Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico
Encyclopedia
Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico is the sixth of a series of direct-to-video
animated films based upon the Scooby-Doo
Saturday morning cartoon
s. It was released on September 30, 2003, and it was produced by Warner Bros. Animation
(though done in a retro format resembling the classic 1970s Hanna-Barbera
cartoons). This movie portrays the Chupacabra as a Mexican legend in origin; however this is not accurate since the Chupacabra has its origins in Puerto Rico
, and it is not a Bigfoot. This movie is the final performance of Nicole Jaffe
and Heather North
as Velma and Daphne respectively, as all future direct-to-video Scooby-Doo movies would instead use the current voice cast from the TV series.
, Mexico
, invites Fred and the rest of the gang to visit him and his family there. Fred and the rest of the gang talk about it until they decide to go. However, after Alejo sent the invitation to Fred, a monster started to terrorize the population of Veracruz. Both Alejo and his son see the monster, and the locals start calling it la chupacabra
.
Later, when Mystery, Inc. arrives in Veracruz, they meet Alejo who recognizes them all from Fred's letters. Alejo runs a huge and fancy hotel, and he shows them around and where they will be staying. He then shows them his family which include his wife Sofia, his mother Doña Dolores, his brother Luis, and Luis's fiancée, Charlene. Luis tells the gang he met Charlene when he visited America, at a theme park run by Mr. Smiley. The gang and the family enjoy a meal, and Dolores talks about her late husband. Then, a man named Señor Fuente arrives and asks to speak with Alejo and Luis. Dolores tells the gang that Fuente has been trying to get her to sell the hotel to him ever since her husband died. Meanwhile, Alejo and Luis tell Fuente once again that they do not want to sell the hotel. Fuente leaves, and the family go inside because of a fierce storm. When inside, Alejo is forced to tell the gang about the monster. He says that he does not have many other guests besides the gang because El Chupacabra has been scaring them away. Luis and Charlene tell the gang to lock their doors when they go to sleep.
During the night, Shaggy
and Scooby-Doo are scared when they think they hear a noise. They then hear a loud growl and run screaming out of their cottage. They wake up Fred, Velma
, and Daphne
. After seeing footprints outside of Shaggy and Scooby's window, Fred declares that there is a mystery they have to solve. The next day, the gang, Alejo, and Luis set out to search for the monster. Charlene gives Luis a charm for good luck. Daphne interviews the townspeople, but none of them are able to find El Chupacabra. When they get back to the van, they find someone has written on it, threatening them to either go away or not see tomorrow. The gang realizes this is serious and decide to search at night. Fred, Velma, and Daphne go one way, Alejo and Luis go another way, and Shaggy and Scooby stay at the van.
At night, Shaggy and Scooby sleep in the van, while someone takes away their brake fluid. Fred, Velma, and Daphne search the woods, and find El Curandero, a medicine man
. El Curandero tells them they need to look at history and that they are in grave danger. Meanwhile, Alejo and Luis are searching when Alejo sees El Chupacabra. Alejo is chased and nearly falls off a cliff, but he manages to hold on. He calls for Luis, but there is no answer. The monster disappears, and Luis shows up, saying he was hit on the head by the monster. Luis helps his brother up from the cliff.
Shaggy and Scooby start driving, but when they realize they cannot stop, they get scared. They meet up with Fred, Velma, Daphne, Alejo, and Luis who where being chased by El Chupacabra. Eventually, the van runs out of gas and stops right in front of a gas station. The van gets fixed, and Alejo gets some ice for Luis's head wound, but Luis does not have a bump on his head. Luis says he is fine. The gang drives along and finds a sign to a history museum, and thinking that is what the medicine man said, go to it. When they get there they meet a suspicious and hyper museum guide who leads them into an auditorium. There they see a performance about Mexican custom
s. The guide then makes Daphne volunteer, and she kidnaps her, vanishing with a puff of smoke. The rest of the gang find a secret passageway and follow it, until they come to Aztec
pyramids. They find Daphne at the top of one and rescue her, but the tourists chase after them, thinking they have stolen something. After a long chase scene, they finally return home.
