by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
When the world is in peril, you can always count on the Justice League to swoop in and save the day. But when the Justice League are the ones in need of help, who do you call? The TEEN TITANS! Justice League VS Teen Titans, the latest DC Universe Original Film is here, and it is up to the next generation of superheroes to save the world and the League itself from certain doom.
After the Justice League has an odd encounter with the Legion of Doom, Batman determines that Robin is in need of more social and team development. Nightwing takes Damien to meet some of his old friends in the Teen Titans, who hope to help him work within a team dynamic. The current roster of the Titans includes Starfire (who finally makes a full animated appearance in this continuity after several teases), Blue Beetle, Beast Boy, and Raven. To no one’s surprise, Damien immediately clashes with his peers, but the impending threat of Trigon helps to persuade him to rethink his actions. With the League overpowered by demonic forces, it is up to the Teen Titans to save both their mentors and the rest of the world!
JL vs TT features several returning cast members from previous DCU films, including Jason O’Mara as Batman, Stuart Allan as Robin, Sean Maher as Nightwing, Jerry O’Connell as Superman, Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman, Christopher Gorham as The Flash, and Shemar Moore as Cyborg. These veterans of the Batman and Justice League animated films are joined by Jon Bernthal (Daredevil) as Trigon, Jake T. Austin (Wizards of Waverly Place) as Blue Beetle, Brandon Soo Hoo (Ender’s Game) as Beast Boy, Kari Wahlgren (Legion of Superheroes) as Starfire, and Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story) as Raven. The returning actors did a stellar job voicing their respective heroes, but the MVP’s of the project are unquestionably Allan and Farmiga, who helped to add an interested new layer of depth to both Damien and Raven. I was quite surprised by the connection that these character shared on screen, but it felt incredibly organic and well conceived.
In many ways, Justice League VS Teen Titans represents what Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice could have been. Not only do these teams have a challenge to overcome, but the character development is pretty amazing (given the run time of the film), and they accomplished something that the feature film once again missed: they had FUN. There are numerous moments that I loved in the film, but some of the highlights included a possessed Superman finding a Stargate-like device buried in the desert, Robin Vs Blue Beetle in an epic Dance Dance Revolution arcade battle, Batman having a plan for demonic possession, or the Sailor Moon-esque Teen Titans transformation sequence (you will know it when you see it).
Special Features:
- Growing Up Titan Featurette: Not as familiar with the history of the Teen Titans? This featurette will get you caught up on why these legacy characters are so important to the DC Universe.
- Heroes and Villains: Raven Featurette
- Heroes and Villains: Trigon Featurette
- From the Vault – 2 Bonus Cartoons
- Special Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Original Film: Batman: The Killing Joke. One of the most revered Batman stories will be coming to life in animation thanks to Bruce Timm, Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Tara Strong! Make sure you check out this segment.
Overall
Justice League VS Teen Titans is the perfect introduction of the younger heroes into the DC Universe Original Movie series, and hopefully will act as a springboard for future solo adventures featuring the Titans. These characters are perfect for a spin-off series of films, and I’m sure that both kids and adults will find a reason to appreciate this release.
ComicsOnline gives Justice League VS Teen Titans 5 out of 5 dance battles.
