PLOT: Robin is tired of Batman getting all the media attention and the Hollywood hype. In hopes of finally having their own blockbuster movie event, Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven, all end up making a deal with a big time Hollywood director to find their very own super villain to fight. If they can do that, she will give Robin his very own feature film. Will the dim dynamos find fame and still save the world? Well, at the very least they will sing about it.
REVIEW: Fans of the animated series Teen Titans Go! have something to look forward to. Robin (Scott Menville), Starfire (Hynden Walch), Cyborg (Khary Payton), Beast Boy (Greg Cipes) and Raven (Tara Strong) are heading to the big screen for their first feature film, TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES. Much like the series, you’ll find these wannabe heroes battling villainous baddies and singing songs about it. All the while, poor old Robin is seeking the same attention that his more famous on-screen pal Batman (Jimmy Kimmel) has received. This adventure leads the team to Hollywood in hopes of finally getting the recognition, respect and accolades that their more famous heroic idols have earned. Will their big screen debut make them honest to goodness superstars? Maybe. But then again, maybe not. However, it will certainly earn a few laughs.
Robin is tired of watching Batman getting all these movie deals. Even worse, his pals Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven are all treated like they are a joke by superheroes like Superman (Nicolas Cage) and Wonder Woman (Halsey). However, when big shot movie director Jade Wilson (Kristen Bell) convinces the team to get themselves a super villain to fight so she could make a movie about them, they happen upon Slade (Will Arnett). Unwittingly, the guy that looks like Deadpool (some great jokes about that) decides to fight with them. Yet, this dastardly dude has other nefarious plans. While the tiny heroes dream of Hollywood fame, the slightly sensitive, but mostly evil Slade is planning to take over the Earth. Will Robin and friends finally wise up and stop him? Or will the glaring lights of stardom blind them to the dangers of world domination?
If you are even remotely a superhero fan, you’ll find something to enjoy in this big screen take on this popular series. One of my favorite moments comes courtesy of a very famous cameo that is from the Marvel Universe – I’ll save that one for the viewer. In addition, this feature film makes reference to a number of popular flicks including BACK TO THE FUTURE. It also has a ton of fun with the superhero genre in general. Apparently, nearly everything else in Batman’s life is deserving of a movie more than Robin – a clever send-up to the modern superhero franchise in general. By bringing these tiny versions of real life DC characters, WB has made what one could call a modern Tiny Toon Adventures – the 1990’s series that features teenage versions of Bugs Bunny and friends.
The humor here is very much in line with what you see on the small screen. And there are genuine laughs throughout. When the gang finds the city under attack by the gassiest villain ever, Balloon Man (Greg Davies), they must fight with everything they have – and they don’t have much. Clearly in over their head, the gang attempts to battle the gigantic red beast with blasts, punching, and of course a song and dance number. And it also includes what may very well be the longest fart joke to ever grace an animated feature – well probably not the longest, but it felt like it. While much of this is pretty darn humorous, they really go a bit overboard with the flatulence gags. However, that will probably annoy the parents far more than the younger viewers.
While the main characters here are mostly entertaining, they are occasionally – sometimes frustratingly so – really damn dumb. Sure, that is what they are supposed to be. But every so often you feel a bit sorry for the villains and the elder superheroes who treat Robin and crew as children. Even still, the Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail directed comedy maintains its outrageous energy with a sense of unabashed glee. While the series itself is super hyperkinetic, the movie manages to mostly maintain its plot yet still offer up the goofy side adventures. With a ton of music and comical action sequences, this is very likely to please fans of the DC Universe as well as the very young viewers that just want a bright and colorful landscape of lunacy.
You will absolutely know if TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES is for you, whether or not you are a fan of the series. This is a movie that feels like an extended episode, yet it manages to stick to its main plot a little more carefully. The voice actors are all terrific, and it is especially satisfying having a Nicolas Cage version of Superman – if not exactly what it would have been like in the scrapped live action feature some years back. This is a enjoyable big screen take on the series with a ton of music and a few clever references. Some may find that the humor can get a bit tired, yet you kind of can’t help but laugh at the infectious idiocy on display.