TEEN TITANS: THE JUDAS CONTRACT (2017)

Studio:       Warner Bros. Animation
Director:    Sam Liu
Writer:       Ernie Altbacker
Producer:  James Tucker
Stars:     Stuart Allen, Jake T. Austin, Taissa Farmiga, Sean Maher, Christina Ricci, Brandon Soo Hoo, Kari Wahlgren, Miguel Ferrer, Gregg Henry, Meg Foster, Kevin Smith, David Zayas

Review Score:

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Summary:

The Teen Titans discover they have a traitor in their midst while battling a team-up between Deathstroke and Brother Blood.

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Synopsis:     Show/Hide Spoilers

Five Years Ago – Robin (Dick Grayson), Speedy (Roy Harper), Kid Flash (Wally West), Beast Boy (Garfield Logan), and Bumblebee (Karen Beecher) rescue Starfire (Koriand’r) from an attacking alien horde. After the invaders are repelled, Starfire explains that she fled her home world when her sister Blackfire (Komand’r) staged a coup for the throne. Taking a romantic interest in her, Dick welcomes Starfire to the Teen Titans team.

Now – Now operating independently as Nightwing, Dick Grayson joins new Teen Titans leader Starfire, Beast Boy, Robin (Damian Wayne), Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes), Raven (Rachel Roth), and Terra (Tara Markov) as they infiltrate a Hive base belonging to Brother Blood. The Titans interrupt the base’s operations, forcing Mother Mayhem and a biologist to flee.

Dick and Kori move in together. Struggling with the distance he is forced to put between himself and his family because of the Blue Beetle scarab, Jaime volunteers at Gabrielle’s Union soup kitchen, where he takes an interest in fellow volunteer Jacki. Terra continually rebuffs Gar’s attempts at flirtation.

Brother Blood demonstrates his new machine that can empower a person by siphoning energy from captives. Mother Mayhem executes the seemingly invincible test subject after the demonstration concludes. Brother Blood later meets with Deathstroke (Slade Wilson) in a cemetery and tasks Slade with advancing his plan to capture the Teen Titans.

Having grown up as an outcast orphan, Terra repeatedly struggles with the team’s unconditional acceptance her. After losing control during a training session, Terra storms off alone. Robin follows and the two of them are confronted by Deathstroke. Terra is revealed as a traitor in league with Deathstroke when she uses her earth-moving powers to capture Robin.

At Deathstroke’s hideout, Terra reflects back on how Slade saved her from townspeople who attempted to kill her for presumably being a witch. Deathstroke repeats his promise to Terra that the two of them will eventually be together and will form their own League of Assassins with the payout from Brother Blood.

The Teen Titans throw Terra a surprise party to celebrate her one-year anniversary with the team. Meanwhile, Deathstroke holds Robin captive and beats him, blaming the boy for taking Slade’s presumed place in Ra’s al Ghul’s organization.

The Titans track down Brother Blood’s biologist and capture him for questioning, but he is executed remotely. However, the team finds files and photographs indicating that all of them were under surveillance and their genetic makeups were being studied.

Terra opens herself up to Gar about being an unwanted orphan. Gar discusses similar feelings of exclusion affecting other team members. Terra and Beast Boy kiss.

Deathstroke separately captures Gar, Jaime, and Kori while Terra captures Raven at Titans Tower. Dick discovers the kidnappings and Deathstroke confronts him. Dick and Deathstroke battle inside and then outside Dick’s apartment until Deathstroke shoots Dick into the water. After Deathstroke leaves, Dick emerges and unzips his jacket, revealing a block of wood that stopped Deathstroke’s bullet from piercing his torso.

Robin unsuccessfully tries explaining to Terra that Deathstroke is manipulating her. The rest of the Titans, delivered by Deathstroke to Brother Blood and now held prisoner in Brother Blood’s machine, are heartbroken when they learn Terra betrayed them. Brother Blood’s henchmen suddenly capture Terra. Terra is shocked to discover Deathstroke double-crossed her.

Brother Blood presents his machine and the captured heroes to cultists assembled in his subterranean temple. The machine is activated and Brother Blood begins siphoning the team’s powers.

Nightwing infiltrates the temple, takes down several cultists, and destroys the machine, which frees the Teen Titans. However, Brother Blood emerges in possession of their combined abilities.

The Titans battle Brother Blood and Deathstroke. Terra recovers from her captivity and angrily uses her powers to trap Deathstroke within rock pillars. Raven uses her abilities to depower Brother Blood. Mother Mayhem then shoots Brother Blood to prevent him from being captured.

