Killtacular
07-14-2003, 03:34 PM
First things first: <I>Teen Titans</I> is probably not for people who visit Toon Zone or Comicon or have dozens of <I>Justice League</I> figures adorning their desk.
That being said, <I>Teen Titans</I> is the most enjoyable Warner Bros. Animation production since <I>Freakazoid</I> (which makes <I>Duck Dodgers</I> even more worth looking forward to)!
<a href="http://www.toonzone.net/shows/wba/teentitans/groupshot3.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.toonzone.net/shows/wba/teentitans/t-groupshot3.jpg" alt="Titans line up" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="3" width="175" height="99"></a>The series mixes everything that is good about fun and energetic shows like <I>The Powerpuff Girls</I> with the teamwork aspects of <I>Codename: Kids Next Door.</I> Unlike the aforementioned shows, though, the Titans are more than just hollow personalities. Granted, PPG's characters <I>do</I> have depth to them, but their story lines aren't complex or far-reaching like DC animated series tend to be.
Which is not to say that <I>Teen Titans</I> has the complexity of <I>Justice League</I> (which I personally believe is WBA's most mediocre program on the network). Meanwhile, if you've come for epic two-part stories, watch <I>Justice League.</I> If you've come looking for shot-for-shot duplications of comic book material, watch <I>Justice League.</I> If you've come looking for another <I>Batman: The Animated Series,</I> stop watching TV and just put a bullet through your head.
Instead, the show is all about fun. Tight action; character relationships; and nothing more. The best part of the show, as you can expect me to say, is the interaction between the characters. "Sisters," for example, revolves around two relationships: that between Starfire and her sister Blackfire, and that between Starfire and Robin. The plot has Blackfire visiting Starfire as the latter is suffering a personal crisis; as she quickly makes friends with the Titans, she slowly begins to pull them away from Starfire, making her feel like an outcast. A typical sibling rivalry plot, you may think, but it's handled so well because it's never forced too strongly (aside from a scene just before the act break).
That's because everyone in the show bounces off of each other in a way that leads to some great comedy -- I'm not going to list specific jokes because I'd rather people saw this show with an open mind, free of spoilers – without there being one specific character who steals the show (and for the record, The Flash was <i>never</I> funny). So Raven and Beast Boy and Robin and Starfire all get some great lines, but the comedy is in the <I>way</I> they intereact.
<a href="http://www.toonzone.net/shows/wba/teentitans/groupshot5.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.toonzone.net/shows/wba/teentitans/t-groupshot5.jpg" alt="Robin and Titans" align="left" hspace="5" vspace="3" width="125" height="125"></a>But of course, most people are going to be hung up over the art. If people are idiots and only like shows with Bruce Timm models, they'll probably be too enraged by <I>Teen Titans'</I> art style to notice how great a show it is. It just looks better than <I>Justice League,</I> with better designs, <I>much</I> better animation , and fantastically expressive drawings that seem definitely inspired by the takes in shows like <I>FLCL.</I> Probably the visual highlight of the show was a scene where Robin and Blackfire ... oh, I won't say it.
But <I>Teen Titans</I> differs from, say, <I>Totally Spies,</I> in that its art direction is done by people who clearly watch and enjoy anime and are, dare I say, <i>otaku.</I> There is an amazing use of motion lines and choreography that definitely seems to mimic the kind of fighting in <I>FLCL</I> and <I>Cowboy Bebop,</I> and will be as close as WBA will ever get to realistic fighting in this lifetime. When someone inflicts a punch, the other person sure as hell feels it. There an impact and speed in the fights that have not been conveyed since the early days of <I>Superman: The Animated Series.</I>
But of course, every review has to have the obligatory negative second-to-last paragraph. What didn't work in the show? Well, the first episode, "Final Exam," is a real misfire, with a "good team vs. bad team" dynamic that goes nowhere despite some great fight animation, and it doesn't look to be a representation of what the show is really about. More generally, some of the voice acting is off-putting. Starfire is obviously supposed to be fish-out-of-water, but her VA plays that angle way too strongly, with some of the most wooden acting I've heard this side of Martian Manhunter. Some people may not be able to stand Robin's voice either, if they're used to the geeky, high-strung performances Scott Menville delivered as Andy French in <I>Mission Hill.</I> Scott does a good Robin, don't get me wrong. But it will take some time getting used to. It's definitely a better choice than going too young (Tim Drake's VA) or too old (Dick Grayson's VA).
The best way to judge <I>Teen Titans,</I> is to tune into the premiere on July 26th. (No, not the 19th, the 26th. If you only plan on seeing one episode, <I>for the love of God,</I> just skip "Final Exam" and move on to "Sisters"!)
And to all those who hate <I>Teen Titans</I> for petty reasons irrelevant to the show itself, I pity you.
<b>Teen Titans</b><i> premieres on Cartoon Network on Saturday, July 19, at 9:00pm (ET/PT).</i>
<i>Other Toon Zone reviews of</i>Teen Titans:
Karkull: <a href="http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?threadid=81459" target="blank">Kids May Love "Teen Titans"; Adults Will Look for More</a>
SJJ: <a href="http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?threadid=81463" target="blank">"Teen Titans" Like Nothing You're Expecting</a>
And what did you think? Discuss <i>Teen Titans</i> in Toon Zone's <a href="http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=79679" target="blank">DC Animated Universe</a> message forum.
