The first big-screen rendering of the classic Hanna-Barbera 'toon Scooby-Doo was dog tired, but it put enough bums on seats to make Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed inevitable. "Tired, mangy, and completely uninspired", the combined comic 'talents' of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr, Matthew Lillard, and one CG-animated mutt was a hit with younger viewers. Of course, that means the rest of us now live in fear of a third. Darn you, pesky kids!
Dogged Out
Although there's no feature commentary on offer, six deleted scenes come with optional commentary by director Raja Gosnell. He can't seem to decide which of them ranks as his favourite, but a nightclub skit in which Scooby makes like a 70s MacDaddy puts him right up there with Snoop Dogg in Starsky & Hutch. Snoop is slightly less hairy though.
The aforementioned scene is also the focus of the Dancing Dog featurette, which goes behind the scenes to illustrate how Scooby was able to bust all those smooth moves. It turns out the eponymous pooch was played by an actual human being from the neck down. But please note: the sight of a headless pimp strutting on the dancefloor is liable to freak out the under tens.
There's more behind-the-scenes access in the Triple Threat featurette, which deals with the GG animation, the psychedelic set design, and goofy stunts. Scooby is your guide through this lively and (mostly) interesting tour of the production, while the stars of the show are on hand to enthuse about how great it all looks (snore). BUt the fact remains: the animated mutt is about as credible as Snoop Dogg in a fluffy cardigan.
The Mystery Machine
True Ghoul Hollywood Story riffs on the E! True Hollywood Story series - a television institution in the States - by delving into the "troubled past" of the various beasties featured in the movie. You'll no doubt shed a tear when The Cotton Candy Glob reveals that his parents never took him to the circus. It's funny for a minute, but the joke is quickly stretched to breaking point.
Interactive fun for the kids comes in the form of Monsters Unleashed Challenge - a dull exploration of the film's key settings - and The Mystery Of The Missing Pants, which is just plain mystifying. The latter starts off as a mock (ie unfunny) news report on Shaggy's AWOL keks, and prompts you to search the features menus for clues as to their whereabouts. The tricky part comes as, whenever you find the pointers, they lead you straight back to the news report... In essence, Scooby-Doo 2 is the DVD equivalent of a dog chasing its own tail - fun for a while but mostly just dizzying.
EXTRA FEATURES
