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Trying on a new 'Doo'
Friday, Mar 26, 2004 - 12:00:19 am CST
BYL. KENTWOLGAMOTT
If you liked "Scooby-Doo" and you're a fan of the animated series, you're really going to go for "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," a picture that is truer to the spirit and plotting of the TV show than was the first Scooby movie.
That doesn't mean that "Scooby-Doo 2:Monsters Unleashed" is great cinema. It's not. Not even close. But the little Scooby fans are likely to like it, and so are those who grew up on the show and, for some reason, can't let it go.
The whole crew from "Scooby-Doo" is back for episode two.
It's directed by Raja Gosnell, who has a touch for popular broad comedy, written by James Gunn and brings back the original Mystery Inc. cast: Freddie Prinze Jr. as the bland leader Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as the image-driven fighter Daphne, Linda Cardellini as the brainy Velma and Matthew Lillard as goofball Shaggy, the best buddy of the equally goofy talking dog Scooby-Doo.
This time, Mystery Inc. is back to fighting ghosts at home in Coolsville, U.S.A. Specifically, they're after the evil masked figure who is stealing costumes from the new Coolsville Criminology Museum and then bringing former foes such as the Black Knight Ghost, the Skelemen, the Pterodactyl Ghost and Miner 49er back to fight again.
There are a couple of suspects. First on the list is Jeremiah "Old Man" Wickles (Peter Boyle), the former Black Knight Ghost who was unmasked by Mystery Inc. and thrown in jail. Second is museum curator Patrick Wisely (SethGreen), who has a crush on Velma but might be a very bad guy in nerdy disguise.
And then there's the annoying TVreporter Heather Jasper-Howe (Alicia Silverstone), who delights in embarassing the gang as they stumble and bumble in their efforts to catch the ghosts.
The plot is as silly as would be expected, with lots of running from and fighting with the ghosts. But that's part of the Scooby schtick. So are the bad jokes with Shaggy and Scoob that are sure to make the kids laugh. None of that is remotely appealing for adults who didn't grow up on "Scooby-Doo."
The effects are well enough done that "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" doesn't look ridiculous and the acting is similarly good enough for a movie based on a TV cartoon.
That's not exactly high praise.But "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" isn't aiming for a lofty target.
Instead, its the unavoidable sequel to a smash hit that grossed $275 million worldwide. Much of the audience that made that film a hit would likely return to theaters to make "Scooby-Doo 2" a box-office champ even if the film was utterly unwatchable.
However, the sequel is passable rather than horrid, making it a surprise. But it's still not all that good.
Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or at kwolgamott@;journalstar.com.
HH
Director: Raja Gosnell
Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini
Rated: PG
Now Showing: Cinema, East Park, SouthPointe
The Reel Story: The Mystery Inc. gang has to fight many of its old foes in this sequel that's better than the original.
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