Scooby Doo and the Alien Invaders [VHS]

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Get Ready for Close Encounters of the Scooby Kind! A cosmic case of UFOs, intergalactic intrigue and out-of-this-world romance launches Scooby, Shaggy and the Mystery, Inc. kids into their most unearthly adventure ever! Stranded in a remote desert town, the gang soon discovers the place is crawling with flying saucer buffs, secretive scientists... and less-than-friendly extraterrestrials! Then, after being chased by aliens and beamed aboard a UFO, something even weirder happens to Shaggy and Scooby-- they fall head-over-heels in love! As clues to the mystery of the alien invaders lead them from a top-secret government research base to a huge network of caves hidden under the town, our love-struck heroes join the rest of the gang in a race to crack a case that re-defines the term "far out!" .com ---- A lot has changed since the original '70s-era gang of Scooby-Doo fans gave way to today's followers of the hipster mystery cartoon series. For one, nowadays kids don't have to wait around for the half-hour Saturday morning show- -they can pick up a copy of Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders. All the familiar elements are here; even the groovy green Mystery Machine makes a comeback, but it isn't as reliable as it used to be. At the outset of Alien Invaders, it breaks down, leaving the crime-solving crew stranded in a creepy desert town overrun by aliens. From there, the plot unwinds faster than Scooby can down a box of his namesake snacks. A band of swollen-headed purple and green space guys--Zoinks--send the terrified teens scrambling for cover, but it's not long before the quick-witted gang figures out that there's a team of bad guys behind the bug-eyed s. That's not to say, though, that real-life aliens aren't also roaming the streets, as Shag and Scoob (who hook up in an unprecedented Scooby-Doo romance with a peace sign-wearing babe and her equally hip dog) discover in the course of clearing out of the phony aliens' hair-raising path. To longtime viewers, the love angle seems unsettling; it steals from the tightness of the mystery team. Still, with so much creepy fun to get caught up in, it's a minor complaint. Scott Innes, the modern-day voice of both Shaggy and Scooby, nails both parts, and Jennifer Love Hewitt fans also will want to tune in--she sings the Scooby theme song. --Tammy La Gorce