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Film / Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster

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Warner Premiere presents the 2010 live-action made-for-TV movie Scooby Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, sequel to Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins directed by Brian Levant, produced by Brian Gilbert and written by Daniel Altiere and Steven Altiere.

When Scooby (Frank Welker), Shaggy (Nick Palatas), Velma (Hayley Kiyoko), Daphne (Kate Melton) and Fred (Robbie Amell) start their summer jobs at the country club, they begin to notice strange happenings, creepy characters and a Frog Monster on the loose. Will the team be able to solve this mystery?


Tropes appearing in this:

  • And Starring: Frank Welker gets the "and" credit. Ted McGinley, Richard Moll, Nichelle Nichols, Marion Ross, and Beverly Sanders get "Special Appearance" credits afterwards.
  • Better as Friends: Shaggy and Velma decide they're better off not dating at the end of the film.
  • The Big Damn Kiss: The reason for Better as Friends is because this didn't pan out as expected.
  • Big "YES!": Shaggy literally the second that school lets out for the summer.
  • Burn the Witch!: Wanda Grubwort was burned at the stake for her crimes when alive in the 1800s.
  • Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Averted. Unlike so many characters in this franchise, Elmer Uggins dresses up like a local monster story not to scare people away from some valuable property or the like, but solely to fake some photos that he can sell as postcards to tourist traps. As he says, being the keeper of a lighthouse doesn't exactly leaving him rolling in dough.
  • Demoted to Extra: Scooby himself is largely Out of Focus in this movie.
  • Directionless Driver: Fred didn't bother to print out the directions that Daphne sent him, which unsurprisingly leaves the gang lost. When stopping for directions, they meet Hilda Trowburg, who warns them of the danger at the country club.
  • Eat the Evidence: When Daphne finds Shaggy doodling his name and Velma's on a napkin, he immediately eats the napkin.
  • Flashback: When Elmer explains the backstory of Wanda Grubwort, her attempts to drive away settlers with a monstrous slave, and her being burned at the stake when finally caught.
  • Foot Popping: Raising one's foot while kissing is played entirely straight between Velma and Shaggy.
  • Gaussian Girl: Used as a joke when Fred catches Daphne after she'd knocked out a barn's upper window. As the pair gaze at each other and they both realize he's saved her life, the image of Fred is blurred and soft-lit.
  • Giant Novelty Check: Daphne's Uncle gives one to the gang to thank them for solving the mystery. It comes from "the Bank of Hanna-Barbera".
  • Hero Insurance: Averted. The gang got summer jobs in order to pay for a barn fire that Shaggy accidentally caused during one of their mysteries. Part of their stake in solving the current mystery is so that they'll be able to pay off what they owe. Luckily, the gang gets a Giant Novelty Check from Daphne's uncle in the end, which really helps out. He also intends to set them up with his attorney so that they can discuss incorporating, which he says will help them better deal with future liability issues.
  • How We Got Here: The film opens with Mystery, Inc. chasing the witch through the house and unmasking her, expressing astonishment at her unseen identity. The rest of the film explains how the gang got to that point.
  • Hypocritical Humor: When Velma warns that any problems in Fred and Daphne's relationship could have damaging effects on the overall group, Shaggy and Scooby insist that they're all mature individuals. Shaggy and Scooby then immediately engage in a game of punch buggy.
  • I Have This Friend: Shaggy talks to Fred and Daphne about a friend named Scruffy who has a crush on a girl who he sometimes solves mysteries with.
  • "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Double subverted. Shaggy's big plan is to go for this, but the witch initially fakes it working just to mess with him. However, Shaggy just keeps at it and manages to pull it off, much to the witch's surprise and infuriation.
  • Irony: Chased by the ;ale monster after the group splits up, Shaggy bemoans how he's always Picked Last in gym class, but this he gets picked for.
  • Let's Split Up, Gang!: Cornered by the lake monster, Fred suggests splitting up, with Shaggy going in one direction and him and Daphne in the other. The monster goes after Shaggy, who is saved by Scooby on a golf cart. However, when it gets back to its business, it ends up stumbling onto Fred and Daphne's hiding spot.
  • Lighthouse Point: Lampshaded by Shaggy:
    "Heh. Would you look at that. Our first suspect just happens to be the keeper of a creepy old lighthouse. You know, just once, I wish we found a mystery that started in a cheery futon showroom."
  • Little "No": After another encounter with the lake monster, Shaggy when he realizes Velma is unaccounted for.
