The Good: amazing animation, detailed art, likeable protagonists, decent development of main character
The Bad: mediocre music, falls back on cliched archetypes, does not live up to its title
***********Review***********
DC comics is on a roll. The year 2016 sees the first two expansions of the DC Extended universe (The clever deconstruction of iconic heroes in the grand operatic BATMAN V SUPERMAN and history's first super villain centric film SUICIDE SQUAD). It also sees the first official crossover within the shared DC animated movie universe (or what I like to call DCAMU) which was first started in 2013 by JUSTICE LEAGUE WAR and SON OF BATMAN.
Damian Wayne of the batman animated movies meets the justice league as he tags along with his Father Bruce during their missions as Batman and Robin. But the league is not too thrilled at this haughty kid's violent and rash solutions to crime. Raised as a professional assassin since birth, Damian's cruel methods run counter to the league's and Batman's ways.
Convinced that Damian should learn among teenagers his age, Batman sends his Son to be with the Teen Titans, teenage outcasts with Super powers learning how to control their abilities. There's Jamie Reyes and his barely-controllable Blue Beetle alien Armour, the humorous shape shifting Beast Boy, and the loner girl with a dark secret Raven.
I was a fan of the 2005 Teen Titans cartoon and this landmark movie is the first time in over 30 years that they crossed over with the Justice League (the last time was in Superfriends). Like the justice league, the voices of the teen titans does take some getting used to especially for me having grown up with the 2005 teen titans cartoon voices. It did not take long for the new portrayals to grow on me. They keep faithful to the spirit of the characters aiming for a more traditional portrayal as opposed to their sometimes controversial New 52 incarnations.
The focus of our story is squarely on Damien and Raven, two of the more aloof members of the TT. Mysterious spectral entities start invading our world, entities with ties to demon lord Trigon who so happens to also be Raven's Father. With magic now squarely in the picture, it isn't long until cop outs like mind control and previously unknown powers ensue.
What could have been a complex clash of morals, agendas and superpowers between the JL and the TT instead devolved into a cliche ridden "band of misfits get together" type of story. Which is a pity since the very existence of the Teen Titans may bring them into conflict with the Justice League. Are they a support group for marginalized super powered teens, or are they child soldiers and potential weapons of mass destruction with all the emotional unpredictability of youth?
It starts there with the JL wanting to apprehend Raven for her connection to the demonic invasion but instead of pitting hero against hero in a morally grey conflict of agendas, the JL is mind controlled by the demons, prompting the hot headed Teen Titans to stop them and the demon lord Trigon.
The Titans themselves barely get much development outside of Raven and Damien. They exist as typical team archetypes that we have seen in many such team based movies; the rival, the funny guy, the positive one trying to be the glue of the team. To the movie's credit, the characters are a diverse bunch and never fall into racial stereotypes.
By this point in the shallow narrative, at very least we can expect the "vs" in the title to deliver some epic fights. JUSTICE LEAGUE VS TEEN TITANS does not disappoint in that regard. While the actual fight between the League and the Titans last for all of 2 minutes, the other battle scenes in the movie are amazing. The production standard by Moi studio is very polished, balancing art detail with fluid animation.
At times, the whole movie looks on par with feature length theatrically released anime movies from japan. Moi has consistently produced good work for the Dc animated movies and this is no exception. There is a good deal of action complimented by a serviceable soundtrack by Frederik Weidmann (Beware the Batman) to satisfy even the most superficial of viewers. But for me, I would have appreciated more substance.
A stand out scene was one where the Titans visit a carnival. It is beautiful sequence showing two reserved individuals who had been denied their childhoods, slowly coming out of their shells and embracing a side of themselves rarely expressed. Basically, showing the Teen Titans being teenagers and developing their characters beyond two dimensional archetypes.
Other than the stellar production standards, JUSTICE LEAGUE VS TEEN TITANS is a shallow, underdeveloped little action romp that wastes a lot of potential. I will give it points for being briskly paced and it actually improves on certain elements of the comics (especially the controversial New 52 incarnations). This movie establishes the Teen Titans as part of the ongoing animated movie continuity, and can only hope that sequels flesh out these wonderful characters a little more.
***********Review***********
Entertainment: A-
Art: A-
Animation: A
Art: A-
Animation: A
Story: C
Voice Acting (English): A-
Voice Acting (English): A-
Characters: C+
Music: C
Replay value: A-
"Brains": C-
"Brains": C-
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