The next day is the Day of the Dead
, and all go to the cemetery, where they find from Dolores that Charlene has been captured by El Chupacabra. The family gives offerings to the grave of Señor Otero and hope Charlene can be found. Suddenly, the ghost of Señor Otero comes out of his grave and tells them to sell the hotel and the land or they will be in danger. At same time, Fred just revealed the good luck charm Luis has is really a tracking device instead of ancient medallion. The family cannot believe that Señor Otero would want them to sell, but Scooby realizes something is suspicious. He follows a beeping noise that is actives by pushing the button from the tracking device until he finds a man in a skeleton suit controlling the ghost. The gang catches him, and he is revealed to be Mr. Smiley. Then, El Chupacabra appears and scares everyone.
After chasing the gang, the monster is caught up in some wiring. The gang pulls off the mask, and it is revealed the museum guide they saw earlier is the monster. She tells them she loves Mr. Smiley and that they were going to get all the land. Luis asks what happened to Charlene, and the guide tells him he will never see her again and he should forget about her. Velma then guesses something is up and realizes the face the guide has is a mask, and pulls it off to reveal that Charlene was the guide and El Chupacabra. Fred says that the message written on the van ("Sal ahora o no veras el dia de manana!"-Leave today or you won't see tomorrow!) was not in proper Spanish, so it had to be someone who did not speak Spanish. Señor Fuente says that he did want the land, but he respects that the family does not want to sell. However, Mr. Smiley refused to accept this and decided to ruin the business by scaring away all their customers with his wife dressed as El Chupacabra. Fuente also says when he learned of Mr. Smiley and Charlene's sceme, he wanted to warn the Oteros and gang of what's going on. Charlene and Mr. Smiley are taken to jail, and Luis admits that he did not go to Alejo's rescue because he was paralysed with fear. Alejo comforts him, telling him there are worse things than being a coward, (as Shaggy says he's made a career out of being a coward) and everyone enjoys the Day of the Dead.
This was the second and final time since The New Scooby-Doo Movies
that Frank Welker
, Casey Kasem
, Nicole Jaffe
, and Heather North
were all featured on a Scooby-Doo project. Frank Welker
voices both Fred Jones and Scooby-Doo
, because of Don Messick
's death in 1997.
was used for the Chupacabra.
Velma incorrectly states that Teotihuacan (the pyramid complex where the gang emerges after following a secret passage from the Museum of Anthropology) was built by the Olmec civilization. Teotihuacan is thought to have been established around 200 BCE, in the highlands of Central Mexico, near Mexico City. The Olmec civilization flourished from 1500 BCE to 400 BCE in the Gulf Lowlands to the east and south.
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
animated films based upon the Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo is an American media franchise based around several animated television series and related works produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969...
Saturday morning cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
s. It was released on September 30, 2003, and it was produced by Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation is the animation division of Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner. The studio is closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, among others. The studio is the successor to Warner Bros...
(though done in a retro format resembling the classic 1970s Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
cartoons). This movie portrays the Chupacabra as a Mexican legend in origin; however this is not accurate since the Chupacabra has its origins in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, and it is not a Bigfoot. This movie is the final performance of Nicole Jaffe
Nicole Jaffe
Nicole Jaffe is an American actress and voice actress, best known as the original voice of Velma Dinkley in Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon series from 1969 to 1974...
and Heather North
Heather North
Heather Lindsay North is an American television and voice actress. She is most notable as having performed the voice of Daphne Blake in all incarnations of Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon series from 1970 to 1979, 1983 to 1997, and from 2002 to 2003.North was the second actress...
as Velma and Daphne respectively, as all future direct-to-video Scooby-Doo movies would instead use the current voice cast from the TV series.
