Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed 2023

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is a 2023 comedy horror film directed by Shawn Levi, written by James Gunn and released by Warner Bros. Based on the Hanna-Barbera animated television series, Scooby-Doo, it is the second installment in the Scooby-Doo an 3d animation film series, and a sequel to 2021's Scooby-Doo on Spooky Island. It's Production company by Warner Animation Group. It is the first installment in the Scooby-Doo animated film series, directed by Tony Cervone,

written by James Gunn, the returning cast features Zac Efron as Fred, Grey DeLise as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, Kate Micucci as Velma, and Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo. Series newcomers include Seth MacFarlane, Tim Blake Nelson, James Woods, Zahf Paroo and Alicia Silverstone who appear in supporting roles.

Filming took place in and around Queensland on a budget of $194 million.[4] The film was released on March 25, 2023, and grossed $278 million The Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster, a ride based on the film, was built in Warner Bros. Movie World in Gold Coast, USA in 2020 A sequel, Scooby-Doo Spooky Island, was released in July 2021.

The film was released on March 26, 2004 to well praise and reception, and grossed more than it's predecessor.

Plot
Mystery Inc. Fred (Zac Efron) Daphne (Grey DeLise), Velma (Kate Micucci), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) is attending the grand opening of the Coolsonian Criminology Museum, the premiere exhibit displaying the monster costumes of criminals they dealt with in past cases. However, the celebrations are cut short when the reanimated Pterodactyl Ghost attacks, controlled by the Evil Masked Figure, who boldly declares that Mystery Inc. will be destroyed. He escapes with his quarry and two monster costumes; the Black Knight Ghost and the 10,000 Volt Ghost. Heather Jasper-Howe (Alicia Silverstone), a journalist, starts a smear campaign against the gang to discredit them, mainly stemming from a personal feud with Daphne. Velma finds a pterodactyl scale and analyses it, confirming it to be real. The gang conclude one of their old enemies is the masked man wanting revenge. They at first suspect their old enemy Jonathon Jacobo (Tim Blake Nelson), who was the original creator of the Pterodactyl Ghost and knew how to create real monsters and bring them to life, but then news breaks out to the gang that Jacobo has drowned during an attempted escape from prison, so the gang guess Jeremiah Wickles (James Woods), their first foe and the Black Knight Ghost's portrayer, and Jacobo's roommate in prison, is responsible.

The gang travel to Wickles' mansion where they find mysterious green footprints like the scale leading to the library. Fred, Daphne and Velma find an instruction manual on how to create monsters; while Shaggy and Scooby are chased by the reanimated Black Knight but not before finding a note reading "Faux Ghost tonite" which they take as a clue. Daphne fends the knight off until the gang can escape. Shaggy and Scooby sneak into the nightclub, the "Faux Ghost", where many of the convicted criminals they put away hang out, including Wickles who claims he has reformed from his criminal ways; but quickly they are recognized and thrown out. Velma learns the key ingredient to making monsters is a fictional substance called "randomonium". Patrick Wisely (Seth MacFarlane), the museum curator, who Velma has a crush on, comes to aid the gang but when they go to the museum, they find the rest of the costumes have been stolen. Shaggy and Scooby encounter the distressed Patrick, and then follow Wickles to the old mining town where the rest of the gang realise randomonium was mined. Wickles is proven to be innocent when the gang learns he plans to turn the mining town into an amusement park for children.

Reuniting, the gang find the Monster Hive, finding a machine which brings the monster costumes to life. Shaggy and Scooby mess with the machine's control panel, causing several monsters to be reanimated. The gang flee with the control panel, as the Evil Masked Figure attacks Coolsville and Howe asks the gang to turn themselves in to save the citizens. The gang flee to their old high school clubhouse where they realise they will be able to reverse the Monster Hive's effects by altering the control panel's wiring. Outside, Shaggy and Scooby lament on their habit of being clumsy and desire to be heroes. Captain Cutler's Ghost rises out of the nearby bayou, forcing the gang to flee in the Mystery Machine back to the mining town. Fred and Daphne fight the Black Knight and electrical 10,000 Volt Ghost, defeating them with a pair of jumper cables. Velma ventures into the factory and finds a shrine to Jacobo, actually made by Patrick who was Jacobo's student at one time, but is not the bad guy proving that by saving Velma's life. However, he is captured and dragged away by the Pterodactyl Ghost. After this, Shaggy and Scooby run into the Cotton Candy Glob which threatens to destroy them. Amazed at this monster, instead of running away as they usually do, they instead begin to eat the cotton candy glob. During the process of being eaten, the Cotton Candy Glob begins to cry out "No! I'll give you cavities!".

The gang confront the Evil Masked Figure who has all of them held captive by the Tar Monster, aside from Scooby, who grabs a nearby fire extinguisher to freeze the monster and makes his way to the machine and inserts the control panel, turning the monsters back to costumes. The Evil Masked Figure tries to escape but trips on a broken cat walk and is left dangling from it by his cape. The authorities, press and Coolsville citizens arrive, where the gang unmasked the Evil Masked Figure as Howe - only to then unmask her as none other than Jacobo, alive and well. Jacobo survived his apparent "death" and was photographed outside the museum before it opened, found by Velma at the shrine. Jacobo and Howe's cameraman Ned (Zahf Paroo) are arrested, whilst Mystery, Inc. are welcomed back by Coolsville with open arms. Velma and Patrick agree to go out again, Fred and Daphne remain at a peaceful relationship and Shaggy and Scooby stay best pals. The main cast dance with Ruben Studdard at the Faux Ghost in the ending scenes.

In a post-credits scene, the gang and Patrick are having an dinner as Shaggy is preparing to eat an burger, an ghost emerges from him, as he runs. This is shown to be an prank by Scooby, as the gang laughs.

Cast

 * Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo
 * Zac Efron as Fred Jones
 * Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers
 * Grey DeLisle as Daphne Blake
 * Kate Micucci as Velma Dinkley
 * Seth MacFarlane as Patrick Wisely
 * James Woods as Jeremiah Wickles
 * Alicia Silverstone as Heather Jasper-Howe
 * Tim Blake Nelson as Jonathon Jacobo
 * Zahf Paroo as Ned