If you look inside yourself and are honest, you know what to expect from a movie before you step inside the movie theater. Even if you don’t know what to expect, you probably have an inclining of how you’ll enjoy the film. “This is more of an animated feature, it’s not really a film” I glibly said to an adult next to me before Teen Titans GO! To The Movies started. It was partially because our 8 YO son had just asked what the film would be about and I had absolutely no idea. Within five minutes of the film starting I still had no idea what the film would be about, but I was laughing more than I had at any movie in years.
Years. What was even more unexpected was that I kept laughing for most of the movie. This was genuine, tears running down my face, laugh out loud-don’t care who is watching laughter. I thought that it was just me so I looked at our 6YO and he was doubled over with laughter. I looked at his more reserved, older brother who was laughing. I then looked my wife, who is not a fan of superhero OR animated films and she was laughing hysterically with tears running down her face.
That was my litmus test. She saw Boss Baby with us and really enjoyed it. Part of that reason was because she could relate to the jokes about parenting, corporate culture and cliché business sayings. Teen Titans GO! To The Movies is a film that she has no connection with, yet she enjoyed it much more.
I’m a fan of Teen Titans GO!, laugh at most of the jokes on television and love how the show can switch jokes and targets at a moment’s notice. I thought it would be challenging and tiring to sit through a 90 minute film out of something that I normally watch in 12 minute segments.
If you’re familiar with the show then this could be your thought also. Get that thought out of your mind now. Teen Titans GO! To The Movies is wildly entertaining and produced loud laughter from all of the people around us. There are subdued visual jokes in the first ten minutes that are on the signs. There are funny musical numbers that make you laugh, are great songs and help drive the plot narrative of certain characters.
As a film what’s impressive is that the film never stops. There are always jokes being thrown at you. Some of them stick head on, others graze the surface and there are probably a dozen or so that I missed. This is a rapid fire joke film with a high success rate.
As I was watching it I was reminded of a very funny episode of The Simpsons. They have episodes that include physical humor, personal relationships, loss and teach a lesson-all in one episode. Teen Titans GO! To The Movies was like that for us. Every time I tried to stop laughing they teed up another joke and hit a home run.
They kept this up all the way until the end. It’s the joke equivalent of Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s both respectful of the superhero genre, eschews it, acknowledges how DC is represented in comics and also shines light on Marvel Comics. It does all of this in a way that is entertaining as a film, even to those who don’t know superhero 1 from superhero 2. This is a great film that leaves audiences ready for more Teen Titans GO! To The Movies in 2020.
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