Plot
Fred's pen-pal Alejo Otero, who lives in VeracruzVeracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, invites Fred and the rest of the gang to visit him and his family there. Fred and the rest of the gang talk about it until they decide to go. However, after Alejo sent the invitation to Fred, a monster started to terrorize the population of Veracruz. Both Alejo and his son see the monster, and the locals start calling it la chupacabra
Chupacabra
The chupacabras is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico , Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities...
.
Later, when Mystery, Inc. arrives in Veracruz, they meet Alejo who recognizes them all from Fred's letters. Alejo runs a huge and fancy hotel, and he shows them around and where they will be staying. He then shows them his family which include his wife Sofia, his mother Doña Dolores, his brother Luis, and Luis's fiancée, Charlene. Luis tells the gang he met Charlene when he visited America, at a theme park run by Mr. Smiley. The gang and the family enjoy a meal, and Dolores talks about her late husband. Then, a man named Señor Fuente arrives and asks to speak with Alejo and Luis. Dolores tells the gang that Fuente has been trying to get her to sell the hotel to him ever since her husband died. Meanwhile, Alejo and Luis tell Fuente once again that they do not want to sell the hotel. Fuente leaves, and the family go inside because of a fierce storm. When inside, Alejo is forced to tell the gang about the monster. He says that he does not have many other guests besides the gang because El Chupacabra has been scaring them away. Luis and Charlene tell the gang to lock their doors when they go to sleep.
During the night, Shaggy
Shaggy Rogers
Norville "Shaggy" Rogers is a fictional character from the American animated television series Scooby-Doo, about the adventures of four crime-solving teenagers and Shaggy's pet great dane, Scooby-Doo. Shaggy is a cowardly slacker more interested in eating than solving mysteries. He is the only...
and Scooby-Doo are scared when they think they hear a noise. They then hear a loud growl and run screaming out of their cottage. They wake up Fred, Velma
Velma Dinkley
Velma Dace Dinkley is a fictional character in the American television animated series Scooby-Doo. She is prone to losing her glasses. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange sweater, short pleated skirt , knee socks, and Mary Janes...
, and Daphne
Daphne Blake
Daphne Anne Blake is a fictional character in the long-running American animated series Scooby-Doo. Daphne, depicted as coming from a wealthy family, is noted for her red hair, her fashion sense, and her knack for getting into danger...
. After seeing footprints outside of Shaggy and Scooby's window, Fred declares that there is a mystery they have to solve. The next day, the gang, Alejo, and Luis set out to search for the monster. Charlene gives Luis a charm for good luck. Daphne interviews the townspeople, but none of them are able to find El Chupacabra. When they get back to the van, they find someone has written on it, threatening them to either go away or not see tomorrow. The gang realizes this is serious and decide to search at night. Fred, Velma, and Daphne go one way, Alejo and Luis go another way, and Shaggy and Scooby stay at the van.
At night, Shaggy and Scooby sleep in the van, while someone takes away their brake fluid. Fred, Velma, and Daphne search the woods, and find El Curandero, a medicine man
Medicine man
"Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...
. El Curandero tells them they need to look at history and that they are in grave danger. Meanwhile, Alejo and Luis are searching when Alejo sees El Chupacabra. Alejo is chased and nearly falls off a cliff, but he manages to hold on. He calls for Luis, but there is no answer. The monster disappears, and Luis shows up, saying he was hit on the head by the monster. Luis helps his brother up from the cliff.
