'Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)'

First and foremost, the title is completely misleading. Upon reading it, you automatically assume that there is some sort of conflict or battle between the Justice League and the Titans. However, there are forces that arise that literally possess the bodies of the JL and in a way that made the outcome hard to predict (which was refreshing). This being my only real complaint about the movie, let's get into what you will find and love about it.

The opening scenes immediately throw you into the action with a massive battle between the JL and the Legion of Doom, led by none other than Lex Luthor. The fight ends as quickly as you might expect, being set as the opener, but some deep set tension arises between Batman and his son Robin. Damien (Robin) feels like he is being under-utilized given his skill set. It is then decided that Damien needs some lessons in teamwork and is taken to work with the famed Teen Titans. Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Beetle make up the ensemble of youthful super heroes. As Robin makes himself right at home by being who he is, he rubs all the Titans the wrong way except for Raven. Her having supernatural, empathetic, abilities allows her to see through the spiky, defensive nature of Damien, and she sees that he is going through a lot of internal pain. Those two eventually find some solace in their friendship, because Raven doesn't really fit in with anyone, anywhere.

The story then takes us to a carnival where the Titans are bonding over some much needed "mandatory fun," and this is where we learn who the true villain of the story is. Earlier in the film during the opening battle, one of the villains (weather wizard) was suddenly put under some sort of spell and was empowered enough to go one-on-one with Superman. Back at the carnival, Raven is led to a nearby hilltop where it is revealed to be the work of her very powerful, demonic father, Trigon, a Satan-like entity that destroyed her home world of Azarath, along with her mother. Raven, out of pure necessity, sealed Trigon inside of a magic crystal. She alone possesses the power to release him, and by eventually taking over the JL (minus Cyborg), Trigon is able to force her hand in releasing him upon the Earth. Before she releases him, Raven's first instinct is to run and spare her Titan family the danger and pain of the coming confrontation, but Robin steps up as a leader and convinces them to protect one of their own. The team conjures a plan to free the now Superman/Demon, and are successful; and with his help they are able to rescue the remainder of the JL.

Although the team is whole again with the exception of Batman (who willingly took himself out of the fight), they are still no match for the pissed off Satan of the DC-verse. Raven then transports her team to Trigon's home world, which is supposed to represent a literal Hell. The final battle takes place between the Titans and the remainder of Trigon's demon army. As Raven is just about to get her hands on the crystal needed to enslave her father, Robin's resurrected grandfather, Ra's al Ghul, appears and shatters it. Robin is then forced into fighting his actual family in defense of his new family. In the end, they are victorious and everything goes back to normal.

I enjoyed this move from the onset of the first battle until the roll of the credits. The dynamic of Robin and Raven trying to find where they fit into this world, while staying true to themselves, was very relatable. The struggle of being thrust into a new environment while still dealing with their past is something that everyone struggles with. By relying on those closest to them and that actually love them, both teams persevere and overcome the ultimate destruction intended by Trigon. The movie also shed some light on the magic realm of the comic book world. Superman is an alien, Batman a billionaire genius, Wonder Woman an ancient goddess of the Amazons, but one thing can stop them all—magic. Although Raven was forced to release her demonic father, she was the sole hero powerful enough to stop him. But without the aid of her teammates, she would not have had the strength to face him. This is a lesson to all of us in the real world. When times get hard and we are faced with the impossible, we need to lean on the strength and support of those closest to us. In the darkest of times, if we have people that believe in us (even when we don't believe in ourselves) then we should never give up. There is always hope when we can't see it. If you have family and friends by your side, they can help you to see the light.

In conclusion, this movie was a great watch. It had some serious moments that were strategically broken up with cleverly placed humor. I would highly recommend Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016) to any DC or comic book fan. The fact that you can get some real life moral lessons from an animated movie is the ultimate bonus.