Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

The Teen Titans cartoon had a rocky start with the fandom, as it was criticized for having an animesque visual style, dumbed-down storylines and relying too much on humor as opposed to the rest of the then-current DCAU, but later amassed a huge fandom who still appreciated the show for what it was, to the point where these particular versions of these characters became iconic. Fast forward a few years later and history seems to repeat itself. "Teen Titans GO!" is the series that replaced the previous show and suffered from the same criticisms yet also has garnered a huge fandom.Full disclaimer: I haven't really watched the show this movie is based on. I watched an episode or two and was turned off by the excess of silly humor and lack of actual heroics. And you know what? That's fine, not all superhero shows have to be the same, but I figured it wasn't for me, so I let it pass. But then the movie came out. While I had absolutely no interest in it, they actually did something that made me buy it. Years ago I promised myself that if Nicolas Cage was ever cast as Superman, I'd pay to see it, and what do you know? This movie did just that.I confess I was a little wary as I popped this disc into my console and started to play it, but a few minutes passed, and I was all in. This movie is silly, yes, the animation is, for the most part, simple, and the basic story is generic, but it's actually quite entertaining and humorous. While not all the jokes land, at certain points it is actually pants-wettingly hilarious. And, while obviously the level of entertainment kids will get out of this is different from what adults will, there's a lot of humor directed exclusively to the latter that kids will be entirely unable to pick up.What's interesting is that this movie takes the major complaints about the show (too much goofiness, not enough heroics) and makes solving them its central plot. The nature of those issues coupled with the middle-credits revelation really makes it look like, rather than being a product of listening to complaints, this had been their plan all along. Looks like the writers have been playing the long game, in a majorly risky way, and it certainly seems to have paid off.As an aside, this movie is a boon for any DC fan. There's quite a lot of obscure jokes and references to the larger DC universe, and I even caught a reference to a popular webcomic that makes a lot of Batman jokes. While it'd be the cynical response to think this movie is a cash grab based on a fad, I think it's pretty clear the writers have done their jobs and are looking to entertain.So, I really liked the movie and I'm looking forward to the twice-teased sequel. It's a recommendation from me.

Great movie for all

I didn’t understand it, but my granddaughter loved it! And that’s all that matters!

As a point of context, I didn't really watch the 2003 Teen Titans TV show, nor Teen Titans Go. I've heard things about both shows, but for the most part, this is a review will be for it on its own.As a movie by itself, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies might be the best spoof movie made since the days of Naked Gun and Airplane. The best thing about the movie is the writing and how tight it is with its comedy. It covers the full spectrum of spoofing superhero movies, action movies, and animated movies in how it uses tropes and references to enhance the narrative and comedy. As for the rest of the movie, that's more of a mixed bag. The animation feels more like a TV movie than a theatrical feature, however it's also clear the animators pushed the limits of what had to give a fountain of creativity. The characters are mostly inconsistant and feel less like characters and more like tropes, which is the double edge sword of making a spoof movie. The only exception to this is Slade, who makes a fantastic foil to the titans and I think people would like TTG if he was in there as the straight man. Also, the songs of 'My Superhero Movie' and the Teen Titans Rap are absolute ear worms.To conclude Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is a nice change of pace along with a decent surprise as a movie. Sure not all the jokes work and the characters aren't very strong in a film's narative. However, it more than makes up for that thanks to its clever writing, well paced humor, and animation that pushes its creative boundries. If you enjoyed films like The Lego Batman Movie, or the Spongebob Squarepants movies, you'll probably enjoy this.

I've been a big fan of DC animation going back to Batman: The Animated Series and Tiny Toons. I originally watched the first iteration of the Teen Titans when it came out on Cartoon Network. When it ended, and Teen Titans Go replaced it, I didn't like it. While the first Titans was a little silly and slapsticky at times, Teen Titans Go cranked it up to 11. So I was a bit apprehensive to see this movie. But the trailer looked pretty funny. I don't know if it was that I had low expectations for this movie, but I really enjoyed it. And I have to admit, it was one of the best movies I've seen in 2018, (at least in the top 5).If you've got pre-teens, they'll love this movie. But there are enough laughs to go around, even for adults. If you liked any of the Lego movies, you'll like this.

My little one loves