Customer Reviews

Scooby-Doo 2 - Monsters Unleashed [VHS]

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

As a Scooby fan I may be a bit biased but how you can deny that this is just great entertainment for everyone is beyond my understanding. Of course this isn't high art but it IS very well put together and there are plenty of in-jokes for the wiser viewers. This movie HAS to be mindless, it would lose its kid audience otherwise. But that doesn't mean there's no good humor or plot to it.

Granted, the plot is dumb (the gang go up against all the monsters from the first season, only this time they're real), but there is slight sophistication and the manic set-pieces just bombard us, one after the other. Once again, there's not a moment of boredom, but there are quieter scenes with the Mystery Inc. gang in which character is not completely ignored. The main stars are, as usual, Shaggy and Scooby. Matthew Lillard is dead-on as Shaggy. Give this man an Oscar, seriously!

One moment that requires major suspension of disbelief is not any scene feature sludge monsters or a talking dog but a scene in which Velma utters 'I'm not hot'. NOT HOT!!!???? WHAT??? She's a total babe, more so than Daphne.

And I NEVER care about CGI FX in movies. But here they are so cool, colorful and convincing. Who are you to tell me Scooby Doo ain't real?

Go out and see this right away. Between this and Looney Tunes: Back in Action family movies are balancing out a little bit after the awful crud of Cat in the Hat and Cheaper by the Dozen.

Give us Scooby Doo 3 right now!!!

Scooby-Doo still looks fake but if you look past that the movie isn't to bad.The movie has the original cast excluding Rowan Atkinson with Freddie Prinze Jr as Fred,Sarah Michelle Gellar as
Daphne,Linda Cardellini as Velma,and Matthew Lillard as Shaggy.
There are also some new characters including a museum curator who has a crush on Velma played by Seth Green.Also a mean news reporter played by Alicia Silverstone.The movie has the gang investigating a villian stealing all the costumes of the ghosts they've caught in the past and turning them into real monsters
and a subplot involving Shaggy and Scooby learning they really have no contribution to the gang and trying to solve the mysteries by themselves.Lillard again seems to be channeling Casey Kasem who did the original voice.The only bad thing about the movie was little kids in the theatre repeating every single thing that was said in the previews and in the film itself.Scooby-Doo fans should be pleased with this one.B- for the movie.Enjoy!!!

Contrary it appears to public opinion (if box office receipts are anything to go by) I actually preferred this sequel to the original SCOOBY DOO.
Gone is the ridiculous unmasking of the improbable villain (though this one is pure fantasy too) and we actually seem to have a plot here with actual clues to uncover. Whereas the first one seemed to play like some wacked out amusement park ride, this one plays it all a little straighter without losing its Scooby sense of zany humor.
The movie opens as a museum exhibit is being unveiled covering the history of Mystery Inc. Things get steadily worse however as one of the disguises comes dramatically to life Soon the team are being chased by all manner of monsters as well as a rather vindictive television reporter (played by 1990s sex symbol Alicia Silverstone).
There are some real red herrings in the convoluted plot of this movie, but there is actually a coherant follow the clues structure to this movie that was sadly missing from the team's freshman live-action version.
Yes, this movie is far from high art, but its colorful and fun...
Please give us a SCOOBY DOO 3 as this franchise just seems to get better and better.

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.

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.

Scooby Doo 2 is the best so far of the two movies in the series. This movie isn't as serious as the first and is more like the origanal series. It starts out with the gang at the grand opening of a museum dedicated to the costumes of the villians that they have captured. Throughout the movie all the costumes were stolen and they begin searching for the thief. The actors/actresses sound a lot and like like the origanal Mystery Gang members, especially Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby-Doo. Overall this is a great family film. I went in suspecting a boring movie like the first, but I had lots of fun and came out laughing. The audience even clapped throughout some parts.

After only two years, the four monster-busters are back, reflecting the popularity of the series. As I am not a fan of this Hannah Barbera animation, my expectaions were very low. As it turns out, the sequel is not as bad as I thought. Actually, I believe it is better than the first one, despite the unoriginal story and uninspired gags in the film.

The story is, as I said, just OK, probably better than the fist one's. The musuem celebrating the past works of Mystery Inc. is destroyed by Evil Masked Figure, who turns the exhibition into a real mess. This event results in the disgrance of Mystery Inc. and the four members begin to search for the clues that lead to such popular villains as Cap. Cutler's Ghost, who once decorated the TV episodes in the past.

Now, the good things about 'Scooby-Doo 2' are these:
A) The four members do not work alone (except detective-wannabe Shaggy and Scooby), as they did in the first one. The original's idea of them fighting each other was just awful.
B) Matthew Lillard is still hilarious as Shaggy (and you know that).
C) Linda Cadellini is qually impressive as Velma, even in red leather jackets.
D) There is no Rowan Atkinson.

And bad things are:
A) The gags became more gross -- mainly gases, which is a good proof of the lack of original ideas.
B) Guest stars -- Seth Green, Peter Boyle, Tim Blake Nelson, and Alicia Siverstone (as TV reporter) -- are not particularly attractive.
C) Scooby in an Afro wig. That was ... unique.