The temple begins collapsing. Deathstroke breaks free and Terra takes him down once again. Terra helps Beast Boy escape with the other Titans while she willfully remains behind. Terra, Deathstroke, Mother Mayhem, and Brother Blood’s body are buried under falling rocks. Beast Boy later removes Terra from the rubble and she seemingly dies in his arms.

In the aftermath, Gar appears on Kevin Smith’s podcast to talk about Terra and the team. Jaime reunites with his estranged parents. Raven gives Robin a puppy. Dick and Kori continue their cohabitation. Wonder Girl joins the Teen Titans.

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Review:

Deathstroke and Brother Blood each have a bird to kill in the form of the Teen Titans.  And they’re teaming up to do it with a one-stone plan that has Deathstroke capturing his enemies to use in a machine that will give Brother Blood their powers.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the comic book arc that “Teen Titans: The Judas Contract” is based on, the name ‘Judas’ should be fair warning that Deathstroke’s plot requires someone on the team to turn traitor.  When not battling bad guys, the Titans are immersed in their own individual dramas, including Blue Beetle’s estrangement from his parents, Beast Boy’s crush on Terra, and the tension that moving in together brings to Nightwing and Starfire, on top of being former and current team leaders.  Now everyone’s interpersonal allegiances are to be tested like never before when one of their own joins the other side, aiming to take down the Teen Titans once and for all.

The familiar fit of distinct WB Animation energizes “Teen Titans: The Judas Contract” with Saturday morning style.  Lithe lines are lean, clean, in keeping with the contemporary DCAU look, and colorfully keep the rhythm flowing with finesse.

I might be projecting, but an almost imperceptible anime hint appears to hide at some edges.  Such glimpses are occasionally seen in the way expressive eyes open and shake in step with a widening mouth, or the slight silhouette of ‘Golgo 13’ in Dick Grayson’s gait.  Whether I’m imagining origins for these nuances or not, the level of liveliness communicated by deceptively simple illustrations is tiptop terrific.

Substance-wise, “Teen Titans: The Judas Contract” almost has what it takes to build a bridge for younger “Teen Titans Go” and “Young Justice” fans ready to graduate into more mature material.  Disappointingly, the film’s PG-13 frame is forcefully fitted instead of narratively necessary.

Played-for-laughs innuendo about Nightwing’s sexual stamina should sail over a smaller set’s heads.  But dialogue could excise its uses of “sh*t” and “assh*le” for instance, to be family friendly without sacrificing fierceness.

A particularly uncomfortable bit comes when one of the teens dons a see-through negligee and, having basically been brainwashed, submits herself to a much older man.  Even for an adult audience, tone here lacks taste.  The same beat can be easily hit without sexually charging the scenario.

Limiting age appropriate appeal is made more curious by how deep the film delves into personal problems plaguing Titans Tower.  “The Judas Contract” factors issues such as broken parental bonds, feeling outcast, and conflicts that come with cohabitation.  Some threads have more resolution than others, though integration with action is seamless enough that drama doesn’t drag.  There is a lot of relatable character development happening here, which is why it is a shame that preteens are theoretically precluded from accessing the content by a rating the movie doesn’t need to have.

Aside from the villains’ primary plan not coming fully into focus until late in the film, leaving antagonizing evil to be vaguely defined for much of the movie, storylines are satisfying.  Diversity in characterizations, be it Damian Wayne Robin’s entitled arrogance or Beast Boy’s buoyant enthusiasm, puts personality into every subplot.

Raven is the only nonessential Titan who doesn’t receive a significant side story.  It turns out to be for the best though.  Despite Taissa Farmiga’s live-action acting talent, her flat voice work as Raven is noticeably out of step.

Christina Ricci, on the other hand, gives Terra all the granularity she requires to tumble through her tumultuous emotional arc.  The late Miguel Ferrer oozes gravelly gravitas into Deathstroke.  Stuart Allen’s nasally twang befits Damian Wayne’s insolence without being annoying.  Farmiga’s inexperience rendering her the sole weak link, vocal work is by and large on the mark.

Other dings against “Teen Titans: The Judas Contract” are of the nitpick variety.  Beast Boy’s social media obsession already feels dated.  Kevin Smith’s cameo comes across as pointless pandering.  Nothing negative is offensive enough to turn a thumb downward, though “The Judas Contract” could stand to be better buttoned up across a few boards.

Regardless of pimples putting small blemishes on its skin, “Teen Titans: The Judas Contract” is a solidly entertaining animated adventure mixing topical teen melodrama into its action.  I only wish someone with a single-digit age could better enjoy the experience, if not for a collective two minutes of “adult” material that could have been massaged with the mainstream in mind.

Review Score:  75

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