Movie Type: Family-Oriented Adventure, Fantasy Comedy
Themes: Amateur Sleuths, Man's Best Friend, Talking Animals
Main Cast: Freddie Prinze, Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Seth Green, Peter Boyle, Tim Blake Nelson, Alicia Silverstone, Neil Fanning
Release Year: 2004
Country: US
Run Time: 93 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
America's favorite teenage canine-led crime fighters earn a second shot at the big screen in this sequel to the hit comedy Scooby-Doo. The reunited Mystery Inc. team -- Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (voice of Neil Fanning) -- return to their hometown of Coolsville as heroes when a local criminology museum offers an exhibition of the many ghostly disguises used by villains they've subdued over the years. However, their warm welcome is not long-lived; mean-spirited television reporter Heather Jasper-Howe (Alicia Silverstone) has aired a series of stories calling the team's intelligence and bravery into question, and even worse, a number of the weird creature costumes on display in the museum are coming to life and wrecking havoc on the people of Coolsville. Some of the clues seem to point to Old Man Wickles (Peter Boyle), whose attempts to pose as the Black Knight Ghost were foiled by the Mystery Machinists in the past, but is he looking for revenge or just a red herring? And what is Velma supposed to do about Patrick Wisely (Seth Green), a curator at the museum who's warm for her helmet-haired form? Scooby-Doo 2 also co-stars Tim Blake Nelson and features a cameo appearance from American Idol star Ruben Studdard. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
While this film's antecedent disappointed long-time Scooby-Doo fans, the film did play well to children. The sequel feels aimed at a slightly older crowd -- ten-year-olds rather than seven-year-olds. Thematically speaking, James Gunn's script is rather fairly well thought out. The recurring lesson, that people must be confident enough to be who they are, works well considering that Mystery Inc. is forever exposing bad guys pretending to be ghosts and ghouls. This thematic structure also allows Shaggy and Scooby to be heroes, seeing as they are always nothing but themselves. The film starts strong with a funny, and smarter than one might expect, opening sequence that includes a very humorous exchange between the nerdy Velma (Linda Cardellini) and the equally awkward Patrick Wisely, played by the reliable Seth Green. Thanks to Cardellini's fine work and the deepening of her character, their tentative romance provides some of the film's most enjoyable moments. Once again, this film belongs to Matthew Lillard, who so unselfconsciously becomes a manifestation of the cartoon Shaggy that it is easy to forget that one isn't watching the old animated figure. While Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar can never completely shed the appearance that they think this material is beneath them, Lillard once again embraces the challenge of playing a cartoon and once again pulls it off with welcome aplomb. Better-written, funnier, scarier, and containing a better mystery than the first film, Scooby-Doo 2 still falls just short of actually being a good film. But those who found elements to admire in the first film will not be disappointed by this follow-up. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Ruben Studdard - Himself; Bill Meilen - Chauffeur; Zahf Paroo - Ned; Richard "Bo" Dietl - pickle man/Faux Ghost Patron; Alex Lee - Dancer; Alan C. Peterson - Harry Lang; Jeff Tanner - Harry Lang; Stephen E. Miller - C.L. Magnus; Michael Sorich - Tar Monster/Cotton Candy Glob [Voice]; Ingrid Torrance - reporter #3; C. Ernst Harth - Miner 49er; Dee Bradley Baker - 10,000 Volt Ghost/Zombie/Red Eye Skeleton [Voice]; Scott McNeil - Evil Masked Figure; J.P. Manoux - Scooby Brainiac [Voice]; Kevin Durand - Black Knight Ghost; Dan Joffre - Faux Ghost Patron; Wally Wingert - Green Eye Skeleton; Laurence Kennedy - Young Velma; Michael Brown - Big Brovas band member; Christopher Gauthier - Daphne's tattooed fan #1; Bradley Gosnell - kid on bike #1; Calum Worthy - kid on bike #2; Andrew Jackson - Road Rage Man; Kwesi Ameyaw - men in suit; Karen Holness - keyboard player; Colin Foo - investor; Peter New - Daphne's tattooed fan #2; Kimani Ray Smith - reporter #1; Mark Burgess - men in suit; Catherine Lough Haggquist - reporter #2; Tara Fynn - Mullet nerdette #3; Darrell Izeard - museum guard; Paul Jamieson - scared man; Bob Papenbrook - Black Knight; Cascy Beddow - young Shaggy; Bill Mondy - vomit reporter; Karin Konoval - Aggie Wilkins; Christopher Sumpton - Zombie; Morgan Brayton - Mullet nerdette #1; Lisa Ann Beley - Mullet nerdette #2; Joe MacLeod - skater dude #1; Brandon Jay McLaren - skater dude #2; Aaron Ydenberg - skater dude #3; Lou Bollo - flashback security guard #1; John Ulmer - flashback security guard #2; Brenna O'Brien - buttercup scout; Ted Kozma - museum guard; Andrew McIlroy - investor; Nazanin Afshin-Jam - shaggy chick; Emily Tennant - young Daphne; Ryan Vrba - young Fred; Tiffani Timms - reporter #4; Tazmanian Devil - himself; Terrence Stone - 10,000 Volt Ghost [Voice]; Cherise Roberts - Big Brovas band member; Nadia Shepherd - Big Brovas band member; Dion Howell - Big Brovas band member; Temi Tayo Aisida - Big Brovas band member; John Paul Horsley - Big Brovas band member; Everick Golding - bass player; Aaron Clyke - guitar player; Doron Bell Jr. - drum player; Breanna English - dancer; Chantel Hunt - dancer; Harj Rai - dancer; Angie Bell - dancer; Andrea Loftus - dancer; Ferdinand Tocol - dancer; Mary Lou Brien - dancer; Leigh Hilary - dancer; Alex Pesusich - dancer; Hayley Oakes - dancer; Richard O'Sullivan - Dancer
Credit
Don Macauley - Art Director, Michael Norman Wong - Art Director, James Norman Wong - Art Director, Shepherd Frankel - Supervising Art Director, Kelly Zombor - Boom Operator, Mary Vernieu - Casting, Alan Glazer - Co-producer, James Gunn - Co-producer, Leesa Evans - Costume Designer, Susan O'Hara - Costume Designer, Elizabeth Beauchamp - Costume Designer, Debbie Humphreys - Costume Designer, Richard Cowan - First Assistant Director, Peter Cowan - First Assistant Director, Raja Gosnell - Director, Andrew Armstrong - Second Unit Director, Kent Beyda - Editor, Joseph Barbera - Executive Producer, Kelley Smith-Wait - Executive Producer, Brent O'Connor - Executive Producer, Cydney Cornell - Hair Styles, Anji Bemben - Hair Styles, Kirk Johns - Location Manager, David Newman - Composer (Music Score), Greg Jamrok - Musical Arrangement, Andrew Kinney - Musical Arrangement, Laura Z. Wasserman - Musical Direction/Supervision, Darren Higman - Musical Direction/Supervision, James Bamford - Martial Arts Instructor/Coordinator, Rosalina Da Silva - Makeup, John M. Elliott, Jr. - Makeup, Bill Boes - Production Designer, Oliver Wood - Cinematographer, Charles Roven - Producer, Richard Suckle - Producer, Scott Wolf - Sound Editor, Jim Dunn - Stunts, Alex Green - Stunts, David Mylrea - Stunts, Richard Brooks - Stunts, Melissa R. Stubbs - Stunts, Dave Hospes - Stunts, Gaston Howard - Stunts, Brad Loree - Stunts, Scott