Teen Titans GO! To The Movies (Blu-ray Review)
While some think DC is taking some time off this year from their cinematic output with “just” Aquaman at the tail end of the year, many forget they’ve actually put out two movies this year. Don’t forget the Teen Titans jumped from the small screen to the big one this past summer. While it didn’t light the box office on fire (I was hoping it would!), it still tripled its budget at the box office. It also opened to some of DC’s best reviews for ones not named Wonder Woman. Speaking of, she, her Justice League cohorts and the majority of the DC Universe do appear in this movie. You’ll be able to check it out if you missed it or just add it to your collection when the film arrives on Blu-ray this October 30th. Well, that’s already come and gone, but you order yourself a copy from the Amazon link below.
Film 
It seems to the Teens that all the major superheroes out there are starring in their own movies everyone but the Teen Titans, that is! But de facto leader Robin is determined to remedy the situation, and be seen as a star instead of a sidekick. If only they could get the hottest Hollywood film director to notice them. With a few madcap ideas and a song in their heart, the Teen Titans head to Tinsel Town, certain to pull off their dream. But when the group is radically misdirected by a seriously super villain and his maniacal plan to take over the Earth, things really go awry. The team finds their friendship and their fighting spirit failing, putting the very fate of the Teen Titans themselves on the line!
I wouldn’t say its a “best kept secret”, because its a hit show, but there are probably many adults that don’t realize what a fantastic show Teen Titans GO! is. Perhaps you’re a parent that isn’t paying attention or taking part in the “kid’s shows” your little one like. Here’s a hot tip, their shows are some of the most genuinely funny ones on television right now. Cartoon Network is LOADED with them. Teen Titans GO! is just but ONE of the gold being spewed. Its not just Adult Swim that brings big belly laughs on the network (Disney XD has some gems, too). One quick sitting and you’ll see these shows are actually made with the potential that you’re watching too in mind. Quick aside jokes, nostalgia and more are all aimed at you because there is no way your kids are fully understanding it. Maybe this movie is a coming out party.
Robin, Raven and company’s big screen foray keeps up with the outstanding comedy, pop culture call-outs and super hero fun poking elements that fuel the show’s constant flame. There are many aspects and points in the film that are covered or have been covered on the show before, but for a beginner, its going to create some instant fandom. Someone who has never experience the Teen Titans before is going to become an instant fan and the already converted are going to see it as business as usual. Though, not a steep hill to climb, you can easily call this one of the best films in the DC universe.
Surprisingly, the narrative of the film is actually pretty solid. There are some clever turns and some screamingly obvious ones (Which the movie does acknowledge). Overall, its really cool to see how it actually plays out. its colored by some fun action sequences that are well animated and directed. Adding to that, we get terrific musical numbers that are both catchy and hilarious. Once again, it really gives one a good taste and sampler of what the television show has already done. STILL, that is not a complaint, because this stuff from the show manages to amuse me every time. And the film still contains some very shocking and gut busting funny bits (The time travel montage has some fantastic material).
Video
Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Layers: BD-50
Clarity/Detail: Its funny, with all the DCAU movies they keep churning out lackluster 4K Ultra-HD releases, Warner Bros didn’t toss this theatrical release on the format. Not that it matters, just amuses me. This Blu-ray presentations is the toppest of notch. The image is sharp, crisp and features good animation details with no cracks appearing. Colors pop and radiate off the screen in this presentation.
Depth: While this is basically flat 2D flash animation, it still has some 3-Dimensional appeal to it and the motion works out rather smoothly.
Black Levels: Blacks are just solid and do a good job of sharp outlining and the animation on shading is pretty good as well. No crushing witnessed.
Color Reproduction: Colors are vivid and popping off the screen very lovely here. Purples, magenta, reds, blues, greens…you name it. They are very bold and while vibrant they do not bleed.
Flesh Tones: N/A
Noise/Artifacts: Clean
Audio
Audio Format(s): English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English 5.1 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin American) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish (Latin American)
Dynamics: Teen Titans GO! To The Movies features a pretty rock solid 5.1 track that has a nice circular environmental experience. The only complaint is that the volume is set a hair lower than your default setting. This is a pretty booming experience once its turned up. Its a well balances and layered mix featuring strong effects, vocals and musical output.
Height: N/A
Low Frequency Extension: The subwoofer its some good deep moments on explosions, blasts, crashing and the bassline in the score and songs in the film.
Surround Sound Presentation: This track is super fun and has no problem doing cool unique things with the rear channels. There are cool unique instrumental moments during musical numbers that are distinct and intricate. Motion accuracy is fantastic and the actions sequels really give a 360 degree appeal.
Dialogue Reproduction: Vocals are clear and crisp. Some of them feel obviously from a separate recording studio/setup (Stan Lee in particular). No matter, its fine as is and sounds terrific.
Extras 
Teen Titans GO! To The Movies comes with the DVD edition and a digital copy of the film.
“Go!”: Lil Yachty Music Video (HD, 2:09)
Silkie Sing-Alongs
- Rap (HD, 1:56)
- Inspirational Song (HD, 2:41)
- My Super Hero Movie (HD, 2:23)
DC Super Hero Girls: The Late Batsby (HD, 4:14) – A cartoon short from the DC Super Hero Girls. Features a different animation style than the regular show.
Red Carpet Mayhem (HD, 2:10) – A little short where the Titans talk about the movie on the red carpet, incorporating scenes from the movie.
Teen Titans GO!: WB Lot Shenanigans (HD, 3:56) – A Benny Hill-esque short where people in Teen Titans mascot outfits wander around through the Warner Bros lot and a security guard has trouble finding and booting them.
Everything Is Fake (HD, :51) – A cut song from the movie told with pre-vis storyboards.
Teen Titans GO!: Translated (HD, 2:18) – Different examples of moments in the movie in different languages.
Storyboard Animatics
- Time Cycles (HD, 1:07)
- The Final Battle (HD, 1:34)
Summary
Teen Titans GO! To The Movies is a terrific little cinematic foray into the Cartoon Network show’s world. It is a solid enough for fans and a great introduction for newcomers. This Blu-ray features a pretty top tier presentation and is complimented by some fun extras. This is a solid pick up if you’re looking for some fun comedic poking at all states of the DC Universe. Its pretty cool that in 2018 we are getting animated excursions with the DC characters (Their second actually in as many years, as last year saw LEGO Batman) and the Spider-Man ones.
