When the original Teen Titans first premiered in 2003, there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth from the hardcore Bruce Timm advocates, who felt the anime-infused style and J-Pop theme song infantilized the much-praised maturity of the ongoing DC animated universe. When Cartoon Network swapped out the original series with the far more goofy and kid friendly Teen Titans Go! in 2013, there was yet again weeping and gnashing of teeth, this time from OG TT fans, furious their precious show had been “ruined.”
That is is a shame, because if those ardent, long time fans could bring themselves to go see Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, they’d see one of the best films from the DC brand in decades. A loving tribute to the long-stretching lore of DC Comics, TTG!TTM also manages to be subversive in a way Deadpool only wishes it could be; throwing out every dark and raunchy joke it can to an audience full of children eager to ask their parents questions on the ride home. But if you need a little more encouragement to risk being a childless adult getting glares during the trailer for Goosebumps 2, take a peek at some of the Easter Eggs and in-joke you’ll find in Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.
30 THE FLIPPING PAGES
Right from the start (well, after the fun #thelatebatsby short intended to reboot DC Superhero Girls), this movie reminds you you’re getting a slightly off-kilter superhero story. After an animated version of the DCEU opening image, we see some flipping comic book pages reminiscent of another company’s famous movie openers.
That’s right, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies combined Wolfman and Marvel by paying tribute to the influential Wolfman/Perez run of Teen Titans while clearly emulating the early Marvel Studios motif of the flipping comic book pages. However, we soon realize this isn’t some flashy title card, but an actual comic book being thumbed through by a seagull sitting outside the Titans' Tower.
29 SEE WHAT THEY HAVE IN STORE
Given that animation offers the creator far more control over the image as a whole, animators often take the opportunity to fill their frames with little background jokes and small moments of winking humor. Shows ranging from Rocket Power to, most famously, The Simpsons have taught viewers to be mindful of what little signs or scene might be just in the corner of their eye.
The same is true for Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, where an epic battle with the villainous Balloon Man gives the animators a chance to travel through the fictional Jump City and, in doing so, design the stores that fill the streets. Keep your eyes peeled for great store names like Apoko-lips and Lashes, as well as Sinsterolls and Buns.
28 BALLOON MAN
One couldn’t blame you for thinking Balloon Man was some innocuous villain cooked up for the opening scene of Teen Titans Go! To The Movies; some kaiju-like placeholder for a team not well-known for their villains, beyond the iconic Slade set to be introduced later in the film.
Yet, believe it or not, Balloon Man is only a few years younger than the Teen Titans themselves. Whereas the Titans first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #54 in 1964, Balloon Man first squared off against the Metal Men in Metal Men #24. Though he perished in that comic, Balloon Man did have a second slight moment in the sun, being very loosely adapted for an episode of Gotham.
27 WHAT A BUNCH OF…
With the 2003 debut of Teen Titans, DC took a slew of characters unknown beyond the confines of the comic book page and turned them into a generation’s introduction to superheroes in the form of lovable goofs who weren’t quite as brooding as their bigger counterparts.
A decade later, Marvel managed to pull off a similar feat on a much larger scale, making the Guardians of the Galaxy a billion dollar batch of lovable goofs. Considering both teams’ dysfunctional, squabbling ways, as well as their penchant for dancing rather than fighting, it can’t be terribly surprising that Balloon Man mistook the Teen Titans for the planet-hopping outlaw heroes.
26 IT’S TIME TO PLAY THE MUSIC
When the Teen Titans need to introduce themselves to their new nemesis, they do so in the form of a rap, written by Lil Yachty. The song calls to mind the original rap intro to Aqua Teen Hunger Force, where each character had a verse to explain their powers to the audience.
Much like Meatwad, Beast Boy takes his opportunity to explain his ability to transform into “an animal… yes, any animal.” Of course, eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed that he’s not limited by the zoological. In fact, for a moment, Beast Boy actually transforms himself into Animal, the erratic drummer from The Muppet Show.
25 NICOLAS CAGE
If you don’t know Nicolas Cage beyond the memes, here’s a fun fact for ya: Dude loves Superman! He might just love the Man of Steel more than anyone else. You doubt it? He named his son Kal-El. Checkmate. Ever since he was cast in the unjustly canceled Tim Burton project Superman Lives, Cage has fiercely fought to play the caped hero, and now he finally has.
It's worth noting, however, that even Teen Titans Go! To The Movies couldn’t help but acknowledge the high pedigree of actor that got to embody the Man of Steel. After Superman is knocked down, Robin exclaims that you can’t hit Superman, because he’s a “National Treasure,” which is also the title of a Disney franchise Cage headlined.
24 GREEN LANTERN
It was never a good year to be the 2011 Green Lantern movie, but 2018 has been particularly unmerciful in its ridiculing of the failed franchise-starter. First Deadpool 2 uses its post-credits scene to erase the film from existence, then Teen Titans Go! To The Movies takes a swing at it using GL himself.
Ok, sure, it’s John Stewart expressing disappointment in the Hal Jordan joint, but nevertheless, the barb must still sting. When the Teen Titans ask Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern if they have their own movies, the first two happily answer in the affirmative, while Stewart just says “There was a Green Lantern movie… but we don’t… we don’t talk about that.”
23 SMALLVILLE
Sure, catching a blatant reference to a failed film is easy, and the discerning listener wouldn’t have a hard time catching the voice of Oscar winner Nicolas Cage as the red-caped Son of Krypton. But there was a more subtle reference to Superman lore slipped into that same scene that only ardent fans might have found.
While Superman is explaining to the Titans that they’re not real heroes, he’s struck in the face with a rubber chicken and sighs “Somebody save me.” While this may simply seem like a play on the idea of Superman needing saving, “Somebody Save Me” was also the chorus of the theme song to the young Superman series Smallville.
22 CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN
Being a parent is tough. Your kid hears some random tossed-out line or obscure character in a movie and just won’t let it go. So you push past all the T-Rex dolls in Toys R Us trying to find a Mr. DNA figure. You beg some Target employee to find a Lego set of a shawarma restaurant. You do what you can to make them happy.
So let’s have a moment of silence for all the parents currently scouring comic book stores and toy shops to try and find anything related to the Challengers of the Unknown, the breakout stars of Teen Titans Go! To The Movies. Seemingly forgotten after their 1957 debut, the obscure team becomes the film's best running gag.
21 BATMAN ’89
The modern superhero film as we know it today owes a massive debt to Tim Burton’s original Batman film. Before that, the goal was to emulate the books as much as possible, playing to the kids in the crowd. The good, the bad and the gritty of today’s superhero-centric cinema was all born when Batman took to the screen in 1989.
So it makes sense that Teen Titans Go! To The Movies would pay tribute to the film that started it all. During the “trailers” scene, the “Coming Next Summer” text uses the same font from the Burton Batman posters. Later, the Batmobile from the iconic film chases down the Titans in their golf cart and a variation of the original Danny Elfman score can be heard.