Nicholson - Stunts, Todd W. Nobles - Stunts, Cody Thomson - Stunts, Deborah Macatumpag - Stunts, Doug Chapman - Stunts, Heath Stevenson - Stunts, Tom Farr - Stunts, Cotton Mather - Stunts, Gavin Buhr - Stunts, Bill Edwards - Stunts, Carolyn Field - Stunts, Angela Uyeda - Stunts, Nick Allen - Stunts, Melissa Barker - Stunts, Claude Bouchard - Stunts, Dustin Brooks - Stunts, Leanne Buchanan - Stunts, Nesta Chapman - Stunts, Brent Connolly - Stunts, Crystal Dalman - Stunts, Ashlea Earl - Stunts, Alette Falle - Stunts, Greg Hanson - Stunts, Nick Harrison - Stunts, Bev Knight - Stunts, Brian Lydiatt - Stunts, Dan Rizzuto - Stunts, Brad Timmis - Stunts, Michelle Waitman - Stunts, Mitchell Lee Yuen - Stunts, Charles Andre - Stunts, Jim Bentley - Stunts, J.J. Makaro - Stunts Coordinator, Andrew Armstrong - Stunts Coordinator, Brent O'Connor - Unit Production Manager, James Rowe - Unit Production Manager, Jim Rowe - Unit Production Manager, James Gunn - Screenwriter, Peter Crosman - Visual Effects Supervisor, Betsy Patterson - Visual Effects Supervisor, Laura Schultz - Visual Effects Supervisor, Jim Van Dijk - First Assistant Camera, Gary Viola - First Assistant Camera, Larry Portman - First Assistant Camera, Katherine Quittner - Music Editor, Tanya Noel Hill - Music Editor, Michael Brown - Musical Performer, Karen Holness - Musical Performer, Cherise Roberts - Musical Performer, Nadia Shepherd - Musical Performer, Dion Howell - Musical Performer, Temi Tayo Aisida - Musical Performer, John Paul Horsley - Musical Performer, Everick Golding - Musical Performer, Aaron Clyke - Musical Performer, Doron Bell Jr. - Musical Performer, Joan Bierman - Post Production Supervisor, Michael C. Casper - Re-Recording Mixer, Daniel J. Leahy - Re-Recording Mixer, Portia Belmont - Script Supervisor, David Klohn - Second Assistant Director, Jim Van Dijk - Steadicam Operator, Michael Wilhoit - Supervising Sound Editor, Mark Franco - Visual Effects Producer, Kelly Oxford - ADR Editor, Michelle Pazer - ADR Editor, Jina Johnson - Assistant Location Manager, David Kudell - Assistant Sound Editor, David Stanke - Assistant Sound Editor, Kimaree Long - Dialogue Editor, Larry Portman - First Assistant Accountant, Wilton Henderson - First Assistant Editor, Earl Fudger - First Assistant Editor, Matt W. Diezel - First Assistant Editor, Melody Gehrman - First Assistant Editor, James Moriana - Foley Artist, Jeffrey Wilhoit - Foley Artist, Perry Battista - Leadman, Harold Bernard - Second Assistant Accountant, Harold Bernard - Second Assistant Camera, Joanna Moore - Second Second Assistant Director, Tedd Kuchera - Set Decorator, Nerses Gezalyan - Foley Mixer, David Husby - Production Sound Mixer, Cameron Drinkle - Video Playback, Thomas Calderón - Visual Effects Editor, Mary E. Walter - Visual Effects Editor, Marty November - Assistant Visual Effects Editor, Audrey Chang - Assistant Visual Effects Editor
Based directly on Scooby Doo 2, Warner Bros.' second live-action feature film inspired by the enduringly popular Hanna-Barbera cartoon, this sequel to THQ's Scooby Doo invites PC players to reprise the roles of Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne in a new adventure. The gang's reputation as mystery-solvers is at stake, when the grand opening ceremony for Coolsville's Coolsonian Criminology Museum that they're attending is disrupted by what seem to be a pair of spooky ghouls. Players must explore their surroundings, search for clues, and set traps to catch a slew of monstrous villains. Game levels are based on artwork and stills from the feature film.
