Search - Scooby-Doo 2 - Monsters Unleashed (Full Screen Edition) on DVD

This Is More Like It.....

K. Fontenot | The Bayou State | 10/05/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In the original "Scooby-Doo" flick, the opening scene involving the Luna ghost managed to capture the essence of the old TV series in a nutshell. It had the "feel" of Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. After that, however, the movie took a few turns away from the original show. Not that that is a bad thing, but it felt like the film tried too hard to appease old fans, new fans, and people who actually believe that dogs talk in real life.

This new film is more like the original series. Daphne still has her kung-fu powers from the first movie, but other than that, the characters are reasonably true to form. The monsters that are "unleashed" in this tale are actually monsters from the original series, which plugs in the nostalgia factor for us older, wiser kids. Someone, or something, has stolen the costumes of all of Mystery, Inc.'s old foes from the Coolsville museum. Seth Green, in a part that was perfect for him, plays the curator who falls for Velma. He's also a prime suspect. Suspect number two is Peter Boyle, playing a whacked out criminal whose out of the pen. There are other suspects in the flick, but I don't want to give away too much. Alicia Silverstone plays a snoopy reporter who seems to be out to stain the good name of Mystery, Inc. Aren't all reporters out to do that, anyway? She does a pretty good job with her role.

Although the characters are fairly accurate, the movie does have a little fun with Velma by giving her a love interest. She goes to pretty great lengths to impress Seth Green with a little help from Daphne. Fred deals with the fact that he isn't always the brave hero he comes across as. Scooby and Shaggy come to realize that other than being the goof-ups, they don't add much to the Mystery, Inc. gang. They set out to prove this wrong.

Overall, a fun movie that has plenty of monsters in it to playfully scare the little ones. There aren't any monsters or zombies of the caliber you'll find in Disney's "Haunted Mansion," so if your kids can handle that film's scares, "Scooby-Doo 2" will be a walk in the park. If you're looking for "Star Wars" quality CGI, you'll be upset. Most of the action looks pretty fake. Just keep in mind that this flick has to appeal to the kids AND it's based on a cartoon with a talking dog. As with the first film, there are plenty of fart jokes geared toward the thirteen-year old boys in the crowd. The language isn't too saucy, though one or two middle-school words slip out. There isn't anything too offensive here.

The DVD extras are par for the course. Like the first DVD, there is a game that includes a special prize for the winners. Other than that, the disc is pretty standard.

Recommended if you liked the first film. This one is slightly better. Highly recommended if you're a "Scooby" purist, since this one is a little more faithful to the show."

A very funny and pleasant surprise!

K. Fontenot | 04/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Do not let a disappointing experience with the first movie keep you from seeing this one. We were not excpecting a whole lot, but it was the most my kids (age 9 & 11) have laughed at a movie since Finding Nemo. Everything about this movie is a notch or two better then the first. The storyline and acting are improved so that the story doesn't feel as hokie and you can actually get involved with the story. Althougth Hollywood never takes these kind of roles seriously, Matthew Lillard deserves oscar nomination for a very believeable and well played Shaggy. We laughed till we cried.
Great movie."