The movie begins with the Justice League easily taking down the Legion of Doom, led by Lex Luthor, though it's never stated why, until they encounter the demon Trigon. When Damien Wayne, the biological son of Batman and the current Robin, disobeys his fathers orders and attacks Trigon with weapon with the near power of a small nuke, he is sent to the Titans Tower with the rest of the Teen Titans in order to learn more about teamwork.
Later, when Trigon captures Raven as part of his plan to rule the world, the Teen Titans run into action to save her. But standing in their way is the Justice League, which also includes Superman, as they are under Trigon's control.
Now I've said this before and I'll say it again. If you expect the Teen Titans in this movie to be anything like the original series from Cartoon Network, don't. They're totally different as they are based from the New 52 versions. For starters, Starfire is the leader of the group as she is the elderst, around the same age as Nightwing. Also, since the Teen Titans are played by different voice actors, it takes some getting used to.
I do have some issues with this film and it starts with Damien's character. Yes, he is quite the jerk, but considering he's been working with the Bat Family for some time now, he should at least know a thing or two about teamwork. But the film makes Damien even MORE reclusive just to get him to join the Teen Titans.
That being said, Robin is depicted here to hook up with Raven, as the two are kindred spirits. Sorry, Beast Boy fans. Starfire is the only character you can related to the Cartoon Network version as she retains much of that, but also very mature as she's an adult in this movie.
2nd Problem is Nightwing. Despite being promoted as taking part of the movie, he's only around in a few scenes and that's it. He doesn't even take part in any of the battles, which is very disappointing, considering not only him being very popular nowadays, but also as being a former Titan himself.
Finally is the "vs" part. I REALLY hate it when they use the term in movies like this because it's not what it seems. Yes, the Justice League and the Teen Titans indeed took on one another, but it only takes the time you need to cook a frozen Chicken Patty in the microwave for it to be settled.
The good ones. Plenty. For one, Phil Bourassa, who does the character designs for the New 52 movies, Vixen, and Young Justice, really pulled no strings in making the characters as good looking as possible. You will be struck in awe on the designs. And yes, that includes Raven. The movie also features a revelation that effectively ties much of the New 52 movies together, in particular the Batman movies that feature Damien.
It is very rare in media outside the comics that feature a villain not even the Man of Steel can defeat. And Trigon here proves to be quite an intimidating villain and places the movie in a unique spot where anything can happen. I honestly hate the fact that Superman is always displayed as the one-all-be-all superhero who can take on virtually anything, and it's nice the movie places Superman in a position where he can't win. You don't see that on overpowered characters these days and do it very well story-wise.
There is one part of the movie that is refreshing to see and that is Raven's backstory. Due note that the backstories of the Teen Titans were never revealed and if you want to learn more about them, you have to read the comics. Her origins in the movie explain her twisted relationship with Trigon, and where her enchantments come from. I also like that Raven has more powers here than in previous versions so she's actually more formidable than what she appears. While she starts off as a bit of a Damsel in Distress, she eventually grows and becomes a cental character to the film, a far cry from the classic Raven and thus you get to like her even more.
And if you happen to be a fan of fan-service, get excited because has lots of it. It even has a few Anime references if you can spot them.
Despite these few bumps, Justice League vs Teen Titans is a great film and brings the Titans back to its glory days and even more. I would personally love to see more stories of these Titans in the near future. And while we're at it, why not add in characters from Young Justice as well, to make things even more interesting. It is definitely worth getting this, be it on Digital, which is available now, or on DVD coming out later this April. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Justice League vs Teen Titans, a 4 out of 5.
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