~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
Production Credits
Company 1: AWE Games; Executive Producer: James Wheeler; Lead Programmer: Jamie Nye; Art Director: Scott Nixon; Producer: Trevr Talbird; Lead Animator: Mike Niedda; Lead Artist: Chad Read; Artist: Chris Remy, Forrest Mulcahy; Additional Art: Craig Kelly, Rick Daniels, Devon Browne, Nick Schreiber, Gavin McNeal, Anthony Vitale; Additional Programming: Keith Verity; Quality Assurance: Aaron Runion; Company 2: THQ; Executive Vice President - Worldwide Studios: Jack Sorensen; Vice President - Product Development: Philip Holt; Director - Project Management: Richard Browne; Project Coordinator: Colin Totman; Manager, Production Resources: Jenae Pash; Senior Vice President - Worldwide Marketing: Peter Dille; Director, Global Brand Management: John Ardell; Product Marketing Manager: Kevin Hooper; Director, Creative Services: Howard Liebeskind; Associate Creative Services Manager: Melissa Roth; Manual Text: Bill Maxwell; Packaging Layout and Design: Beeline Group; Director, Media Relations: Liz Pieri; Media Relations Manager: Jennifer Campana; Lead Tester: Erika Fortner; Tester: Richard Jones, Pechet Katin, David Price, R. J. Romero; QA Technician: Mario Waibel; QA Database Administrator: Jason Roberts; Director of Quality Assurance: Monica Vallejo; Voice of Velma: Linda Cardelini; Voice of Shaggy: Matthew Lillard; Voice of Fred: Chris Cox; Voice of Daphne: Adriane Wilkinson; Voice of Scooby Doo: Neil Fanning; Voice of Heather: Alicia Silverstone; Voice of Evil Masked Figure: Scott McNe; Voice of Black Knight Ghost: Rob Paulsen; Voice of Doorbell: Rob Paulsen; Voice of Miner 49er: Rob Paulsen; Voice of Cotton Candy Glob: Rob Paulsen; V.O. Produced By: VoiceWorks Productions Inc.; V.O. Director: Douglas Carrigan; V.O. Recorded At: Atlantis Group Recording; Recording Engineer: John Chominsky; Company 3: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment; Producer: Heidi Behrendt; Director of Production: Brett Skogen; Marketing Manager: Susannah Scott; Marketing Coordinator: David S. Cohen; SVP, Interactive Entertainment: Jason Hall; VP, Interactive Entertainment: Philippe Erwin; Director, Interactive Entertainment: Scott Johnson
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is a 2004 film, and sequel to 2002's Scooby-Doo based on the Hanna-Barbera series classic, Scooby-Doo. It was directed by Raja Gosnell, who also directed the first film, and was written by James Gunn, who also wrote Scooby Doo. It was released on March 26, 2004.
Mystery, Inc. - Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo - are attending the grand opening of the Coolsonian Criminology Museum in Coolsville, the evening's premiere exhibition is the costumes of the many monsters Mystery Inc. has faced over the years. Velma has a crush on the museum's curator Patrick Wisely (Seth Green), while news reporter Heather Jasper-Howe (Alicia Silverstone) seems to berate Fred and Daphne's relationship. However, the night turns into a crime scene when an Evil Masked Figure (Scott McNeil) attacks the museum with the Pterodactyl Ghost costume that has come to life. They escape with the Black Knight Ghost and the 10,000 Volt Ghost costumes.
The press start a smear campaign against the gang led by Howe. Shaggy and Scooby take responsibility for the troubles at the museum and decide to make themselves better detectives. The gang figure that the Evil Masked Figure is one of their old foes wanting revenge. After ruling out the original Pterodactyl Ghost's portrayer, Jonathan Jacobo, after his apparent death, the gang select "Old Man" Jeremiah Wickles (Peter Boyle) as the culprit, Wickles being the original portrayer of The Black Knight Ghost in their first case. The gang visits Wickles' manor where they find strange green footprints that lead to the library where they find a book that is basically an instruction manual on how to create monsters. Meanwhile, Shaggy and Scooby find a note that has "Faux Ghost-Tonight". Afterward, they are attacked by the reanimated Black Knight who is fought off by Daphne until Velma uses the book to find the knight's weak point, kicking him in the crotch, and the gang escapes.
