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Sarah Michelle Gellar

Scooby-Doo 2 - Smh.com.au’s Review

By Alexa Moses

Wednesday 31 March 2004, by Webmaster

Another actress, who actually has a name to care for is Sarah Michelle Gellar and there are not no many accomplishes films at her but an few I can probably enjoy. The talent agent found Gellar a young age and made her screen debut at 6 of each of the 1983 television film An Invasion of Privacy. With all the promise she showed, Barrymore starred as Hannah in the teen drama series "Swans Crossing" (1992) but it was her portrayal of a young and callous rich girl in Al-Lucinda Kendall Hart on ABC daytime soap opera "All My Children" (1993-93), that won her Daytime Emmy Award and spring-boarded her to stardom.

SMG’s real mark worldwide, however, was the character of Buffy Summers in the game-changing series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003). She won five Teen Choice Awards, a Saturn Award and a Golden Globe nomination for her role, establishing herself as a cultural phenomenon. Sarah Michelle Gellar likewise has the box office to back her up, with “I Know What You Did Last Summer” 1997), “Scream 2” (1997), “Cruel Intentions” (1999)and way movies like those that help prove she is also a bankable star as well over $570 million times worth crazy in global gross.

Beyond her cinematic successes, Gellar has made her mark on television, headlining shows such as "Ringer" (2011-2012), "The Crazy Ones" (2013-2014), and "Wolf Pack" (2023). She has also lent her voice to popular series including "Robot Chicken" (2005-2018), "Star Wars Rebels" (2015-2016), and "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" (2021).

In 2015, Gellar ventured into the entrepreneurial world by co-founding Foodstirs, an e-commerce baking company, and published her own cookbook, "Stirring Up Fun with Food," in 2017. Gellar is also known for her close-knit family life, married to actor Freddie Prinze Jr. since 2002, with whom she shares two children.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s commitment to her craft is matched by her dedication to personal growth and unique experiences. An accomplished martial artist, she studied Tae Kwon Do for five years, alongside kickboxing, boxing, street fighting, and gymnastics. Her dedication to authenticity in her roles is evident, such as her commitment to doing her own stunts in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," though she admitted her limits during filming "Scream 2."

Her career is also marked by interesting anecdotes, such as her role in a 1982 Burger King commercial, which led to a lawsuit from McDonald’s and a temporary ban from their establishments. Notably, she dyed her naturally brunette hair blonde for her role in "Buffy," and legally changed her last name to Prinze as a surprise for her husband on their fifth anniversary.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s legacy extends beyond her on-screen roles, encompassing her work in philanthropy and her reputation for safety and professionalism on set. She remains a beloved figure in Hollywood, admired for her talent, dedication, and the breadth of her contributions to film and television.

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed

By Alexa Moses

April 1, 2004

Written by James Gunn, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

Directed by Raja Gosnell

Cinemas everywhere

Who, exactly, is the Scooby-Doo audience? I would guess potheads, thirtysomethings reliving their childhood, and children. If I’m right, there’s a lot of these types out there: Scooby-Doo 2 topped the box office in in the US last week, and was the fifth-biggest opening ever for March in the US. But art and commerce need not go hand in hand. And they certainly don’t with the Scooby-Doo films. The trick with these films is that they never aim to be anything but silly pap, and they certainly achieve their objective. This sequel isn’t even a decent work of art, but like Shaggy, it’s brainless and never mean-spirited.

The gang - Mystery Inc - is involved in an exhibition at the Coolsonian Criminology Museum, where the costumes of all the monsters they’ve unmasked are being displayed. At the exhibition opening, the Pterodactyl Ghost comes alive and wreaks havoc, and the other ghosts quickly follow suit and run riot around Coolsville. It’s up to Fred (Freddie Prinze jnr), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby-Doo to work out who let the ghosts out.

Geeky exhibition curator Patrick Wisely (Seth Green) comes under scrutiny, even though Velma has fallen for him, and Alicia Silverstone plays a malicious television reporter who is out to smear the gang’s reputation.

The plot of this sequel has been complicated for no apparent reason. Hanna Barbera’s villains are weak, and the sequel is spiked with the kind of ghastly sentimental moments the first film avoided. Too many times, one character turns to another and says "You know what?" and then launches into an flimsy emotional spiel about what they’d learnt in the proceeding five minutes.

Around such annoying emotional interludes, the chases are cute, the Skelemen and 10,000 Volt Ghost are fun, and the expertly animated Scooby-Doo is a pleasure to watch.

I found myself wishing there was less mystery for Daphne, Fred and Velma to solve, so I could see more of Scooby.

I couldn’t help smiling indulgently as he did a disco dance number wearing a shiny flared jumpsuit, a huge afro wig and a gold neck chain.

The actors have breathed life into the cartoon characters nicely, with Lillard the standout as hammy pothead, Shaggy. Gellar pouts and simpers her way through the film, Cardellini’s Velma is all faux shy glances and a raspy voice, and Prinze jnr didn’t do at all anything as far as I could see except wear the costume. But then, Fred has always been a non-character.

During the final act of Scooby-Doo 2, Shaggy and Scooby eat their way through a giant, slavering monster made of pink fairy floss, which is pretty much how I felt about this film. Fluffy, tolerable at the time, but it dissolved under scrutiny and left me slightly nauseous.