Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

When the gang of Mystery, Inc. (Freddy Prinze, Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, Matthew Lillard, and Neil Fanning as the voice of Scooby Doo) are guests of honor at the grand opening of the Coolsville Museum of Criminology, a masked villain shows up and creates havoc before stealing the costumes of the gang's most notorious villains: Black Knight Ghost, Pterodactyl Ghost and Tar Monster. Could it be that their nemesis, mad scientist Jonathan Jacobo has returned and is trying to recreate their deadliest foes? Velma has a crush on the hunk / museum curator Patrick Wisely (Seth Green) but why is he acting so suspicious? The Mystery Gang is hard pressed to succeed this time, since pesky TV reporter Heather Jasper-Howe (Alicia Silverstone) insists they are buffoons. Hilarity ensues.

Trivia: Velma's nameplate necklace reads 'Velmalicious.' The original Scooby-Doo episode dealing with the pterodactyl ghost featured a villain and motive that were quite different. The pterodactyl/hang glider costume was used to smuggle pirated music, with the small-town mayor behind the whole scheme. In the high school clubhouse, Daphne has a dart throwing trophy.

Another day, another...well, okay, its not quite a classic, but it is a fun movie to sit and watch, especially if you liked the cartoons because several of the monsters from the cartoon return to terrorize the gang and it pays homage to the gang's past. Matthew Lillard is great as Shaggy, especially considering he was usually acting to a nonexistant great dane. Scooby is funny in an animated sort of way. Fred is just plain, well, Freddy, I never liked him or his ascot. Daphne continues being way more active then in the cartoons, but Sarah Michelle Gellar has the star power of the film so what are you going to do? Which leave Velma. There is no way at all Velma is that pretty. Nothing against Velma, but Linda Cardellini is beautiful, even under the glasses, orange turtleneck, knee high orange socks and short hair. I would definately pick her over Gellar. It does give her the ability to have a Velma moment (my term, she has done this in both movies) when she appears transformed and gorgeous, this time in an orange leather suit. The best moments come from Lillard and Cardellini, although Scooby does have a great dance sequence.