What kind of film can get away with mocking Disney, Marvel, and its very own franchise? Well, one that is just as ridiculous as its title, that’s what.
Teen Titans GO! To The Movies follows the iconic team of DC youngsters as they reach for fame and glory in Hollywood. But with the Justice League members and the infamous Slade standing in their way, the journey to stardom will need a lot more than goofy humour and fart jokes. It will need, you guessed it, friendship.
As corny as this sounds, it’s simplicity aids in forming a piece of entertainment that could captivate children and adult DC fans alike. Unfortunately, the very niche humour that makes it a giggle fest for DC die-hard fans will also distance the film from the general public’s enjoyment.
But, humour aside, the strong cast of voices that started with Teen Titans delivers a whacky performance while also welcoming voices such as Nicolas Cage and Kristen Bell. Beyond these big names, there was also Jimmy Kimmel, Will Arnett and even Stan-freaking-Lee!
The film is full of meta jokes, just like Stan Lee’s cameo. But if you’re watching it in the theatre, you’ve got to be quick to catch all the references along the way. You’ll see mentions of Young Justice, Harry Potter, Deadpool, and, of course, all the DC films.
This is where the movie really shines. The Teen Titans GO! franchise is not afraid to accept that it’s the least mature piece of content that DC has created and the film steamrolls into proving that very point. The team are goofballs, immature, and actually pretty good at making a head banging jam. This, ladies and gentlemen, coming from a critique that couldn’t watch one single episode two days earlier.
The film definitely starts with an epic kick, but one that doesn’t follow through to the second half. So much was crammed into the movie’s first half that, by the time the Titans actually get themselves a movie deal, it looks as if the writers had run out of jokes.
The creators certainly went nuts in the first half, but the story has to come into play. It’s just unfortunate that the story smothered the rolling punches of humour from the first half.
The villain was easy to predict, as was their plot, but, with the DC Universe streaming service being released shortly, the villain’s evil plan certainly makes one think twice before purchasing a subscription.
Beyond the film itself, there was a sneak peek as to what fans of DC Super Hero Girls can expect from the Cartoon Network update. The redesigned art of the internet sensation was vastly different from the smooth style that fans have come to love. And, after the fan outrage over the redesign, I was starting to feel DC might have made another media blunder.
But, with a story and art similar to Super Best Friends Forever, this sneak peek was a quick and fun way to warm the audience up for the Titans’ crazy adventures. It also doesn’t hurt that the story starred Batgirl.
For fans of the original Teen Titans animated series, I cannot recommend this film enough. Understandably, you might be hesitant to watch the whole film for the secret credit scene, but it will certainly give you hope.
Let’s just say it looks like WB are holding true to Tara Strong’s Twitter promise.
Teen Titans GO! To The Movies was a joyous, nonsensical adventure into the whacky minds of people unafraid to mock any and all franchises. The humour went beyond everyday, B-grade fart jokes and even made a very inspiring soundtrack. It’s multitude of DC references will both work in its favour and against it depending on each audience’s knowledge of the franchise. Its biggest downfall will be its length and the lack of momentum in the film’s second half.
It definitely won’t be a film for all, falling at 3 stars out of 5 for general audience goers. But, the fun of spotting all the franchise references can take this film up to a 3.5 for fans.
Review by Brittany Howarth
