Teen Titans - Ever Wondered Who Robin Was Before He Met Batman?
Written: Oct 10 '05 (Updated Oct 11 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Action packed, interesting characters and story lines
Cons: Lacking in educational value
The Bottom Line: A fun good vs. evil cartoon show.
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| KMINER's Full Review: Teen Titans |
We first heard about this particular TV show through a friend - they were having a birthday party for their 5 year old girl (10 months older than our son) and told us the theme would be "Teen Titans".
What the heck was that?
It was months before we actually saw the show ourselves, by then our own son was about 5 years old, and finally starting to see life beyond trains and Thomas the Tank Engine. At 5 1/2 superheros are very cool, and this show tops his list!
Somehow this show hooked him in a way cartoons have not before.
Teen Titans is shown on Cartoon Network, which we get through our satellite dish. There are new episodes every Saturday night at 8 pm, but our son usually catches the show around 6:30 pm weeknights. The show is made up of 5 characters - Beast Boy, Cyborg, Robin, Raven and Starfire. Envision if you will Robin (of beloved Batman and Robin fame) in his teen age crime fighting years, along with 4 other superhero teen aged friends ... and you're on the right path. The show is based on DC Comic of the same name.
"Teen Titans features five teenage superheroes each with special powers. The team is led by Robin, the acrobatic and daring group leader with a stocked utility belt and no fear. Beast Boy, small in stature and quick with a joke, can shift into the form of any animal - from a tiger to a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Starfire is new to Earth and naïve to its ways, but when it is time for a throwdown, she fights as hard as any of the others. The spooky, deadpan Raven can control inanimate objects with her powerful mental abilities. Hulking Cyborg is half-man, half-machine and the most powerful member of the team." taken from http://teentitans.toonzone.net/
The theme song is really bizarely catchy, and done by the 2 girls of Japanese fame, Puffy AmiYumi. I find myself humming it often, much to the amusement of my family. It's a catchy song for children also, and not too wordy. It shows each character and their abilities also, which my son adores.
Each episode is uniquely different, but all having one common theme - good triumphing over evil. These 5 characters "battle" the evils dooers and try and make all right in the world. The characters themselves are really quite interesting - each has their own unique powers and personalities, and yet when it's time to battle you can see how well they all work together, and the companionship they have for each other. They are constantly looking out for each other and have some typical teenage type worries, along with the crime fighting duties they need to keep up with.
The Teen Titans live in Titans Tower - a giant silver "T" with windows, nestled on an island overlooking the city. Each Titan has their own room, designed with their personality in mind, as well as common rooms - a workout room, gaming room, and the like. It is interesting to watch these 5 form a "family" type bond and to be able to joke with each other and yet be extremely protective of each other.
The Titans battle a variety of villans, and the plot, while having a common basic theme found in this type of good vs. evil show, to me each show is really quite unique. I often find myself hooked into watching, not being able to determine what might happen next, who might say what next, or how the evil dooer will get defeated -- all I can be certain of is that the Titans will prevail.
Our son seems to like the action in this film, as well as the characters. He is for once very noticable of the characters the Titans have to fight against, and there is never any doubt in his mind that his beloved Teen Titans will win. He especially seems to like the costumes and crime fighting gear, equipment and vehicles that are shown on the show.
The "violence" is pretty well downplayed, more of a sort of comic book (to me) type scene - while interesting and action packed, it doesn't fill up the show or show for too long. I can say that taking into account a child's age on a show like this is important - this is not a show I would have let our son watch even a year or so ago.
I will admit that this show is more "for fun" - it doesn't teach any new skill or have a big educational impact. Either way, Teen Titans has been a fun 30 minutes to watch in our house. Sometimes it's nice to watch the good guys win ....
Teen Titans toys we own:
Puppet King and Robin 3.5 inch Poseable Figures
Teen Titans Deluxe T-Vehicle: T-Sub
Recommended:
Yes
Type of Program: Cartoon or Animated
Program Quality: Entertaining, but not intellectually or emotionally engaging
Best Suited For: 6 to 8 Years
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