Story

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is an animated movie involving DC Comic Books characters. The Teen Titans are a group of teenagers who want to be superheroes. Robin (voice of Scott Menville) is desperate to have a movie made about him like other famous superheroes – Batman, Superman and so on. But no-one, including the real superheroes and movie director Jade Wilson (Kristen Bell), takes Robin and his friends seriously.

Robin decides he needs a nemesis so he has a reason to become a famous superhero. He meets Slade (Will Arnett), who looks a lot like Deadpool and has dastardly plans to take over the universe by mind control.

Slade takes control of Jade and the other superheroes and lures Robin in by making Robin believe that he’s going to have his own movie. Meanwhile Slade has gathered enough titanium to power his Doomsday Machine, which will bring the universe under his evil control. Robin and his faithful friends must prevent Slade from carrying out his wicked plans.

Themes

Good versus evil; superheroes

Violence

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies has a lot of animated violence, including many scenes of fighting with swords, lasers, guns and other weapons. For example:

• Balloon Man crushes and destroys everything in his path.
• Police try to shoot at Balloon Man but he just swipes them away.
• The Teen Titans arrive and try to shoot at Balloon Man. They fly at him to stop him. Balloon Man captures Beast Boy, who transforms into a spiny anteater and shoots spines into Balloon Man’s bottom.
• The Titans are driving a car quite fast and run over a large cat, who had been playing a guitar. They run off and leave the cat on the ground.
• Slade has two long swords that he keeps behind his back ready to use at any moment.
• Slade electrocutes one of the Titans.
• The Titans viciously attack an actor playing the role of Slade.

Sexual references

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies has some sexual references. For example:

• Batman sits in the movies with his arm around another superhero.
• Robin stands on the stage in front of a huge picture of Batman on the screen. Robin just fits inside Batman’s groin.
• In a strange scene at the end of the movie, Robin says to camera, ‘Kids, ask your parents where babies come from’.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

None of concern

Nudity and sexual activity

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies has some nudity and sexual activity. For example, there seems to be an emphasis in several scenes on showing bare bottoms being shaken and slapped.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies: DC Comics and Warner Bros.

Coarse language

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies has some crude humour. For example, Balloon Man shakes his bottom for a long sequence then one of the Titans says he releases wind. There’s also some name-calling, including ‘morons’, ‘losers’ and ‘sidekick’. The Teen Titans are often referred to as a ‘joke’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is an animated superhero action fantasy based on DC Comics characters. Like the comic books, it has no resemblance to reality and very little story. It’s likely to appeal to people who like superhero comics.

This movie isn’t recommended for children under eight years because it has continual violence, scenes that might scare young children, and some sexual references.

The main messages from this movie are that friends are more important than fame and that you don’t have to be a superhero to be super.

Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include the importance of friendship, teamwork and loyalty.

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like Robin’s vanity. Robin thinks that a movie should be made about him and he gives up his friends to become famous.