When two teams of Titans go to war, the only winners are the audience

Almost as if it were specifically designed to irritate and annoy the uber-serious dark and gritty hardcore DC fans, “Teen Titans Go!” has been somewhat divisive since it first debuted on Cartoon Network but it made a winning case for itself with “Teen Titans Go…To The Movies”, deconstructing not just the DC universe but the entire superhero movie craze. Of course, that movie ended with a post-credits tease involving the original animated Teen Titans so when this straight to DVD release was announced you can bet we booked our sofa for a Friday Night Movie Night with the family.

When the Master Of Games appears and summons the Teen Titans to a contest, they are surprised to find themselves pitted against their more ‘serious’ counterparts. But the two teams of Titans will need to put their differences aside and work together to combat the combined forces of Trigon, ‘Serious’ Trigon, Hexagon, Santa Claus and the multiverse itself if they’re to save the universe.

“Teen Titans Go! vs Teen Titans” avoids the danger of simply rehashing the gags which worked in the movie and instead manages to mine yet more humour out of the family-friendly metatextual deconstruction of the DC universe. Once both teams of Titans are brought into the fray, it manages to treat them both with respect while tweaking their foibles and, again, takes a few potshots at the bitter minority of fanboys who can’t get over their comic book characters being retooled for kids.

The story barrels along merrily, earning its goofy jokes and fun action sequences, never taking itself too seriously but also never just making things silly for the sake of it. There isn’t a member of the Craggus household that didn’t laugh out loud more than once and it had the Cragglings in stitches.  I’m glad we bought this because there’s no doubt we’ll end up watching it again and again – and I can’t wait.