Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo Blu-ray Movie Review

An amazing send-off to the Teen Titans animated series

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo is an action-packed feature-length film which takes place after the end of the animated series. The core cast of lovable heroes again takes center stage as teenage superheroes Robin (Scott Menville), Beast Boy (Greg Cipes), Starfire (Hynden Walch), Cyborg (Khary Payton), and Raven (Tara Strong) work together in Tokyo on one of their biggest missions ever. The made-for-television feature-film was produced after the end of the series and acts as a semi-conclusion to the Teen Titans television series (even as it left open room for more films in the future should the stars align).

The opening sequence of Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo starts things off with a glorious “bang!” as an action-packed sequence goes underway at full-velocity. A ruthless ninja, Saico-Tek, attacks the entire group of Teen Titans and their beloved home-base in Jump City: the epic Teen Titans tower. As a mega-fight ensues, the characters duke it out for their home to the end. When the mysterious ninja disappears in a flash the team decides to head to Tokyo and find out more about Saico-Tek and his ninja master. Complications arise as the team finds themselves tossed into an epic battle involving ninjas, giant monsters, and more.

The series ended with more of a whimper than a bang so it was nice that Warner Bros. Animation followed through with an entertaining and action-packed film. Trouble in Tokyo is an enormously entertaining gem that has plenty of great moments for all of the core characters. The film gleefully zips and zags with a remarkable energy. There is never a dull moment in the film and fans of the series will be pleased with the direction the film takes. There are also a number of great references to anime and Japanese cinema: Godzilla, Astro-Boy, and Inspector Zenigata (from Lupin the Third) are all given some cool references (and there may have been plenty more references that I missed).

The score composed by Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis is energized and fun. These seasoned composers all contributed to Batman Beyond, Young Justice, and other popular DC animated series (as well as the main Teen Titans program). The score music fits the colorful animation well and adds to the energy.

"When there's trouble you know who to call..."

The animation is a joy itself: the animators created an absorbing visual palette which is colorful, bold, and visionary. The character designs are similarly amazing. The background artwork is complex and satisfying. Though Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo was a made-for-television production one could actually see it being released in theaters. The production is more robust than one might expect as budget constraints are taken into consideration.

The voice-talents involved in Teen Titans deserve their due accolades for their contributions to the series and to the feature-film. Scott Menville, Greg Cipes, Hynden Walch, Khary Payton, and Tara Strong were perfectly cast by voice-director Andrea Romano (Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond). The voices fit the characters so well. One of the reasons both Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go! became so popular was due to the vocal talents involved and their dedication to their roles.

Directed by Teen Titans veteran staff, Michael Chang (Young Justice), Ben Jones (Batman: The Brave and the Bold), and Matt Youngberg (The Batman), these talented directors worked together to make the film a success. Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo feels highly invigorated and like the team wanted to put as much effort into the film as possible. There are many classic moments and the characters are all given an opportunity to shine one last time.

The screenplay by David Slack (Teen Titans, Jackie Chan Adventures) undoubtedly contributed to the magic. The script is creative, fun, and charming. Though not every question fans might have from the final episode is answered one of the biggest and most important questions is: “Will Robin and Starfire ever be together?”

The movie has a strong focus on the relationship between Robin and Starfire and series fans hoping for resolution will be pleased. Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo set out to please fans and there is no doubt in my mind that viewers will find the feature to be a satisfactory send-off (though one can always dream for more Teen Titans productions in the future). A great time is had and fans won't want to miss it.

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The quality of the presentation is downright fantastic. The film is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio. Colors are robust, bold, and seem to practically leap off of the screen. The animation is breathtaking and the decision to set the film in Tokyo provided the animators with opportunities for creativity that extends beyond the series. The line art is fluid and organic looking: as crisp and beautiful as a modern-day production. One could easily mistake this feature-film for being produced in 2020 (and not in 2007). That's how impressive the Blu-ray presentation quality is on this release.

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo is presented with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 audio track. The lossless audio sounds terrific and offers listeners a clear fidelity boost that will please fans. The encoding is sublime and the outstanding use of sound effects makes the mix a rather engaging one. Dialogue reproduction is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The music sounds richly textured, as well.

Optional English SDH subtitles (for the deaf and hard of hearing) are also provided.

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Teen Titans: The Lost Episode (SD, 12:04) is a previously cut episode that did not air on television during the series original run. The short episode premiered online to promote the series and is also available as a supplement to the feature-film presentation. The entertaining episode was written by Rock Copp and directed by Matt Youngberg.

The animation is as creative as any standard-length production and the only thing to truly differentiate the episode from a normal one is the altogether short length. The Titans face off against a maniacal rocker (who brings danger to the concert stage). Though the episode appears alongside the feature-film the short takes place chronologically between Season 3 episodes "Can I Keep Him?" and "Titans East." (Presented in DTS-HD Master Audio.)

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

An entertaining and action-packed send-off to the television series, Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo is a blast of energy from beginning to end. The animation is outstanding and some of the best sequences within the entire series lore happen here. The characters (and their voice-actors) remain one of the greatest strengths. The film resolves some questions fans had following the end of the series. Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo is enormous fun and is well worth checking out. The Blu-ray release by Warner Archive features an impressive video-audio presentation and is a must-own for fans. Don't miss it.