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Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) More at IMDbPro »

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133 comments in total

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18 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Funny and Comical Live Animation, 28 March 2004

Author: tabuno from utah

What makes this movie delightful is the ability of the direction and live actors to capture the essence of the animated action found in the original cartoon series. A number of the scenes appear to be lifted straight out of the cartoon series like where Scooby Doo and Shaggy are prowling around in a house and you find them carrying each other just as in the cartoon version. There are a number of such scenes that really hit the animated button and is a treat to actually see it transferred onto the large screen with real actors. Though not perfect, this movie has its obvious flaws where some scenes are so overboard that it detracts from the flow of the movie and in some places it drags abit. But overall, the tone, flavor of the movie, even the flairs of emotional drama and simple moral and juvenile dilemmas that the cast face about being a nerd, being cool, being loved add an enhanced quality to this movie targeted towards children (except for the obnoxious product placement at the beginning of the movie). Seven out of ten stars.

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16 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Dastardly deeds and CGI hijinks ensue., 18 June 2004
Author: (johnny_betts@hotmail.com)

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)

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12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Better climax., 21 May 2006

Author: shanfloyd from India

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.

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7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
More Like Overworked Taffy Than Cotton Candy, 29 March 2005

Author: gftbiloxi (gftbiloxi@yahoo.com) from Biloxi, Mississippi

The original live action SCOOBY DOO was rather like the cotton candy you buy at the fair: pretty to look at and fun to scarf down. But a little goes a long way, particularly when all the air has been beaten out and it emerges as overworked taffy.

Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini repeat the roles of Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma. Once again, Prinze and Gellar are hardly inspired but at least they play with tremendous energy; once again Lillard and Cardellini are so dead on target that the effect is almost spooky. They are supported by Seth Green, a truly talented actor who gives a very nice performance indeed; unfortunately, Peter Boyle is largely wasted and Alicia Silverstone is, well, Alicia Silverstone.

Silverstone aside, the cast might have recreated the lightness of the first film--but once you mix in a story about stolen costumes that come to life, huge sets, wild outfits, a dance number, and a ton of CGI effects they pretty much get lost in the shuffle. It's all about as much fun as a carnival after the crowd has gone and you're left alone with gum on the bottom of your shoe.

Kids probably won't notice the shortcomings, and older fans will be glad to see numerous references to the original cartoon series--and to be fair the film does have its moments, largely thanks to Lillard, Cardellini, and Green. The film is available to the homemarket via DVD... But by and large this is the sort of thing you watch once and then let gather dust on the shelf.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Second part with lots of fun and such amused as the first, 5 June 2006

Author: ma-cortes

The film concerns about our friends ¨the Mystery Inc.¨group with Scooby Doo ,Shaggy(Matthew Lillard) and the group(Sara Michelle Gellar,Freddie Prince Jr,Linda Cardellini)and takes place an eerie museum of criminology where are robbed a stuffed monsters for nefarious purposes.Meanwhile Daphne falls in love with the manager museum(Seth Greene).The equipment members are going out to investigate with its van towards a dark mansion, proprietary is a suspect old man(Peter Boyle).A reporter(Alicia Silverstone)accuses them as responsible robbery.

In the picture there are comedy,slapstick,humorous moments,mild diversion and is pretty amused.All are given a preteen treatment which means no gore and no bad language just some old-fashioned sympathetics scares.Many gags are good however the tale sometimes drags.Special mention to gags as the tournament between Fredd( Freddie Prince) and the monsters,besides those are intervening Shaggy-Scooby,they make a likable and comic couple. There appears even an electrifying monster similar to ¨Forbidden planet¨ film monster. Movie combines live action with computer generator animation on Scooby Doo creation,special effects are well done.The motion picture is regularly directed by Raja Gosnell.Kiddies may find the corny,flat humor bemusing,but most adults will be disappointed ,exception the fans the classic cartoon series created by Hanna Barbera. Rating : average but entertained.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
JINKIES!!, 27 March 2004
Author: inspector from Washington, U.S.A.

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!

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6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
An improvement over the first., 16 October 2005

Author: Boba_Fett1138 from Groningen, The Netherlands

I had seen the first movie and didn't liked it at all. Still I decided to go and give this movie a chance, to see if they had improvement anything. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they actually did. The story is better and more interesting and the monsters and CGI-effects in general are more convincing looking. The humor has also been improved and this movie actually does have some entertaining and funny moments in it.

Not only the story itself has been improved but also the storytelling. The pace is good and the characters work better for this movie. Also the actors seemed more at ease in their roles. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar certainly improved their acting compared to the first movie. Still best parts are played by Matthew Lillard and the perfectly cast Linda Cardellini. Plus of the movie is that it also has actors Alicia Silverstone, Tim Blake Nelson and Seth Green in it.

