''Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico'' is a 2003 American

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

film; the sixth in a series of direct-to-video films based upon the ''

Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American media franchise owned by Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Entertainment and created in 1969 by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears through their animated series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', for Hanna-Barbera (which wa ...

Saturday morning cartoon "Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series and live-action programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre was a ...

s. It was released on September 30, 2003, and it was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is the second and final film (after '' Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire'') to briefly reunite the surviving or available voice cast from the original 1969 series, with Frank Welker voicing Scooby-Doo in place of the late

Don Messick Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor, known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. His best-remembered voice roles include Scooby-Doo; Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ''The Flintsto ...

. The film also marks the last time Nicole Jaffe and Heather North voice Velma and Daphne, respectively, before North's death on November 29, 2017.

Plot

Fred Jones'

pen pal Pen pals (or penfriends, penpals, pen-pals) are people who regularly write to each other, particularly via postal mail. Pen pals are usually strangers whose relationship is based primarily, or even solely, on their exchange of letters. Occasion ...

, Alejo Otero, invites him and Mystery Inc. to visit him and his family in

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, which is being terrorized by a monster that its citizens believe to be "El

Chupacabra The chupacabra or ''chupacabras'' (, literally 'goat-sucker', from , 'sucks', and , 'goats') is a legendary creature, or cryptid, in the folklore of parts of the Americas. The name comes from the animal's purported vampirism the chupacabra is ...

". Upon their arrival, Mystery Inc. stay at the Otero family's struggling hotel and meet his wife Sofia, son Jorge, mother Doña Dolores, brother Luis, and Luis's American fiancée, Charlene. Over dinner, the Oteros are met by Diego Fuente, a business partner of Alejo and Luis's deceased father who wants to buy the hotel, but the Oteros refuse and send him off. Alejo later tells Mystery Inc. that El Chupacabra has been scaring potential patrons away. Taking the case, Fred leads Mystery Inc. and the Otero brothers in searching for the monster. Despite finding a message written in Spanish on the gang's van, the Mystery Machine, warning them to stop investigating, the group continue, with Fred,

Velma Dinkley Velma Dinkley is a fictional character in the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange turtleneck sweater, a short red pleated skirt, knee high socks, Mary Jane shoes, and a pair of black square glasses, which she ...

, Daphne Blake, and the Otero brothers splitting up while

Shaggy Rogers Norville "Shaggy" Rogers is a fictional character and one of the main characters in the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. He is characterized as an amateur detective, and the long-time best friend of his dog, Scooby-Doo. Character description Shaggy ...

and his dog

stay with the Mystery Machine, unaware that someone drained their brake fluid. While searching the woods, Fred, Velma, and Daphne encounter El Curandero, a

medicine man A medicine man (from Ojibwe ''mashkikiiwinini'') or medicine woman (from Ojibwe ''mashkikiiwininiikwe'') is a traditional healer and spiritual leader who serves a community of Indigenous people of the Americas. Each culture has its own name i ...

, who tells them to research history and warns them that they are in grave danger while the Oteros are attacked by El Chupacabra. Despite lacking brakes, Shaggy and Scooby use the Mystery Machine to reunite with the others and save them from the monster before reaching a gas station. After making repairs, the group travel to a local history museum, believing that this is what El Curandero meant. There, they meet a suspiciously hyperactive museum guide who leads them into a performance about ancient Mexican customs, during which Daphne is forcibly volunteered and kidnapped. Finding a secret passageway, the group follow it to

Aztec The Aztecs ( ) were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico in the Post-Classic stage, post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central ...

pyramids, where they find Daphne and rescue her, only to be chased by tourists led by an animatronic eagle for seemingly desecrating the pyramids. Eventually, the group return to Veracruz to review the clues they found, such as the threat containing a grammatical error that a real Spanish speaker would not make. The next day, the

Day of the Dead The Day of the Dead () is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pa ...

, the group travel to the local cemetery, where Dolores informs them Charlene was kidnapped by El Chupacabra. As the Otero family give offerings to Alejo and Luis' father and hope for Charlene's safe return, they are seemingly visited by his ghost, who urges them to sell the hotel in English. Alejo is unconvinced while Fred discovers a good luck charm that Charlene gave Luis earlier is actually a tracking device and presses a button on it. Scooby and the Oteros' dog, Chiquita, track the subsequent beeping sound to a shed containing a man in a skeleton costume controlling the ghostly illusion. Upon capturing him, the group expose him as theme park owner Mr. Smiley, who they deduce masterminded the Chupacabra scheme to scare off Veracruz's citizens to build a new theme park and orchestrated the chaos at the pyramids to eliminate his competition. Before Mystery Inc. can close the case, El Chupacabra attacks the group. However, they ensnare it in wiring and expose it as the tour guide, who reveals she was an actor at one of Smiley's theme parks, where they fell in love and concocted the Chupacabra scheme. Luis demands to know what happened to Charlene, but the guide claims she is gone and tells him to forget about her. When Luis begs his father's spirit for help, the Oteros discover the offerings have disappeared, except for Charlene's. A suspicious Velma then reveals the guide is actually Charlene, who intended to scam the Oteros out of their money after marrying Luis. Fuente arrives, revealing further that he knew of Smiley and Charlene's plot and was trying to warn the Oteros and Mystery Inc. Afterward, Smiley and Charlene are arrested while Mystery Inc. and the Oteros celebrate the Day of the Dead.

Voice cast

* Frank Welker as

, Fred Jones *

Casey Kasem Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) was an American disc jockey, actor, and radio presenter who created and hosted several radio countdown programs, notably ''American Top 40'', as well as the weekly syndicated televi ...

* Heather North as Daphne Blake (final film role) * Nicole Jaffe as

(final film role) * Eddie Santiago as Alejo Otero * Jesse Borrego as Luis Otero * Candi Milo as Charlene/Museum Guide *

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. With a career spanning eight decades she is known for her roles on stage and screen, and is one of the last remaining stars from t ...

as Doña Dolores * Maria Canals as Sofia Otero / Old Woman * Brandon Gonzalez as Jorge Otero * Rip Taylor as Mr. Smiley / Ghost of Señor Otero * Cástulo Guerra as Señor Fuente * Benito Martinez as El Curandero *

Ted Cassidy Theodore Crawford Cassidy (July 31, 1932 – January 16, 1979) was an American actor. He tended to play unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction works, such as ''Star Trek'' and ''I Dream of Jeannie'', and he played Lurch on '' The Addam ...

as El Chupacabra (uncredited)

Home media

The film was released on DVD and VHS on September 30, 2003 by Warner Home Video.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Warner Bros. animation and comics 2003 children's films 2003 American animated direct-to-video films American mystery films Scooby-Doo direct-to-video animated films Animated films set in Mexico Animated films about cryptids Films about vacationing Day of the Dead films Warner Bros. Animation films 2003 films Animated films based on animated series Warner Bros. direct-to-video animated films American children's animated adventure films American children's animated mystery films 2000s children's animated films 2000s English-language films Films directed by Scott Jeralds Veracruz (city)