So the first season of Monster Quest thrilled me because finally there was a series that was devoting time not only to the giant squid or killer whales as the only “real” monsters. More time was dedicated to Apemen, Nessie, hobbits, werewolves, and even Birdzilla so that people could see that the possibility of true monsters is quite feasible. My only concern while watching the fantastic season one was my wondering just how long they could actually keep this up. Would there be enough interest from non-monster fans? Would they be able to continue with the trend of cool monsters and not just random time fillers? Would they ever be able to stop talking about Bigfoot?
A monster can be seen as being one of many different things to countless people. Some could hear the word monster and automatically picture a grotesque beast with a hairy body and fangs that is right out of the film reels of horror flicks. A monster could also be something that is not scary at all but merely enormous in size and therefore referred to by the appropriate word. Others may hear the word and think back to the olden days of black and white pictures or comic books that showcased such great creatures as Frankenstein, the Mummy, Wolf-Man, Dracula, or my favorite, the Creature From The Black Lagoon. Its those types of memories and creative minds that keep the well wishers hunting and searching.
Monster Quest is a series that takes a look at all those legends, questions, and supposed myths that have plagued civilizations for centuries. Are there giant sharks in the Midwest? Do fire-breathing dragons really exist? What the hell exactly is the Chupacabra? All of those questions and so many more make people wonder if the stories theyve been hearing since they were children are true. The series creators decided to not only take those different phenomenons and showcase them, but also research them. I mean, its not like there hasnt been a number of television shows giving viewers information and the history of Bigfoot, but how many of them have actually taken you on the search for it?
When it comes to monsters, most often we are there to listen to eyewitness accounts of people who may or may not have seen them. The cool thing about Monster Quest is that it takes real experts on its episodes subjects and lets them give their true feelings and knowledge. Most of them dont proclaim to have seen the things they know so much about which makes it all seem so much more real if you can understand that. Because they arent boasting of constant sightings and clues left behind, it makes their vast education of the creatures so much more valid because the truth is still out there somewhere waiting to be found.
While all of that holds true in the second season, it appears to me as if they started running out of ideas halfway through. Let me give you an example. Sasquatch and Bigfoot are technically two different beings, but they are so similar in appearance and history that people often get them confused. Perhaps then you see why an episode devoted to each of them in both the first two seasons is just a tad too much. We’re back with another giant squid episode too. Besides the repetitive nature of Monster Quest, things have just begun to get rather stale instead of staying interesting and fun. I hated seeing this series just start going downhill because the title of each new episode would get me all excited and then it’d actually begin and I’d want to fall asleep. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. Only I didn’t expect it to happen this quickly.
Episodes
Disc One:
Mega Hog
Vampire Beast
Ghosts
Ohio Grassman
Disc Two:
Giant Killer Snakes
Super Rats
Black Beast Of Exmoor
Chupacabra
Disc Three:
Legend Of The Hairy Beast
Vampires In America
Boneless Horror
Bigfoot In New York
Disc Four:
Lake Monsters Of The North
China’s Wildman
Giant Bear Attack
Giant Squid Ambush
Disc Five:
Monster Spiders
Jaws In Illinois
Real Dragons
Sasquatch Attack II
The episodes are shown in 1.78:1 Widescreen format and all looks good from the interviews, to the news footage, to all of the computer generated imagery for the stories. Some of the colors are a bit dull and could be a bit brighter at times, but nothing is too harsh. Even though the dull colors have been a problem through both seasons; the second season seems to have improved on those issues a little bit.
The episodes are heard in Stereo Sound and the mostly dialogue driven series comes through just fine.
Featurettes – Each disc has a couple featurettes that range anywhere from three minutes to maybe five or six minutes in length. The topics include Cryptozoology, Cryptozoology Museum, Hybrids, Bigfoot, Mermaids, Lake Monsters, Sea Monsters, Dragons, and Thunderbirds. None of them really give much more information then brief histories and a few interviews with those that are in the know. And in case you don’t know anything about Bigfoot…we certainly needed more on the big guy.
I find it kind of hard to remember when a television series had disappointed me so much from one season to the next. My hope of hopes is that Monster Quest bounces back in its third season. That is if it even gets a third season to continue on the trail of real monsters spread throughout the world. Sadly this is a show that lost its steam right at the beginning of the second season and besides a quick spurt of a good episode here and there, it never quite got its momentum back. To make matters worse for this season’s release; the special features are overly lackluster and just not long enough to even start to get interesting. Maybe it was a cost-cutting measure or something as well, but the first season came in a really cool metal case that kind of went along with the whole mood of monster searching. Season two comes in two regular cases surrounded by a cardboard slip box. Boring!
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A&E Home Video presents Monster Quest: The Complete Season Two. Directed by: Michael Stiller, Jared Christie, Beth Pacunas, and more. Starring: Stan Bernard (Narrator). Running time: 940 minutes on 5 discs. Rating: Not Rated. Released on DVD: January 20, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