That being said, <I>Teen Titans</I> is the most enjoyable Warner Bros. Animation production since <I>Freakazoid</I> (which makes <I>Duck Dodgers</I> even more worth looking forward to)!
<a href="http://www.toonzone.net/shows/wba/teentitans/groupshot3.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.toonzone.net/shows/wba/teentitans/t-groupshot3.jpg" alt="Titans line up" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="3" width="175" height="99"></a>The series mixes everything that is good about fun and energetic shows like <I>The Powerpuff Girls</I> with the teamwork aspects of <I>Codename: Kids Next Door.</I> Unlike the aforementioned shows, though, the Titans are more than just hollow personalities. Granted, PPG's characters <I>do</I> have depth to them, but their story lines aren't complex or far-reaching like DC animated series tend to be.
Which is not to say that <I>Teen Titans</I> has the complexity of <I>Justice League</I> (which I personally believe is WBA's most mediocre program on the network). Meanwhile, if you've come for epic two-part stories, watch <I>Justice League.</I> If you've come looking for shot-for-shot duplications of comic book material, watch <I>Justice League.</I> If you've come looking for another <I>Batman: The Animated Series,</I> stop watching TV and just put a bullet through your head.
Instead, the show is all about fun. Tight action; character relationships; and nothing more. The best part of the show, as you can expect me to say, is the interaction between the characters. "Sisters," for example, revolves around two relationships: that between Starfire and her sister Blackfire, and that between Starfire and Robin. The plot has Blackfire visiting Starfire as the latter is suffering a personal crisis; as she quickly makes friends with the Titans, she slowly begins to pull them away from Starfire, making her feel like an outcast. A typical sibling rivalry plot, you may think, but it's handled so well because it's never forced too strongly (aside from a scene just before the act break).
That's because everyone in the show bounces off of each other in a way that leads to some great comedy -- I'm not going to list specific jokes because I'd rather people saw this show with an open mind, free of spoilers – without there being one specific character who steals the show (and for the record, The Flash was <i>never</I> funny). So Raven and Beast Boy and Robin and Starfire all get some great lines, but the comedy is in the <I>way</I> they intereact.
<a href="http://www.toonzone.net/shows/wba/teentitans/groupshot5.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.toonzone.net/shows/wba/teentitans/t-groupshot5.jpg" alt="Robin and Titans" align="left" hspace="5" vspace="3" width="125" height="125"></a>But of course, most people are going to be hung up over the art. If people are idiots and only like shows with Bruce Timm models, they'll probably be too enraged by <I>Teen Titans'</I> art style to notice how great a show it is. It just looks better than <I>Justice League,</I> with better designs, <I>much</I> better animation , and fantastically expressive drawings that seem definitely inspired by the takes in shows like <I>FLCL.</I> Probably the visual highlight of the show was a scene where Robin and Blackfire ... oh, I won't say it.
But <I>Teen Titans</I> differs from, say, <I>Totally Spies,</I> in that its art direction is done by people who clearly watch and enjoy anime and are, dare I say, <i>otaku.</I> There is an amazing use of motion lines and choreography that definitely seems to mimic the kind of fighting in <I>FLCL</I> and <I>Cowboy Bebop,</I> and will be as close as WBA will ever get to realistic fighting in this lifetime. When someone inflicts a punch, the other person sure as hell feels it. There an impact and speed in the fights that have not been conveyed since the early days of <I>Superman: The Animated Series.</I>
But of course, every review has to have the obligatory negative second-to-last paragraph. What didn't work in the show? Well, the first episode, "Final Exam," is a real misfire, with a "good team vs. bad team" dynamic that goes nowhere despite some great fight animation, and it doesn't look to be a representation of what the show is really about. More generally, some of the voice acting is off-putting. Starfire is obviously supposed to be fish-out-of-water, but her VA plays that angle way too strongly, with some of the most wooden acting I've heard this side of Martian Manhunter. Some people may not be able to stand Robin's voice either, if they're used to the geeky, high-strung performances Scott Menville delivered as Andy French in <I>Mission Hill.</I> Scott does a good Robin, don't get me wrong. But it will take some time getting used to. It's definitely a better choice than going too young (Tim Drake's VA) or too old (Dick Grayson's VA).
The best way to judge <I>Teen Titans,</I> is to tune into the premiere on July 26th. (No, not the 19th, the 26th. If you only plan on seeing one episode, <I>for the love of God,</I> just skip "Final Exam" and move on to "Sisters"!)
And to all those who hate <I>Teen Titans</I> for petty reasons irrelevant to the show itself, I pity you.
<b>Teen Titans</b><i> premieres on Cartoon Network on Saturday, July 19, at 9:00pm (ET/PT).</i>
<i>Other Toon Zone reviews of</i>Teen Titans:
Karkull: <a href="http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?threadid=81459" target="blank">Kids May Love "Teen Titans"; Adults Will Look for More</a>
SJJ: <a href="http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?threadid=81463" target="blank">"Teen Titans" Like Nothing You're Expecting</a>
And what did you think? Discuss <i>Teen Titans</i> in Toon Zone's <a href="http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=79679" target="blank">DC Animated Universe</a> message forum.