Well, that's about it. There is nothing you can call inspired in the film, but the film itself was mildly amusing. Still the CGI-created Scooby is seamlessly done, reminding us of another comic hero Garfield. And like that Garfield movie, 'SD2' is just a passble one.

The first Scooby Doo movie was a novelty. Everyone wanted to see just how close people could come to making the characters come to life. Now the novelty has worn off and it's time for a good story. Scooby Doo 2 definitely delivers! It was great to see some of those famous animated baddies in "real life". This movie is far better than the first. In this new outing, the screenwriters have created a situation that is a classic. Scooby-Doo: Mystery, Inc.'s hometown of Coolsville is threatened by an evil masked madman who steals the costumes of the classic monsters that MI have exposed as fakes from a recent museum exhibit, and used them to create REAL versions of same.

All the original cast has returned, and everyone shines in stellar performances, bringing their characters to life. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. make dynamic improvements in their roles as Daphne and Fred; Gellar brings a sweetness and kindliness to Daphne that she wasn't able to with Buffy and Prinze gives Fred a sense of depth, humor and leadership. Matthew Lillard returns with another explosive performance as Shaggy, channeling this character from somewhere deep within his psyche. Lillard has developed a reputation for intense performances but with his portrayal of Shaggy, those performances are not so much eclipsed as erased. Eyes bugging, howling, screaming, limbs flailing, with the trademark cry of "[GHOST]!!!" at once terrified and RESIGNED TO the inevitable chase, Lillard nails Shaggy again and again throughout the film.
The CGI Scooby, voiced deftly by Neil Fanning, seems much improved, and this time it's a proper mix of cartoon and real canine that displays the lovability and goofiness of Scooby Doo, which is much better. The supporting cast includes a sympathetic Peter Boyle as former villain Old Man Wickles, and a devious Alicia Silverstone redeems her genre-film rep from the horror that was Batman and Robin as a two-faced TV reporter who seems to be out to deface the gang's track record.
All in all, this second effort is well-made and worth the time spent. Stars all round.

There's just something about these movies that attracts a certain kind of person, and I'm not one of those people. With Scooby Doo 3 in the pipeline, things can only get worse. Or Freddie Prinze Jnr & Sarah Michelle Gellar could split up. That could make things awkward.

I only agreed to watch this movie to stop a brewing argument, as there always is when you have 400+ DVDs to choose from, and you've both got different tastes. You'd rather resort to something you've seen before, than watch a movie where someone's going on about Velma being hot. (Daphne should never have been allowed to get her hands on Velma, to make her 'hot'. She was better looking before, the catsuit, heels, obvious extensions, did nothing for her. And she looked awkward the whole time, which I suppose was the point. Plus, I had a feeling they were 'borrowing' from She's All That, with her entrance.) But once again, I enjoyed it, purely for Shaggy, played spectacularly by Matthew Lilliard. I think he's even better than the animated version! :) He's just perfect.

In the movie, armed with a few pointless ghosts or whatever you wanna call them, and a very catty Alicia Silverstone, three of the characters - Shaggy, Velma, and Daphne - have a crisis, where they think they're useless as part of Mystery Inc. These storylines seem to be thrown away pretty quickly, and never mentioned of again.

The best part of the whole movie? The funky dance sequence, featuring UK group Big Brovaz, with Scooby wearing an afro wig, and looking very 70s. I loved it! It's also repeated towards the end, with the rest of Mystery Inc.

If you're a fan of Scooby, then you're possibly going to enjoy this movie. If you're a fan of Matthew Lilliard, he's spot on as Shaggy - give this man an Oscar! I dread to think what's going to happen in the third. If there's any hint/mention of Scrappy Doo, I can see it being a disaster. And please make Freddy & Sarah look like they're enjoying themselves, instead of just going through the motions.

I have a feeling I'm going to be hearing about Velma being 'hot' for a long time to come ...

It's a big night in Coolsville. A museum is opening and its main exhibit is a tribute to the Mysteries, Inc. gang featuring the costumes of many of the creatures they've defeated over the years. Naturally, everyone is on hand for the opening. But things don't go smoothly. Much to everyone's shock, the Pterodactyl Ghost comes to life and starts flying around the museum. When Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby-Doo try to stop it, they make a mess of the museum.

Fred (Freddie Prinz, Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Velma (Linda Cardellini) immediately spring into action trying to figure out how and why the monster came to life. The obvious suspect is Old Man Wickles (Peter Boyle), a former foe just released from jail.

When more of their former foes come to life, the townspeople turn against the gang. Can they stop the monsters, stay alive, and solve the mystery?

I haven't seen many of the cartoon episodes, but this movie actually made me wish I had. These monsters were creepy yet cool at the same time. Overall, the story was much better then the original movie with several viable suspects. Shaggy and Scooby attempt to shed their goofy image and gather actual clues, but on the whole, the gang even works together this time. Once again, Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini are the standouts of the cast, while Seth Green and Alicia Silverstone are great additions this time around.

This sequel should appeal more to fans of the series. While forgettable, it's also good for a couple hours entertainment.