Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

Dir: Aaron Horvath, Peter Rida Michail

2018

***

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies breaks no new ground and doesn’t try that hard to win over new fans – it is for the fans of the series, taking place during it’s fifth season. I’ve never seen it because I honestly didn’t think it was meant for me. I remember the original Teen Titans and I kind of dismissed that as being something for the kids, a way to get the youth interested in DC again. I can’t knock it because I don’t know enough about either version but I enjoyed Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. I liked that they kept it real to the series and didn’t add too many bells and whistles to the movie version. Deadpool breaks down the fourth wall for Marvel and now Teen Titans Go do it for DC and do it in a way suitable for kids. The thing is, I found that most of the humour and references were directed at adults – adult nerds – generally in their forties. Seriously, who, other than forty-year-old nerds are going to know who the Challengers of the Unknown are, about the Jack Kirby deflection to DC from Marvel and who Michael Bolton is. Still, the story starts well with the Teen Titans arriving in Jump City to stop the giant Balloon Man. I liked this scene because it was funny and because Greg Davies voiced the villain when James Cordon pulled out at the last minute. I like any film where Greg Davies appears and James Cordon doesn’t. When the Balloon Man cannot figure out who they are, the Teen Titans jump into a rap song to introduce themselves and become distracted, forcing the Justice League to intervene. It is a suitably snappy intro that sets the scene for views such as myself who haven’t watched the series. The Justice League criticize the Titans for being childish, not taking anything seriously, and bring up the fact that they do not have a movie of their own to prove their legitimacy. While at the premiere of Batman Again, Robin humiliates himself, after assuming that there will be a movie about him (seeing as they’re making ‘Batmobile’ and ‘Utility Belt the Movie’), and is laughed out by the audience. At the rest of the team's suggestion, Robin resolves that in order to get a movie made about him and the Titans, they need an arch-nemesis. Nearby, Slade breaks into S.T.A.R. Labs to steal a crystal. The Titans arrive and attempt to stop him, but he swiftly defeats and insults them. They have found their arch-nemesis. I thought it was funny how they kept calling referring to Slade as Deadpool. Slade's alter ego in the movie is Jade Wilson. Deadpool's real name is Wade Wilson. Deadpool was in fact created as a parody of Deathstroke but again, only nerds know that right? The next day, Beast Boy, Starfire, Cyborg and Raven create a movie to cheer up Robin, but he turns it off prematurely declaring that they will go to Hollywood to have a movie made about them. Upon arriving, they encounter director Jade Wilson, who is responsible for all the superhero movies being made. She turns down the Titans' request to be in a movie, but explains that the only way she would make one about them is if they were the only superheroes in the world. The Titans take her words literally by going back in time to prevent the origins of the other superheroes, but only end up ruining the present, forcing them to go and undo their blunder. Their time travel kicks off many Back to the Future references – again, do kids watch Back to the Future or is it a nerdy film their parents watch? Either way, the references become tiresome. Slade next arrives at Wayne Tech to infuse the crystal's power and the Titans arrive to stop him, this time putting up an actual fight. They secure the crystal, but Slade escapes, resolving to split Robin from his teammates. The next day, Jade invites the Titans back to Hollywood and announces that she will make a movie about them due to their recent fight with Slade. While Robin is given a tour of the premises, Raven, Beast Boy, Starfire and Cyborg venture out and cause mischief. They find a Doomsday Machine that is heavily guarded by the heroes and try to destroy it, but Jade arrives and reveals that D.O.O.M.S.D.A.Y., is just a terrible acronym for a new streaming service for the new movie she is making. She resolves to drop the rest of the Titans from the film and make it solely about Robin, which he happily accepts, much to the consternation of his team, who wish him luck. Robin finishes making the movie, but during a scene where he interacts with a prop version of the Titan Tower door panel, a light falls and knocks him out. He awakens and finishes the scene where Jade reveals that they are now in the tower for real, and that she is actually Slade himself in disguise. He gets the crystal back, restrains Robin, and tells Robin that his making so many superhero movies was a plan to keep the heroes busy while he invaded their cities to build his D.O.O.M.S.D.A.Y. Device to take over the world. Robin escapes from the shackles with his baby hands, and runs out of the exploding tower. The next morning in the wreckage, Robin calls his friends back, who join him with open arms. At the premiere of Robin: The Movie, the Titans arrive and unmask Slade, but Slade unleashes the crystal's power to control the other heroes and sends them after the Titans. Robin goes after Slade while the rest of the team leads off the heroes. However, Slade uses his new power to control Robin, and tells him to attack his friends, who show him the rest of the movie they made for him. Robin comes to his senses. Using one of their songs, the team takes out Slade together, defeating him and his giant robot, which also destroys the crystal, snapping the heroes out of their trance. The heroes all congratulate the Titans for their heroic efforts with Robin admitting that he has learned to be himself. When he tries to go on, everyone demands that they cut to the credits immediately with Robin attempting to stall so that "kids can ask their parents questions." Starfire breaks the fourth wall to say to go right to the credits, but Robin stops just before the film ends telling kids to "ask [their] parents where babies come from." In what has to be the most underwhelming mid-credits scene of all time, the Teen Titans from the 2003-2006 series show up on a distorted screen telling the viewers that they "found a way back." In a post-credits scene, the Challengers of the Unknown (seen earlier in the movie) are still trapped with their leader postulating that they missed the movie. It is one of many jokes that is repeated too often. I would describe it as DC does Powder Puff Girls by way of Austin Powers (via Police Squad) with a huge helping of diet Deadpool. It is a little repetitive but forgivable by being likable – if not a little familiar. To be honest they won me over by having Nicholas Cage voicing Superman.