The monsters are enjoyable and are good looking. There still are some 'fake' moments but on the other hand there also are some truly spectacular looking sequences involving monsters. The character of Scooby-Doo himself is also looking more convincingly this time.

It's not really a memorable or great movie but it is simple good entertainment to watch.

6/10

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16 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-
Better than original, 26 March 2004

Author: Joseph Pintar from New Hartford, NY

The original Scooby Doo was bad. It couldn't decide if it was a straight live action version or a parody of Scooby Doo. That movie had an obnoxious tone to it. The sequel, however, is better. The action seems to be moving faster than the original. There are no fewer than three of the famous foot chases that Scooby Doo is famous for. The movie doesn't make a lot of sense, but it is going too fast for anybody to notice. The actors seem more comfortable in their roles this time around, especially Freddie Prinze, Jr. as Fred. Prinze was incredibly smug in the first movie. This time he seems to have dialed it down more. The actors are performing more as a team this time. These are people who like each other in this movie and not as five individuals. This is not a great movie, with unnecessary amounts of grotesque humor. Alicia Silverstone is wasted in a minor role. Overall, get a free ticket if you can to see in a theatre or rent it on video. 6/10

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A step up?, 25 June 2009

Author: Grann-Bach (Grann-Bach@jubii.dk) from Denmark

I suppose I was never that crazy about the show. It just didn't really grab me. I don't have a problem with others enjoying it, and I can see the logic in making these flicks for those who loved it. The main problem is just that it really doesn't have anything to offer for anyone else. It does, in both of them, try to offer it up, and were it further developed, perhaps coupled with less thin, stereotypical characters to work with, I think they could really have something interesting. The acting tends to be over the top, which is not to say that there are no good performances, or at least moments of such. Green is a nice addition. There are more monsters than in the first one. The CGI is at the same level of quality, that being quite good. This has fairly well-done cinematography and editing. The jokes and gags are almost exclusively silly, and if you're watching this, hopefully you enjoy bodily function jokes. This has a pretty decent plot, and throws some genuine surprises your way. The twist is reasonable. Designs are imaginative and fun. The music is cool. So is it better than its predecessor? I guess it averages out to them being about equal. I recommend this to fans of Scooby-Doo and co. 5/10

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Better than the first film., 12 September 2008

Author: mrusty5 from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

For the first film, I was a little disappointed. Mostly because the plot was a bit out of whack, the characters were nothing like their cartoon counterparts and the ending revelations were silly. I found the second film on DVD and decided to buy it. I watched it and loved it.

The second film is a great deal better than the first film and more faithful to the cartoons, in fact, that's what it feels like - watching a feature length live-action episode of the show. The actors portrayals of Mystery Inc. have greatly improved and they seem more comfortable in their roles. The sets, stunts and special effects (a phrase taken from the bonus features on the DVD) were all well put together, adding to the fun.

Monsters Unleashed involves Mystery Inc. in their hometown of Coolsville, attending the opening of the Coolsonian Criminology Museum, where the costumes of monsters the gang faced in the cartoon are on display. However, the Evil Masked Figure attacks, stealing the costumes and transforming them into realistic-looking monsters who all seek revenge on Mystery Inc. However to make matters worse, a trash-talking news reporter Heather Jasper Howe berates the gang and turns the city against them. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby Doo must fight and run for survival and regain the confidence of Coolsville.

The portrayal of Fred and Daphne are greatly improved and a lot more funnier than in the first film where they were greatly out of character. Velma is generally the same as before, but the presence of a romantic interest for her is a new side to her. As for Shaggy and Scooby, they are hilarious and really emotional.

It was really great to see a lot of references to the classic shows. The monsters are all accurate to their cartoon versions with some changes to make them look realistic. Among the monsters are the ghostly Black Knight, the electrifying 10,000 Volt Ghost, the vicious Pterodactyl Ghost who steals the monster costumes, the comical duo of the Skeleton Men, Captain Cutler who is a deceased deep sea diver with a glowing helmet, gargantuan fire-breathing Miner 49er, boggle-eyed Zombie who covers an unfortunate news reporter in slime, the massive blob that is the Tar Monster, and the Cotton Candy Glob who meets his end by Shaggy and Scooby's stomachs. Other monster costumes appear, heavily similar to their cartoons forms.

I recommend this film is anyone who likes Scooby Doo as it is really fun and enjoyable. Although there are some swear words used, a couple of scary images (and disturbing ones too), and Scooby Doo wearing an afro and dancing for a little while, this film is colourful and memorable experience to watch.

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