The new Cartoon Network series
shoots for hip and hits far short
The Cartoon Network's newest super team supposedly fights for truth, justice and the last slice of pizza.
Unfortunately, they forgot to add "original ideas" to that list.
For while this show's name is "Teen Titans," it could be named "Captain Generic and the League of Extraordinary Teenage X-Mutants," and it would lose nothing in the process.
It's certainly a change in direction for Warner Bros. Animation, which has turned out quality superhero fare for more than 10 years now. Its winning streak started with the dark and brooding "Batman: The Animated Series" in 1992 and extended through the slightly less dark and brooding "Superman," the broodingly dark "Batman Beyond" and "Justice League," a collection of dark brooding superheroes.
"Teen Titans," on the other hand, is bright and bold -- and has all the emotional depth of a bottle cap. It's not that the show is so terrible that it's unwatchable. But viewers expecting something weightier along the lines of the above named series will be disappointed.
The clichés are numerous enough that it's easy to figure out the general thought process behind this series.
Start with a relatively successful, yet somewhat obscure, comic book property, in this case a team from the DC Comics stable. Make sure they're teenagers, too, to get that "cool and hip" factor and instantly connect with the teens of America who still dig costumed super heroes. Plus, the opportunity to write hip and witty dialogue like "What a bunch of kludgeheads. Let's go out for pizza," which will also undoubtedly resonate with today's youth, multiply tenfold. (Excuse me for a minute while I roll my eyes.)
Next, take a group of characters and fit them into Commonly Accepted Super Team Member Stereotypes. The Titans lineup includes:
"TEEN TITANS"
Cartoon Network (debuting 6 p.m. Hawaii time Saturday)
Robin, the adept leader who, as The Hero Formerly Known as Batman's Sidekick, also happens to be the hook who will draw in a mainstream audience.Finally, once the team is ready to go, it's time to put them into typical superhero situations. Usually, this involves the team facing off against an evil entity -- a rival team employed by an archenemy, Starfire's sister, what have you -- that eventually forces one or more members into a personal crisis requiring self-examination. Once this is complete, usually in a matter of minutes, the evil is dispatched and All That is Right and Pure in the World prevails. (For added ratings effect, extend over several episodes and call it an "Earth-shattering miniseries.")Cyborg, the token minority member who, as a bonus, also serves as the token technology-laden character whose gadgets will likely go haywire in a future episode.
Starfire, the cute and naive female member from another planet. Being the cute and naive female member, of course, leaves open the possibility of Obligatory Romantic Hijinks sometime down the line.
Raven, the emotionless, soulless character guaranteed to connect with Goth audiences.
Beast Boy, the shape-shifting provider of comic relief.
For all of its tired, fill-in-the-blank ideas, though, there is one small saving grace to this series: The frenetic Japanese anime style of animation matches it perfectly. Eyes get big and morph into different shapes. Long panning shots of the team in battle formation with moving lines in the background and appropriate whooshing sound effect a la "Dragon Ball Z" abound.
With producer Glen Murakami citing influences from Osamu Tezuka (the creator of "Astro Boy") to Hayao Miyazaki (the mind behind such Studio Ghibli hits as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away"), it's no surprise that this aspect of production would be handled well.
Someone should have told the studio that "anime style" doesn't necessarily mean "anime substance," though. While many successful anime appeal to viewers of all ages, "Teen Titans" will appeal only to young children who haven't seen this type of series before.
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