  • Magic Staff: Wanda Grubwort could bring objects to her with her magic staff.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Well, hello, Shirtless (and very muscled!) Fred.
  • Mythology Gag:
    • While trying to hide from the monster, Fred and Daphne act like mannequins in a store window and are dressed exactly like their animated counterparts on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and other productions. Fred thinks he looks pretty good as a blonde.
    • The $10,000 check Daphne's uncle gives the gang is labeled as coming from the Bank of Hanna-Barbera, referring to the production company that made the original cartoons.
    • The final musical number features appearances by two villains from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (the Witch Doctor from "A Tiki Scare Is No Fair" and the Ghost Clown from "Bedlam at the Big Top").
  • Never My Fault: Upon the burned down barn being brought up, Shaggy insists that there was no way for him to know that the hay was flammable. His tone suggests he's tried and failed with this defense multiple times.
  • Old-Fashioned Rowboat Date: Shaggy fantasizes about going on one (or, at least, a stage version of one) with Velma during the "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" number.
  • Once More, with Clarity:
    • After How We Got Here catches up to chasing the witch through the house, we again see the gang's shocked reactions, but then we get the Wham Shot: Velma is possessed by the witch.
    • After The Reveal occurs, the group goes over the various events throughout the movie, but this time realizing the different ways that the possessed Velma was affected and how the witch secretly hampered their investigation.
  • Operation: Jealousy: Daphne thinks she and Fred are exclusive, only to see him hitting it off with a couple of girls during a golf lesson. She retaliates by spending some time on the tennis court with a couple of guys, ensuring that Fred sees this during one of his jogs. Fred is immediately jealous, despite his repeated claims to the contrary.
  • Overly-Long Tongue: The frog monsters have long, protruding tongues, being frogs.
  • Painted Tunnel, Real Train: Being chased by the frog monsters, Scooby produces a paintbrush and a bucket of paint and immediately paints a realistic tunnel on the cave wall. He runs through it. When the monsters try to follow, it is a solid wall.
  • Red Herring:
    • Elmer Uggins, the guy who watches over the creepy lighthouse. It's practically a parody, as he looks like the typical creepy loner from the various cartoons and is found wearing a lake monster costume, but he's actually a friendly fellow just faking some appearances in order to sell some postcards to local tourist traps. He even fills the gang in on the backstory of the monster and the witch.
    • Hilda Trowburg is a more deliberate example, being the seemingly crazed type urging the gang to just stay away. She has a direct connection to the mystery (being a descendent of the witch), but she's completely innocent and is honest in her efforts to keep people out of danger.
  • Scary Scarecrows: There is a flashback to an encounter with one in Old Man Frink's barn (which explains why the kids need to take summer jobs).
  • Scooby-Dooby Doors: The classic gag of the gang and their monster chasing one another through a hall of doorways in improbable paths occurs when chasing the witch through Trowburg's house.
  • Sdrawkcab Name: Shaggy points out that Trowburg is Grubwort spelt backwards.
  • Secret Relationship: Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby stumble upon Fred and Daphne making out in the van. They say they started dating after Fred saved Daphne from a fall during that Scary Scarecrows mystery.
  • This Cannot Be!: Shaggy's reaction when the witch is unmasked.
  • This Is My Side: Scooby paints a line down the middle of the room he shares with Shaggy following an argument over Shaggy's date with Velma.
  • The Unintelligible: Scooby's suggestion they get a midnight snack flies completely over Shaggy's head.
    Shaggy: Just my luck. I've got a talkin' dog, and I can't understand a word he says.
  • Wham Shot: The witch is cornered and unmasked, revealing Velma's face.
  • Witch with a Capital "B": After How We Got Here is done, Shaggy says they're literally dealing with an evil witch. Still stinging from the jealousy games and breakup, Fred snarks he's dealing with an evil witch of his own, prompting Daphne to glare at him.
  • "You!" Exclamation: Daphne upon unmasking the witch.
  • You Have to Believe Me!: Hilda Trowburg says she warned people that building the country club where they did would lead to great danger. Her warning to the gang is largely ignored, save one obvious person.
    Hilda: I tried to warn them, but they said I was just some crazy old hag.
    Shaggy: You? No.
    Hilda: But mark my words, the lake monster will return! The lake monster will return!
    [cut to Shaggy running out of the building]
  • You Meddling Kids: "Revenge was in my grasp! And I would've gotten away with it, if it wasn't for you meddling kids and your rotten dog!"


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