Shaggy and Scooby start driving, but when they realize they cannot stop, they get scared. They meet up with Fred, Velma, Daphne, Alejo, and Luis who where being chased by El Chupacabra. Eventually, the van runs out of gas and stops right in front of a gas station. The van gets fixed, and Alejo gets some ice for Luis's head wound, but Luis does not have a bump on his head. Luis says he is fine. The gang drives along and finds a sign to a history museum, and thinking that is what the medicine man said, go to it. When they get there they meet a suspicious and hyper museum guide who leads them into an auditorium. There they see a performance about Mexican custom
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
s. The guide then makes Daphne volunteer, and she kidnaps her, vanishing with a puff of smoke. The rest of the gang find a secret passageway and follow it, until they come to Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
pyramids. They find Daphne at the top of one and rescue her, but the tourists chase after them, thinking they have stolen something. After a long chase scene, they finally return home.
The next day is the Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality...
, and all go to the cemetery, where they find from Dolores that Charlene has been captured by El Chupacabra. The family gives offerings to the grave of Señor Otero and hope Charlene can be found. Suddenly, the ghost of Señor Otero comes out of his grave and tells them to sell the hotel and the land or they will be in danger. At same time, Fred just revealed the good luck charm Luis has is really a tracking device instead of ancient medallion. The family cannot believe that Señor Otero would want them to sell, but Scooby realizes something is suspicious. He follows a beeping noise that is actives by pushing the button from the tracking device until he finds a man in a skeleton suit controlling the ghost. The gang catches him, and he is revealed to be Mr. Smiley. Then, El Chupacabra appears and scares everyone.
After chasing the gang, the monster is caught up in some wiring. The gang pulls off the mask, and it is revealed the museum guide they saw earlier is the monster. She tells them she loves Mr. Smiley and that they were going to get all the land. Luis asks what happened to Charlene, and the guide tells him he will never see her again and he should forget about her. Velma then guesses something is up and realizes the face the guide has is a mask, and pulls it off to reveal that Charlene was the guide and El Chupacabra. Fred says that the message written on the van ("Sal ahora o no veras el dia de manana!"-Leave today or you won't see tomorrow!) was not in proper Spanish, so it had to be someone who did not speak Spanish. Señor Fuente says that he did want the land, but he respects that the family does not want to sell. However, Mr. Smiley refused to accept this and decided to ruin the business by scaring away all their customers with his wife dressed as El Chupacabra. Fuente also says when he learned of Mr. Smiley and Charlene's sceme, he wanted to warn the Oteros and gang of what's going on. Charlene and Mr. Smiley are taken to jail, and Luis admits that he did not go to Alejo's rescue because he was paralysed with fear. Alejo comforts him, telling him there are worse things than being a coward, (as Shaggy says he's made a career out of being a coward) and everyone enjoys the Day of the Dead.
Cast
- Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
as Fred Jones, Scooby-DooScooby-Doo (character)Scoobert "Scooby" Doo is the eponymous character and the protagonist in the Scooby-Doo animated television series created by the popular American animation company Hanna-Barbera... - Heather NorthHeather NorthHeather Lindsay North is an American television and voice actress. She is most notable as having performed the voice of Daphne Blake in all incarnations of Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon series from 1970 to 1979, 1983 to 1997, and from 2002 to 2003.North was the second actress...
as Daphne BlakeDaphne BlakeDaphne Anne Blake is a fictional character in the long-running American animated series Scooby-Doo. Daphne, depicted as coming from a wealthy family, is noted for her red hair, her fashion sense, and her knack for getting into danger... - Nicole JaffeNicole JaffeNicole Jaffe is an American actress and voice actress, best known as the original voice of Velma Dinkley in Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon series from 1969 to 1974...
as Velma DinkleyVelma DinkleyVelma Dace Dinkley is a fictional character in the American television animated series Scooby-Doo. She is prone to losing her glasses. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange sweater, short pleated skirt , knee socks, and Mary Janes... - Casey KasemCasey KasemKemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
as Shaggy RogersShaggy RogersNorville "Shaggy" Rogers is a fictional character from the American animated television series Scooby-Doo, about the adventures of four crime-solving teenagers and Shaggy's pet great dane, Scooby-Doo. Shaggy is a cowardly slacker more interested in eating than solving mysteries. He is the only... - Eddie SantiagoEddie SantiagoEddie Santiago is a salsa singer from Puerto Rico. At a young age, Eddie demonstrated great love for salsa music...
