JINKIES! The first live action version of Warner Bros' classic cartoon caper grossed more than $275m (£151m) worldwide, giving rise to this inevitable sequel.

Bucking the trend, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is, in many ways, better than the original, with a plot that hangs together neatly and some amusing set pieces.

Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby (voiced by Neil Fanning) have become major celebrities in their hometown of Coolsville.

The residents adore them and, as a tribute to the Mystery Inc gang's crime-fighting exploits, the Coolsonian Criminology Museum is staging an exhibition full of the costumes of their classic foes.

During the opening night gala, covered by feisty television reporter Heather Jasper-Howe (Alicia Silverstone), The Pterodactyl Ghost comes to life and wreaks havoc, almost injuring several guests.

Fred, Daphne and co are castigated in the press, made to look like incompetent fools at their own celebration.

The following night, the costumes of The Black Knight Ghost, Captain Cutler's Ghost and The 10,000 Volt Ghost go missing.

Shaggy and Scooby don a series of outrageous disguises to launch their own investigation.

All of the clues point to Jeremiah 'Old Man' Wickles (Peter Boyle), the former Black Knight Ghost, who swore revenge on Mystery Inc many years ago.

Meanwhile Fred and Daphne take a more analytical approach to unmasking the Evil Masked Figure who is responsible for terrorising Coolsville.

As for brain box Velma, she is too smitten with museum curator Patrick Wisely (Seth Green) to concentrate on solving the crime. But could Patrick be somehow involved with the thefts of the costumes?

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed will make a fantastic video game with its barrage of special effects, heavy fights and chases.

As a film, it's mildly diverting fun, enlivened by Cardellini and Green's adorable screen romance and James Gunn's nicely paced screenplay which conceals a couple of decent double bluffs.

Prinze Jr still lacks charisma in his swanky knitwear and neckerchief and Gellar seems determined to resurrect Buffy by turning action heroine during the fight scenes. Their romantic sub-plot is too insipid.

The computer-generated Scooby is more convincing and interacts seamlessly with Lillard's lovable Shaggy, but the pooch still needs to learn a few new tricks.

Rating: 5/10