The Scooby-Doo franchise is always a perfect watch during the Halloween season. It’s spooky-yet-silly atmosphere remains consistent across every Scooby-Doo release. Even though some films in the series hold more mature tones, like “Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island” and the crossover episode spin-off with “Supernatural” entitled “Scoobynatural,” they all share lighthearted moments interspersed with more prominent horror elements.
“Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed” captures the franchise’s classic tone, delivering it in a fresh way for audiences. The 2004 film, directed by Raja Gosnell and written by James Gunn has a pretty simple story, but is still an entertaining filling piece of the early 2000s pie. It has great setpieces and an amazing cast that will make any viewer crack a smile due to just how fun of a watch it is from start to finish.
Returning from the first 2002 “Scooby-Doo,” the cast continues their phenomenal performances bridging the same authentic energy in their roles. Some critics did not see the value of this production, viewing it as an easy paycheck for a silly kids movie; however, everyone in the cast plays these characters with 100% conviction for the entire film.
The main highlight would have to be Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers. It is a casting choice so perfect that Lillard has been voicing the character in recent shows and direct-to-video movies for almost 20 years. The way Lillard acts and manages to interact with a computer-generated image (CGI) character, Scooby-Doo, is an impressive feat. This act can be compared to films like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” where animated characters are integrated into the real world.
Another major draw of this film is the ambush of iconic monsters from the original “Where Are You Scooby-Doo?” and some from “The Scooby-Doo Show.” From Pterodactyl Ghost to the Mystery Gang’s first two cases with the Black Night Ghost and Captain Cutler, the film has a good mix of practical and computer-animated effects that does a good job of making Scooby and the monsters work in the context of the movie.
The CGI for these monsters still holds up 20 years later. Although it might not be comparable in quality to some more well-loved blockbuster movies in recent years, the creatures’ more cartoony look still works with the movie’s tone. In fact, it often looks better than many recent blockbusters with multimillion-dollar budgets produced in the past couple of years.
Verdict: “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed” is just a blast to watch if you’re feeling nostalgic for the goofier media of the 2000s, with a spooky edge to it.
