Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 15, 2018

Note: this review contains some spoilers for the film.

"Titan" and "Teen" are usually not two words joined at the hip, the former reserved for colossal individuals, huge ships, or pro football players from Tennessee, and the latter, well, who knows how to describe the latter. But in the world of the Superhero, anything goes, and thanks to the magic of alliteration, the two have joined forces and become one of DC's most cherished properties, created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. The Titans, though born on ink and page, are no strangers to the animated realm, and their latest motion adventure is The Judas Contract, a story of romance, revenge, betrayal, and family. It's a relatively solid outing, quickly paced and not lacking for intensive characterization even through the noise of the often prodigious action that flows freely from the screen.

It’s been five years since the Teen Titans rescued Starfire (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) and folded her into the team, and it’s been one year since the Titans added Terra (voiced by Christina Ricci) to their ranks. And they will need every body they can muster to face their greatest challenge yet in the form of the nefarious Brother Blood (voiced by Gregg Henry), leader of a dangerous cult that seeks ultimate power over mankind. In an effort to build his strength by sapping it from others and adding it to his own essence, he hires Deathstroke (voiced by the late Miguel Ferrer in his final role) to kidnap the Titans to be used as the source of his pending power. Deathstroke, who already has a mole working deep undercover with the Titans, goes to work to nab the team before the Titans even know what hit them.

The Judas Contract moves through its story effortlessly enough, easily accessible on the macro level, but fans unfamiliar with the driving force backstories that have shaped the characters and maneuvers them into place, as they are, will be missing on some of the film's more critical subtleties that change the dynamics beyond the overreaching ebbs and flows. This holds particularly true for Deathstroke and his relationship with the Titans and what drives his quest to subdue them at all costs. But beyond the character and universe intricacies is an entertaining film packed with interesting characters and well-developed action. It's brisk, exciting, and the compact runtime, while leaving some of those character intricacies from past stories behind, does keep the film swiftly moving and never struggling to continue constructing the arcing story with intense action and character building.

The movie's fulcrum is, of course, Terra, the Titan celebrating (or, better said, her "friends" are celebrating) her one-year anniversary with the team. But she has a dark secret, a crush on Deathstroke and a potentially crushing blow to the Titans as a mole working for the enemy. She finds herself slowly drawn to and into the team which Deathstroke, who is himself not without his own motivations towards Terra, assures her is quite normal after a year in deep cover. The film largely hinges on her ultimate allegiance as the story develops and Deathstroke begins to gain the upper hand. Terra wrestling with her feelings and allegiances gives the film a depth beyond the usual push-pull of the hero and villain arc, as does the more subtle Deathstroke arc which, as mentioned before, might be lost on newcomers to the series. But the end point is that the creators of The Judas Contract are not content to simply craft another dull, recycled story that's meant to simply drive action scenes. While the plot isn't exactly brimming with novelty, either, the emotional turmoil is a welcome, critical, and compelling component in elevating the film beyond core genre type.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract's 1080p image is clear and colorful. Hues are well saturated and the variety of costumes and character colors, not to mention various environments and action elements, yield impressively punchy visuals. Image clarity and sharpness are strong. Character shapes are fluid, environments are clean, and the 1080p resolution allows for the finer animated tidbits to appear with revealing definition and stability. But there are problems, too. The first dark scene five minutes in exhibits some noise, macroblocking, and banding, all of which can be severe at almost any given point in the film. Take a look at the skies above a cemetery at the 26 minute mark or a rooftop battle 33 minutes in for examples of the most intense banding. Even better-lit scenes are not immune; a soup kitchen interior in the scene following the aforementioned rooftop battle also struggles with the eyesore. Those are just a few of many examples of the image's setbacks. That's a shame, because dynamic color presentations and stable, well defined core textures are very impressive throughout.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track plays large and delivers a number of intense sonic moments. Musical engagement is wonderful, with pleasantly potent and well-managed bass. The subwoofer rarely takes a break. Laser blasts, punches and slams, and other heavy action effects are met with a quality low end pronouncement that give a much desired and agreeable weight to the program. It's a very balanced thump, never unkempt or rattly. Music further enjoys effortlessly wide spacing with some surround wrap in support. Action scenes spread far around the listening area and various sound moments and location-specific elements present impressively. Dialogue delivery is never problematic.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract contains a creator discussion, a featurette, two episodes from the Teen Titans animated series, and a few extended previews for other DC Universe animated films. A DVD copy of the film and (a now expired) digital copy code are included with purchase.

• Titanic Minds: Reuniting Wolfman and Pérez (1080p, 27:35): The original authors of the comic book on which this film is based, Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, sit down to reminisce both together and individually about how the Titans came to be and the process of working on an increasingly popular comic series.
• Villain Rising: Deathstroke (1080p, 9:00): A closer look at the popular character's arc -- becoming an unwilling villain -- and the driving force in his vendetta against the Titans.
• A Sneak Peek at DC Universe's Next Animated Movie, Batman and Harley Quinn (1080p, 9:08): An extended preview for the DC animated film, which includes film and filmmaker interview clips alike.
• A Sneak Peek at Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (1080p, 7:48): Movie clips and filmmaker interviews for the older title.
• A Sneak Peek at DCU: Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox (1080p, 10:39): A closer look at the history of The Flash through the years as well as the 18th DC Universe animated film.
• Teen Titans, "Terra" (480i, 21:43): The third episode from the second season of the Teen Titans animated series which introduces Terra to the Titans.
• Teen Titans, "Titan Rising" (480i, 21:56): The eighth episode from the second season of the Teen Titans animated series in which a newly returned Terra and the Titans must battle Slade (Deathstroke).
• Trailers (1080p/1080i): Previews for the DC All Access App, Justice League Dark, The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania, and the video game Injustice 2.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract builds through both agreeable characterization and quality action. Some of the film's more intimate details might be lost on newcomers, but veterans should feel rewarded with a compelling tale that builds on several new and pre-established DC universe elements. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray delivers a 1080p picture that's at once both flawed and fine, a dynamic 5.1 lossless soundtrack, and an enjoyable collection of extra content. Recommended.