When Teen Titans Go replaced the very popular Teen Titans animated series at the time that fans were rebelling a the cancelation of Young Justice, most fans dismissed it immediately.
That was unfortunate and luckily enough people gave it a chance to help teen Titans Go succeed despite the complaints.
As a cartoon, Teen Titans Go is really good. It looks like it is geared towards kids but has a slightly off-kilter humor that fits better with Adult Swim cartoons than Disney Channel cartoons. Using the familiar voice cast helped too, but honestly, Teen Titans Go is better than some comic book fans will have you believe.
However, as a movie, Teen Titans Go to the Movies doesn’t measure up to the television cartoon.
The same sense of humor is there with impromptu dance numbers and a ton of inside jokes for fans of the TV show. However, what works in short doses seems repetitive in a long-form feature film.
When the Teen Titans break out in a song and dance number in a giant battle against an inflatable villain, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern show up and save the day. Of course, the Titans are oblivious and think that their song beat the villain.
That is when Superman (played finally after all these long years by the voice of NIC CAGE) calls them goofs to their faces.
The movie throws shade at the endless supply of comic book movies. Superman gets his own movies. Batman gets his own movies. Even Batman’s butler Alfred, the Batmobile, and his Utility Belt get a movie.
Who doesn’t get a movie of their own?
Robin and the Teen Titans.
When director Jade Wilson (a twist that every comic book fan will see coming from a mile away) tells Robin that he needs to find an arch nemesis if he ever wants his own movie, the Teen Titans set out to stop a new villain on the scene named Slade (Deathstroke).
The rest of the movie shows the Teen Titans try to stop Slade’s nefarious plan while trying to prove they deserve their own movie. The movie also tells the story of friendship and loyalty and everything else a kid needs in a good movie.
However, the biggest problem here is that Teen Titans Go to the Movies is all about Robin and almost doesn’t seem to care about Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg or Raven.
The recent animated movies Justice League vs. Teen Titans and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract shows that there is a lot of greatness to pine from the Teen Titans franchise. Sadly, even as a fan of the TV cartoon, Teen Titans Go to the Movies fails to even live up to its own standards.
On a bonus note, there is a mid-credit scene that will likely get fans of the original Teen Titans cartoon excited.
