Scooby-Doo 2 : Les monstres se déchaînent

So much of the plot and script of this film is absolute trash, but shaggy and scoob are so perfect it cancels all the other rubbish out. Even aged 25 I got so many belly laughs out of the CGI Scooby's antics. I also thought the monsters were pretty cool and the CGI is an improvement on the first film. I also really respect how directly out of the cartoon the characters and outfits are. With that being said, if you aren't ready to turn your brain off and watch a CGI dog in a fake afro do a choreographed dance. This may not be the film for you. I am surprised there was never a third film or a reboot of this franchise.

OK.... So it's not a great 2nd edition of the potential franchise.... But it is NOT as bad as some people want you to believe it to be, either! If this had been the first film, I think that many would have thought it was much better, but, when you weigh it against the original 'Scooby Doo' movie, it pales....

We still have the cast of "Mysteries Inc" running around in the Mystery Machine van - with Scooby Doo (created in CGI), Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), Velma (Linda Cardinelli) and Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar). This time, they're joined by some old favorites: Seth Green (as a love interest for Velma), Peter Boyle (as the classic 'Old Man Wickles'), Alicia Silverstone (as a great foil for Daphne), 'Inside Edition' host Pat O'Brien shows up and even 'American Idol' alum Ruben Studdard gets a turn to show us his acting chops.

The story line revolves around a reappearance of some of Mystery Inc.'s old school monsters coming back around in town. Alicia Silverstone plays a hard charging, up and coming news caster, trying to get the next big story - and she doesn't care who she crushes in her way up. Seth Green shows up as a curator of a museum to the greatness of Mystery Inc., and cares for all of the monsters that they've caught. It's HIS museum that gets robbed and the monsters come back to life!

The CGI here is just as good as the first time - but there seems to be a bit more of it.... Sure, the story isn't as flashy as the first one, but it's still pretty good on its own merits. There's a lot of flash and sizzle to this film, but it's more like a diet version of the first... still not bad, but sometimes leaving you wanting for just another bite!

After the disappointing effort of the first Scooby-Doo film I wasn't much enthusiastic about this "Monsters Unleashed". But to tell the truth this film handled the characters better and the climax more interesting, at least in terms of the identity of the villain. It remained true to the original cartoon storyline in the sense that the character of the villain appeared earlier in the film. The dialogues also got better, though abandoning thick sense of humor was impossible. It failed to develop enough chemistry between the members of the gang, which is in fact faithful to the cartoon where in my opinion the characters are quite one-dimensional.

The CGI of Scooby himself has improved only slightly. The monsters could have been designed better, although there are touches of nice imagination e.g. the candy floss monster. The most irritating parts were unnecessary hip-hop dance sequences. Besides such points, Scooby Doo 2 deserves more praise than its prequel.

It's Friday afternoon, and you and your buds are trying to decide on a movie. "How about Scooby-Doo 2? Should we check it out?" Good question. Allow me to point out a few things that might help you make up your mind:

1. The word "Scooby" is in the title. 2. The word "Doo" is in the title. 3. The action takes place in a city called "Coolsville." 4. The local museum is called the "Coolsonian." 5. The phrase "Doo the fright thing" appears on the poster.

Got the picture? If so, then you should realize that this is NOT a movie that guys should see alone together. However, would it be all right to see with your significant other? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Did I watch *and* enjoy the original Scooby TV series?

2. Did I watch *and* enjoy the first Scooby movie?

If you answered "no" to both of those questions, then it should not shock you into a heart attack to hear that you might not enjoy this Scooby sequel.

THE GIST:

Yes, some of the jokes are pretty silly. And OK, there's enough cheese for more than a couple of Ritz crackers. And I'll admit, the inspirational "You are a hero" speeches are pretty painful. And while the CGI isn't going to make George Lucas' beard quiver, I still thought it was cool. I can't give "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" a whole-hearted recommendation, but it's great fun for the kids, and if you still find humor in the cartoon then you just might find yourself enjoying this live-action version. Just don't expect *too* much.

P.S. Aren't you glad I didn't say not to expect *doo* much?? BWAHAHAHAHA! I'm sorry. I officially apologize for that. It won't happen again.

Rating: 2 1/2 (out of 5)

This was a lot of fun, another great version of the old cartoon favorite. I really enjoy how much work is put into these adaptations of cartoons. Matthew Lillard as Shaggy is as always a favorite of mine, but, in this particular movie, Velma was just about as good. Plus as an added bonus, she actually looked hot for the first time. It was also good to see Seth Green in a very different role than in his previous works. Hats off to Sarah Michelle Gellar for another great performance as Daphne. I also enjoyed seeing Peter Boyle, who of course was in Young Frankenstein as the monster. He always works in these types of films. I give this film a 7 out of 10. See this at any price!