tea on the computer and destroys the footage. Things are further complicated due to friction between Fred and Daphne, whose relationship is strained due to them regularly finding each other socializing with other people, as well as Shaggy's blossoming feelings for Velma causing him to alienate Scooby.
The next morning, they find Velma unconscious on the beach. Shaggy begins to tell her that he was very worried, but stops when he notices warts on her hand. Velma looks surprised, but guiltily assures them that it is nothing. After they fill her in on the latest monster attack, Daphne says that she saw purple paint on the figure's cloak and suggests they check out a boat that they saw on the way to Erie Point. Shaggy asks Velma out on a date, and things go well until he lights a match to light some candles. Velma flings herself back in terror, though she is unsure why. Scooby, who is angry at Shaggy for ignoring him, tries to ruin the date, causing Shaggy to knock over the table and drop the moonstone on the ground that he was going to give to Velma as a surprise. Fred and Daphne go to see the boat, but are then locked in a flooding room by the monster. However, they are able to escape.
The gang drives to the home of Hilda Trowburg, who is Wanda's descendant. They see the witch's figure through the windows, who is soon discovered to be a very warty Velma. She claims to not be Velma and attacks the gang, knocking them out for a moment. The gang wakes up later and find Trowburg, who says that the spirit of her ancestor has possessed Velma. The gang realizes that their infighting caused them to miss all the little signs - the warts, Velma's fear of fire, her love of moonstones and how she spilled the tea on the video of the witch because it was going to show her face - that should have proved Velma was up to something. Trowburg says that Wanda probably would have gone to the underwater caves; they arrive in the cave and Shaggy bursts out of hiding and confronts Wanda, who turns a trio of frogs into new monsters and sends them after the gang.
As the monsters corner Fred and Daphne, Shaggy tries to save Velma by singing her favorite song. Velma joins in and manages to break free of Wanda's possession. Wanda tries to reclaim her staff, but Scooby arrives just in time and smashes it, destroying Wanda and turning the monsters back into their original forms. Shaggy confesses how much he really likes Velma and they share a kiss, but both realize that they did not feel a single spark and, along with Fred and Daphne, agree that it is better if they are just friends. Thornton thanks the gang for saving his county club and promises to hook them up with a lawyer so they can avoid any future legal problems, prompting Daphne to name their group Mystery Inc.
Cast[]
- Frank Welker as the voice of Scooby-Doo
- Kate Melton as Daphne Blake
- Hayley Kiyoko as Velma Dinkley
- Robbie Amell as Fred Jones
- Nick Palatas as Shaggy Rogers
- Shawn Macdonald as Principal Deedle
- Garry Chalk as Vice Principal Grimes
- Leah James as Prudence Prufrock
- Brian Sutton as Ezekiel Gallows
- C. Ernst Harth as Janitor
- Lorena Gale as Librarian
- Daniel Riordan as the voice of the Dark Specter