Shaggy and Scooby sneak off to the Faux Ghost that turns out to be a nightclub where they encounter many of their old adversaries such as C.L. Mangus (the original Red Beards Ghost), Aggie Wilkins (The Ozark Witch) and Timmy Belafonte (the original Cotton Candy Glob) who wore monster costumes. While in disguise, they managed to speak to Jeremiah Wickles. They barely managed to get out after their cover is blown. Shaggy and Scooby then stalk Wickles to Coolsville's old mining factory. The others discover the key ingredient to making the monsters is a substance called Randamonium, and along with Patrick, they go to the museum where they discover all of the other costumes have been stolen. Fred, Velma and Daphne also go to the mining factory where Wickles is proven innocent when he is revealed to be planning to turn the factory into a summer camp. Shaggy and Scooby find a laboratory where they mess around with some chemicals, transforming into various forms until they blow up a wall, attracting the attention of the others. Reunited, the gang investigate a hidden room where a massive monster-making machine is located. Shaggy and Scooby turn it on, transforming the Zombie, Miner '49er, Captain Cutler, and The Tar Monster. when they try to flee, a pair of supercharged wires connected to what seems to be some kind of small powerplant create the 10,000 Volt Ghost.
The gang escape with the machine's control panel and are forced to flee the city when the monsters attack it, in the process of which, the Evil Masked Figure appears on what seems to be Captain Cutler's ship on a very crowded street, telling everyone there to turn in Mystery Inc. The Tar Monster then appears and basically explodes, sending massive amounts of Tar across the entire street, and capturing the people there. In the swamplands, the gang find their old clubhouse where they discover that they can reverse the machine's effects by altering the control panel's system. The gang return to the mining town after escaping Captain Cutler, the Pterodactyl Ghost and the Zombie driving an oil tanker. Fred and Daphne split off from the group to fight the Black Knight and the electrical 10,000 Volt Ghost. They defeat the two ghosts by channeling the 10,000 Volt Ghost through a pair of jumper cables into the Black Knight who acts as a conductor, causing the two to explode.
Velma finds a shrine to Jacobo and is saved from death by Patrick although he is carried off by the Pterodactyl Ghost. Shaggy and Scooby get a boost of confidence from Velma and defeat their first monster, the Cotton Candy Glob by eating him. The gang reunite in the Monster Hive but all except for Scooby are captured by the Tar Monster. Scooby uses a fire extinguisher to freeze the Tar Monster and then makes it past the other monsters to the machine where he places the control panel and destroys the monsters. The Evil Masked Figure makes a run for it but falls upon a collapsing walkway. He is unmasked to the press and public to be revealed as Heather Jasper-Howe, and then unmasked again as Dr. Jonathan Jacobo (Tim Blake Nelson). Jacobo survived his escape from prison, was in prison with Wickles whom he framed, and used the Howe persona to turn the press against the gang. Howe's cameraman Ned is also arrested for his part in the act by posing as the Evil Masked Figure when Jacobo was posing as Heather. The film ends with the cast dancing in the Faux Ghost to Ruben Studdard, who is singing.
Doctor Jonathan Jacobo, (Disguise as Heather Jasper-Howe) the main villain of the film
Ned
Monsters
The film featured a number of monsters from the classic Scooby Doo cartoons. The monsters were either portrayed in costumes with CGI effects or completely made from CGI animation. Some of the monsters look entirely different from their appearances in the cartoons, although this was done for realism. Also, some of the characters who posed as the monsters in the movie are not the same characters from the series. The monsters in the film were:
The Pterodactyl Ghost (The Scooby-Doo Show episode "Hang In There, Scooby-Doo") - A ghostly pterodactyl who steals the other monster costumes for their transformations. He is the first monster created by the Evil Masked Figure (aka Johnathan Jocobo who was the original Pterodactyl Ghost in the cartoon) as it was his original monster costume. The supposed origin of this Pterodactyl ghost is very different from the original ghost from The Scooby-Doo Show, which was merely a pawn in a music pirating operation.
