Teen Titans Go! to the Movies Blu-ray Review
Jeremy Werner
January 9th, 2019
I honestly didn’t think I’d like TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES as much as I did for one reason. During my college years, I loved watching reruns of Cartoon Network’s TEEN TITANS. It originally aired during my time in high school, when I wasn’t as focused on after school cartoons. I also wasn’t able to appreciate its nuances or its ability to tackle serious subjects in such a tactful and mature manner. So when TEEN TITANS GO! came out in 2013, I was excited that my beloved show was making a comeback. I was sorely wrong and was quickly disappointed within a few episodes. I couldn’t quite fathom at the time how something so iconic to my own nerdy upbringing had become an immature parody of itself. I’m not alone in this criticism and while I could go on, I digress.
TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES has that same irreverent humor that the TV show had, but this time it feels different. Initially, I thought that maybe enough time had passed from my original disappoint that my wounds had healed and had allowed me to move on. I don’t think I’ve moved on from that betrayal, but I think I appreciate this film on a different level. A mocking film like DEADPOOL, and its sequel, appeases two different tastes for comic book fans. First, DEADPOOL toys with the much needed mockery of comic book characters that keeps fans grounded. Second, the film managed to stay in line with what fans expect with origin stories. TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES appeases both of those tastes, so in essence the film is DEADPOOL for kids, which isn’t as bad or raunchy as it sounds.
We quickly learn in TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES that Robin (Menville), for selfish reasons, wants to join the likes of Batman, Wonder Woman, and others when it comes to having their own superhero film franchise. This notion is laughed at by all the heroes and villains of the DC Universe at a premiere for “Batman Again.” Disheartened, Robin develops a plan so that he and the rest of the Teen Titans can have their own film: Find an arch nemesis and convince the big wig studio execs that they’re worthy of their own ensemble film, like the Justice League.
The bare bones plot is magically stretched to extraordinary lengths thanks to multi-layered jokes that hit you faster than machine gunfire. Even my lingering disdain melted away into oblivion during the most ludicrous montage ever put together on the superhero silver screen, where the Teen Titans go back in time to stop various origin stories. I won’t spoil anymore of the film’s jokes because they’re too ludicrous to explain without ruing. But I have no problem telling you that Nicholas Cage voices Superman, two heroes beat the crap out of each other when they find out their fathers have different names and that there’s a constant reminder that Slade isn’t Deadpool. If none of those references make sense to you, maybe this movie isn’t for you.
If they do make sense, I would highly recommend this film because TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES goes the extra mile in every possible way. There are so many Easter eggs, I’m sure I would need to watch this movie multiple times to perfectly catch them all. There’s even a mid-credit scenes where it appears the creators are attempting to atone for upsetting fans of the 2003 TEEN TITANS. It’s the kind of self-referential humor that would have Wade Wilson scribbling notes furiously. TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES isn’t going to silence critics of the TV show, but it’ll certainly put a smile on their face for 84 minutes.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: (1080p HD Widescreen 1:85:1) Animated films always appear fine on blu-ray. I have yet to notice anything remarkable about them, other than the polished nature of it.
Audio: (English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1) The audio was balanced and clear.
“GO!” – Lil Yachty Music Video (2:09): A forgettable and skippable music video. I don’t even see children enjoying this one.
Silkie Sing-ALongs: This is a sing-along features three songs, including the previous song, and just like the previous feature, it’s skippable and forgettable.
DC Super Hero Girls: The Late Batsby (4:14): From what I read, this is a short feature that played before the feature film in theaters. It’s a slightly different animation style, but still the same kinetic humor. It’s decent on its own, but it’s a good complimentary piece to the film.
Red Carpet Mayhem (2:10): This feature seems like it was used in promotional material because it summarizes the synopsis on the red carpet.
TEEN TITANS GO!: WB Lot Shenanigans (3:56): This is another feature that feels more promotional than anything else. Because of that, this feature, as well as the previous one, aren’t interesting at all.
Everything is Fake (0:51): This is a cut sequence from the film. It’s a song that was eliminated from the Teen Titans time on the WB set in the film. I suspect the name is a play on the LEGO MOVIE’s “Everything is Awesome” song.
TEEN TITANS GO!: Translated (2:18): This feature is several lines of dialogue translated across multiple languages. I guess foreign languages are supposed to be funny? That’s the vibe I got, instead of one that could have been potentially educational.
Storyboard Animatics: This feature puts storyboards and the final product side-by-side. It’s a little interesting.
