David Pierdomenico
As the DCEU struggles to stay relevant and goes so far as to rebrand itself “Worlds of DC”, the TV and cartoon branches of the company seem to be going strong. Warner Brothers and DC’s answer to their films not being fun or lighthearted enough lies in the release of Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. It’s funny, and so self-aware that in many ways it feels like the spiritual successor to The Lego Batman Movie.
Everyone Wants a Movie Nowadays
The film begins with the titular group taking on a supervillain terrorizing the city, only to receive assistance from Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman. They then go off to the film premiere of the newest Batman movie title “Batman Again”, to which the Titans aren’t even invited. They sneak in and find that every other hero seems to be getting movies made about them, which leaves them feeling quite left out, particularly Robin. He dreams of having his face and story up on the big screen. But everyone simply looks upon him with ridicule, including Batman, which is strange to see. One would think if anyone would have Robin’s back, it would be the hero who trained and recruited him.
So the Teen Titans set out to Hollywood to see how it can be done. What follows are numerous attempts by them to get their movie made. They travel back in time to try to make other heroes not as popular, or never exist in the first place (which has disastrous results). In addition, they clash with the supervillain Slade, who refuses to take them seriously, but Robins feels that he may be a good candidate for his arch nemesis, which is bound to make him more popular. But no matter what the Titans do, it seems as if the world simply isn’t that interested in them.
Teen Titans vs. Teen Titans Go!
Some fans will most likely be apprehensive towards this film, especially if they preferred the original Teen Titans series from 2003-2006. It came at the tail end of the golden age of DC related cartoon series, along with Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League. Like those other shows, it was fun, but took itself just seriously enough to garner respect. Which is why some fans scoffed at the follow up series Teen Titans Go! debuted in 2013. They felt the humor had become the main focus, and gotten to outlandish and juvenile; with toilet humor popping up more frequently. Much to the dismay of these fans, this film is based upon the latter of the Teen Titans based series.
And while the film does contain subversive humor, along with jabs and references to other DC properties, as well as superhero films as a whole; that same brand of immature humor is also present. It is in that regard that keeps this film under Lego Batman in terms of comedy. But that also doesn’t mean that it’s genuine moments of clever jokes can be written off either. And it’s far from the most extreme place these characters are being taken. A new reboot, simply called Titans, debuts on DC Universe in Fall 2018. And based on the trailer, it’s going more the route of dark and gritty. Fans were shocked to hear Robin say “F**k Batman” in the trailer; a far cry from the two previous kid friendly versions of the Teen Titans.
Not Just For Kids
Unlike the Titans trailer there’s no adult language or themes in this film, but there is a myriad of jokes and references that most children won’t understand, but diehard DC and movie fans will enjoy. These include parodies of Back to the Future, Green Lantern admitting that his movie doesn’t get talked about, Wonder Woman acknowledging hers took too long to make, as well as a retelling of the infamous “Martha” scene in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, as much fun as the obscure jokes can be, the film can’t help but relentlessly repeat jokes over and over. Surely this aimed at children for whom the studio believes repetition will elicit a laugh. It’s as if the jokes meant for children are poorly written, just like in the series, but the jokes for adults are much cleverer.
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is a fun 90 minute escape from reality. Some of the jokes hit, others are a bit too juvenile and repetitive. But fans of the second series will certainly enjoy it. Fans of the original Teen Titans will most likely despise it, but they know exactly what they would be getting anyway. And depending on how well it does at the box office, rumors circulate the original show may even be in store for a comeback. Parts of it may be stupid, but it’s an overall harmless film.