The Black Knight Ghost (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? episode "What a Night For a Knight") - The first monster Mystery Inc. faced. A haunted suit of armor, the Black Knight Ghost acts as a lieutenant to the Evil Masked Figure, capable of controlling his sword without holding it. He and the 10,000 Volt Ghost are beaten by Fred and Daphne when they use jumper cables to send the Volt Ghost's energy through his body.
The 10,000 Volt Ghost (The Scooby-Doo Show episode "Whatta Shocking Ghost") - A ghost made of electrical energy. He is the most dangerous and most powerful of the monsters. He is defeated when Fred and Daphne use jumper cables to channel his energy through the Black Knight Ghost, causing them both to explode. Unlike the original 10,000 Volt Ghost, who was a person wearing a suit which made it look like it was made out of electricity, this version is actually made out of pure electrical energy.
The Skeleton Men (The Scooby-Doo Show episode "A Creepy Tangle in the Bermuda Triangle") - A pair of one-eyed skeletons. The two that are used are a comical duo, capable of reforming their bodies into different shapes. The red-eyed one is the leader and is very smart while the green-eyed one is more cowardly and dim-witted.
Captain Cutler's Ghost (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? episode "A Clue For Scooby-Doo") - The ghost of a deep sea scuba diver, who has a glowing helmet and attacks with a harpoon launcher. He is defeated when Fred pulls the Mystery Machine in reverse really fast, hitting Captain Cutler and sending him flying into a swamp where the Mystery Inc.'s old clubhouse is. His helmet is found in the ending by Coolsville newsreporters.
The Miner 49er (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? episode "Mine Your Own Business") - A gargantuan miner who can breathe fire and wields a pickaxe. He only says one line, "I'll get you, ya varmints!", to Shaggy and Scooby.
The Zombie (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? episode "Which Witch Is Which?") - A green-skinned, boggle-eyed zombie who spews slime over innocent victims.
The Tar Monster (The Scooby-Doo Show episode "The Tar Monster") - A massive bulk of tar with one eye. A smart and formidable opponent who can ensnare multiple victims in his endless form. Unlike the original tar monster, he has a pupil and can manage to speak English.
The Cotton Candy Glob - The Cotton Candy Glob is loosely based on the "green globs" from The New Scooby Doo Movies episode "The Haunted Candy Factory". In the movie, it is a large pink monster made from cotton candy that is eaten by Shaggy and Scooby-Doo.
Monster Costume Cameos
Chickenstein (A Pup Named Scooby-Doo episode "Chickenstein Lives") - A "Frankenstein" type monster that looks like a chicken. He's not seen alive in the movie, but he is referenced by Velma as being one of the gang's "lousiest" villains. Shaggy and Scooby disagree, recalling that the monster tried to pluck them.
The Creeper (Scooby-Doo, Where are You? epsode "Jeepers, It's the Creeper") - The Creeper's costume briefly appears when Shaggy and Scooby hide behind it when the Pterodactyl Ghost first appears.
Trivia
All the monster costumes seen in the film were very similar to their cartoon adaptions, many practically identical. Each monster costume came with a plaque that described the monster's appearance in the show, complete with original artwork of the monsters.
Reception
On March 24, 2004 the film grossed $29,438,331 (over 3,312 theaters, $8,888 average) on its opening weekend.[1] It grossed domestically $84,216,833, and earned $181,466,833 worldwide, lower than the $275,650,700 worldwide Scooby-Doo grossed two years earlier. It also ranked #1 at the box office. It is the 28th most successful film of 2004.[2]
Like the first film, the critical response was mostly negative, gaining a 21% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 34 on Metacritic, indicating "Generally negative reviews". It also won a Razzie Award for "Worst Remake or Sequel".