as Alejo Otero - Jesse BorregoJesse BorregoJesse Borrego is an American actor. Better knownfor playing Cruz Candelaria in Blood in, Blood out and later guest starring as George King in Dexter. Borrego, a Mexican American, was born in San Antonio, Texas. He considered going into the US Air Force to become a pilot...
as Luis Otero - Candi MiloCandi MiloCandi Milo is an American voice actress and singer. She voiced many different animated characters such as the voice of Jacobo on Disney's The Replacements, Coco, Madame Foster and Cheese on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Irma Lair on Disney's W.I.T.C.H., lead character Maya Santos on Maya &...
as Charlene/Museum Guide - Rita MorenoRita MorenoRita Moreno is a Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress. She is the only Hispanic and one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, and was the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award....
as Doña Dolores - María Canals BarreraMaria Canals BarreraMaría Canals Barrera is an American actress, voice actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Theresa Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place, Connie Torres in Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, and as the voice of Shayera Hol/Hawkgirl in Justice League and Justice League...
as Sofia Otero / Old Woman (as Maria Canals) - Alanna UbachAlanna UbachAlanna Noel Ubach is an American actress and voice actress. She is known for her roles in Legally Blonde as Serena and Meet the Fockers as Isabel Villalobos...
as Jorge Otero - Rip TaylorRip TaylorCharles Elmer "Rip" Taylor, Jr. is an American actor and comedian.-Early life:Taylor was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Elizabeth, a waitress, and Charles Elmer Taylor, Sr., a musician. As a young man, Taylor served in the Korean War while in the U.S...
as Mr. Smiley/Ghost of Señor Otero - Castulo GuerraCastulo GuerraCástulo Guerra is an Argentine actor who found success appearing in American films and television. Film roles include: Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Cold Heaven, The Usual Suspects, Meet Me in Miami, Where the River Runs Black and The Celestine Prophecy""...
as Señor Fuente - Benito MartinezBenito Martinez (actor)Benito Martinez is an American actor most known for his role as police captain David Aceveda in FX Networks' acclaimed crime drama The Shield...
as El Curandero - Eric Loomis as El Chupacabra
This was the second and final time since The New Scooby-Doo Movies
The New Scooby-Doo Movies
The New Scooby-Doo Movies is the second incarnation of the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!. It premiered on September 9, 1972 and ran for two seasons on CBS as the only hour-long Scooby-Doo series...
that Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
, Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
, Nicole Jaffe
Nicole Jaffe
Nicole Jaffe is an American actress and voice actress, best known as the original voice of Velma Dinkley in Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon series from 1969 to 1974...
, and Heather North
Heather North
Heather Lindsay North is an American television and voice actress. She is most notable as having performed the voice of Daphne Blake in all incarnations of Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon series from 1970 to 1979, 1983 to 1997, and from 2002 to 2003.North was the second actress...
were all featured on a Scooby-Doo project. Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
voices both Fred Jones and Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo (character)
Scoobert "Scooby" Doo is the eponymous character and the protagonist in the Scooby-Doo animated television series created by the popular American animation company Hanna-Barbera...
, because of Don Messick
Don Messick
Donald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
's death in 1997.
Inaccuracies
Instead of the correct reptilian (or canid) monster, a purple BigfootBigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
was used for the Chupacabra.
Velma incorrectly states that Teotihuacan (the pyramid complex where the gang emerges after following a secret passage from the Museum of Anthropology) was built by the Olmec civilization. Teotihuacan is thought to have been established around 200 BCE, in the highlands of Central Mexico, near Mexico City. The Olmec civilization flourished from 1500 BCE to 400 BCE in the Gulf Lowlands to the east and south.