Cartoon Network’s received its fair share of criticism for heavily promoting and airing blocks upon blocks of Teen Titans GO episodes over many of its other successful shows. But in fairness, they wouldn’t have bothered if TTG didn’t have such a strong following. Though given how radically and deliberately different it is in tone from WB Animation’s first Teen Titans series, it’s not hard to see why it’s become so polarizing over time.
I’ve never got into GO the way I have other CN shows like Steven Universe or Adventure Time, but there’ve been plenty of episodes that have cracked me up, notably when the crew attempted to become more “metal” or their battle against a muscled and hyper-violent clown. It’s not uncommon to see the Titans both battling villains and getting into (or causing) mayhem in the same segment. Their big screen debut Teen Titans GO! To The Movies follows a similar formula as it opens with them waging war against a balloon monster.
Beast Boy (Greg Cipes) can’t help but bust a gut laughing as he pops one of its cheeks for a well-timed fart noise, but Superman (Nicholas Cage, in a very appealing cameo on his part) and the rest of the Justice League isn’t amused by how the Titans refuse to take themselves seriously. This cuts team leader Robin (Scott Menville) deep, only fueling his desire for his own movie further. After all, what better way for an established hero to gain respect from their peers than a feature film?
When the Boy Wonder is passed over by Hollywood’s studios for movies about Alfred, the Batmobile and even Batman’s utility belt, Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg (Khary Payton), Raven (Tara Strong) and Starfire (Hynden Walch) head out in search of a supervillain to give them a rivalry worthy enough for piquing the interest of superhero film director Jade Wilson (Kristen Bell).
Here it’s in the form of Slade, played by Will Arnett with the same gruff tone he lends to Lego Batman only in the service of evil, and he becomes understandably miffed when the Titans constantly compare him to Deadpool. He’s got a mask, sword and guns, which alongside his “mind manipulation” techniques of saying “hey look over there!” are enough to confuse our heroes.
Whether the eccentric quintet are fighting villains, or traveling back in time to stop superhero origins so that they’re the only heroes in existence (resulting in a dementedly funny gag involving the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents), GO To The Movies has a similar gently satirical spirit to Lego Batman, only it’s aimed at the DC universe as a whole as opposed to one property. (Even Marvel’s Stan Lee gets in on the act, happily parodying himself for the competition.)
The one issue with GO is that the story is fairly generic, but that’s something of a moot point seeing as this is an extremely gag-centric film where the plot is pretty much a vehicle for the jokes. The humor, while sharp, never detours into meanness for the sake of it. GO-Robin is known for being rather self-centered and insecure, and he’s certainly that in this movie, but it’s also much easier for the viewer to sympathize with him this time around than it is on many episodes from the show.
In some ways, I’d have liked for GO! To The Movies to have taken a few more risks with its plot, but it’s a genuinely fun romp that will more than satisfy younger audiences and fans of the show. You can’t come into this film without a sense of humor, which is something that many adaptions of DC’s properties have been criticized for lacking.
I’m not going to judge the upcoming Titans series entirely by its trailer. But just based on how graphic and bleak its tone was, GO feels even more refreshing with its satirical and unapologetically joyful energy. (Heck, there’s even a catchy pop song called “Upbeat” at one point. It’s part of a great soundtrack overall, headed by a rap number performed by the Titans themselves- also reprised by Lil Yachty, who also voices Green Lantern). Recommended, especially if you’re a DC devotee. If you had the chance to check out this movie, head to @Official_FAN on Twitter and tell us what you thought!