Day 210 of the challenge! Against all odds, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is one of the funniest and smartest superhero movies ever made! Seriously. I always appreciated the Cartoon Network show for what it was, but I was not at all prepared for how intuitive and funny the movie was going to be.
Liked:
The bigger budget allowed for some great updates to the look of the film compared to the show. It's a very colorful and pretty movie to watch.
The references! There are so many easter eggs and references in every corner of this movie, and not all just DC ones either! Some are straight up parodies of other films and franchises (which I won't spoil here), while other are carefully placed or hidden in the background like a DC version of I Spy books. This makes the movie worth a few watches just so you can try and find them all, because there's no way you can do it all in one sitting. The design of the film is incredible in this regard.
The meta commentary Teen Titans Go! To the Movies uses to break down the nature and obsession with superhero movies is masterful. While it doesn't go as deep as some might hope, I feel it was the right level of analysis for the intended audience to the message.
It also uses this for some great comedy that gets MUCH darker than the show usually goes, but not so much that it should be a concern for parents. My sides hurt from laughing so much at certain points.
Plenty of "poop and fart" jokes to balance out the more sophisticated (weird word to use for a Teen Titans Go! movie, I know) meta jokes I mentioned above, guaranteeing anyone in the theater (kid or adult) will have something to enjoy.
Amongst all the jokes, commentary, and references, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies also manages to tell a great (if simple) character driven story
The mid-credit scene IS INSANE!
The voice cast is just as incredible as the design. You can't help but get a kick out of some of the casting choices.
On the nose message about friendship and loving who you are. On the nose, but always welcomed (especially in this day and age).
Didn't like:
- I would have liked more interactions between Robin and Batman, since one of the driving forces in the film is Robin trying to escape Batman's shadow.
- That being said, this is very much a Robin-centric movie. The other Titans got cast aside and were only used as support for Robin's struggle. Would have liked some better development or arcs for them. I can't help but feel like there are some missed opportunities here.