Teen Titans - Trouble in Tokyo (Original Movie) | List Price: $19.98
Discount Price: $4.49
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Brand: Warner Brothers
Binding: DVD
Release Date: 2007-02-06
Great Follow-Up Movie! [Posted on 2007-07-30]
TEEN TITANS: TROUBLE IN TOKYO is the first and hopefully not the last direct to TV and DVD movie based on the cartoon series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The cartoon series was based on the DC Comics superheroes that came out in the 1960s. At the time, the Teen Titans consisted of Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad. They were all sidekicks to major icons in the DC Comics universe.
Later, Wonder Girl was added to the roster. As the popularity of the Teen Titans grew, more superhero sidekicks were added in the membership. Speedy, the young archer who was partnered with Green Arrow, joined the team on a semi-regular basis. He was quickly followed by Hawk and Dove, two brothers who had mystical-based powers that augmented their real life abilities. (Hawk and Dove were also featured in an animated Justice League episode. Just goes to show that all of these characters have remained popular for almost 40 years.) Beast Boy, fresh from the Doom Patrol, joined them and brought a whole new level of levity to the series.
After while, as most series do, the Teen Titans comics folded. In the 1970s, white-hot comic writer Marv Wolfman wanted to take a shot at creating a new Teen Titans comic. When he did he brought Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and Beast Boy into the new series and added three new characters: Cyborg, half-teen, half-machine; Starfire, alien warrior princess with amazing powers; and Raven, whose heritage as half-demon was hidden from the rest of the team for a while.
Wolfman's vision of the Teen Titans lasted for years and introduced several characters and key concepts that were later used in the animated series. Characters like Deathstroke the Terminator, Brother Blood, the H.I. V.E. and many others came out of that series and found their way into the cartoons.
Warner's decision to render the Teen Titans as more of an anime style for the younger viewers met with a lot of resistance and derision. Diehard fans wanted their heroes to be treated as "real" as Batman and Superman had been. The camp style of the Warner Bros. cartoon series took a little while to catch on, but it caught on in a big way.
It wasn't long before everyone loved the Teen Titans. Diehard fans just accept the fact that this was a Teen Titans they had not seen before and decided to enjoy the series anyway. Young viewers who had never seen the Teen Titans fell in love with them. A conscious decision was made to never show the young superheroes in their secret identities. They were superheroes all the time.
Not only that, with the anime-style in mind, they were slackers, video game junkies, and connoisseurs of pizza. The characters were drawn more liberally, and they were played for laughs. Beast Boy became a perennial favorite because of his antics and his ability to change into animals. Raven was the perpetual downer, the voice of doom and gloom. Starfire was an innocent (a far cry from the warrior princess she had been in Wolfman's series) and so naive it hurt.
After the series wrapped, Warner Bros. released TEEN TITANS: TROUBLE IN TOKYO and took the team to Japan for the first time. The movie opens with an exciting chase sequence that allows viewers to see the different vehicles the Teen Titans use while in pursuit. (Can we say, Toy Op?) And the action is just as wild as it ever was in the regular series.
But no visit to Tokyo -- especially a visit by the Teen Titans, because anything can happen to them -- is complete without a fight with a giant lizard rampaging the city. After hooking up with a local Tokyo superhero team, Robin and the others find themselves locked in mortal combat with "Gorgo."
Despite the confrontation, Robin quickly gets back to his original mission of finding Brushogun, the man they originally came to Tokyo to apprehend. He and Starfire fall into a romantic tangle that makes it hard on both of them. Robin feels that being a superhero crowds is life to the point that he can't be anything else -- not even a boyfriend.
Beast Boy tries to get in to see his favorite manga publisher, but the corporate offices are closed. While visiting the local bookstores, Raven discovers the legend of Brushogun. According to what she reads, Brushogun was a wizard who fell in love with the drawing of a woman he had made and tried to bring her to life. That kind of explains the creepy characters that now stalk the team.
The action remains fast and furious as Robin gets framed and chased by the police. Even though the movie is three times the length of a regular episode, it flies by. The story is chock full of action and plenty of visual treats as well as jokes. Of course, at the end of the movie the Teen Titans triumph and expose the bad guy. But there's a hint and a promise of the new budding romance between Robin and Starfire.
The movie is a must for fans of the animated series, and it's a good showcase for people who never seen the series. Now that the series is coming out in DVD sets, TEEN TITANS: TROUBLE IN TOKYO would be a good introduction.
Interestingly enough, another animated Teen Titans direct-to-DVD movie is also coming out soon. TEEN TITANS: THE JUDAS CONTRACT has been scripted by Marv Wolfman and Tom DeSanto. This is going to be a definite departure from the anime style and more in line with BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. The story will be edgier and darker.
Mainly for fans of Robin and Starfire [Posted on 2007-08-11]
I love the Teen Titans TV series but I couldn't get into this movie. Robin is by far my least favorite Teen Titan - so I found this movie pretty annoying since he is the main focus (along with Starfire). Hopefully any future releases will be more balanced. I'm giving it a two because it was watchable yet I still wish that I hadn't seen it. Robin and Starfire fans rejoice this one's for you.
Recommended [Posted on 2007-12-02]
If your a fan of Teen Titans this should be added to your collection. Good viewing.
Overall, it's been a disappointment... [Posted on 2008-01-15]
Some people may have thought that this movie was great. That's fine for them. I didn't.
The pacing is choppy, the story is weak, and overall a very unbalanced Teen Titans movie. I just didn't see it having it all together like some of their greatest episodes.
Think what you want to think about this movie. This is what I think.
Teen Titans-Trouble in Tokyo........ [Posted on 2008-07-12]
After the final season of Teen Titans, this direct-to-dvd was released as the final Teen Titan adventure we'd ever see. The story goes a little something like this....A robot shows up in Jump City and blows up the Titans Tower. Robin is quite pissed about this but figures out that it was from Tokyo. So, the gang heads off to Tokyo in search of this robot. What they get is more than they bargained for. While it lacks the better polish of the TV episodes(in terms of storylines & content), it more than makes up for in humor. I couldn't stop laughing at some of the idiotic antics that went on onscreen. It was simply hilarious to me. The only extras we get are The Lost Episode and the dvd game:Robin's Underworld Race Challenge. While it woulda been nice to have had more from its' creator, it was an okay addition to the dvd(although, in my opinion, wasn't anything special). There was selection of trailers as well as a trailer of the CGI TMNT movie.
Overall; I feel it could have been a whole lot better but, given what we were given, it was good. As far as purchasing it goes, rent it first and base your decision on that. Sadly, I went ahead and purchased it. Course, I'm happy with the purchase as I like the Titans.
"Teen Titans...GO!.......er, they're gone!!!.... :("
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