ROTTEN TOMATOES: Another Comic Book Flick Arrives: The Live-Action "Teen Titans" Comments

Another Comic Book Flick Arrives: The Live-Action "Teen Titans"

by Scott Weinberg | June 01, 2007

Summary

It's not that big a surprise to learn that DC's "Teen Titans" are coming to the big screen, nor that Akiva Goldsman is producing the flick. Doesn't mean either thing is a good idea. Back to Article

(1-45 of 45 posts) | Reply

cgcbooks writes:
on Jun 01 2007 05:12 AM

This is great news. I am looking forward to this.

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digitalsoul68 writes:
on Jun 01 2007 05:31 AM

It would be interesting if they got Chris O'Donnell to play Nightwing...redeem himself for those crummy Batman flicks.

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Ocyron writes:
on Jun 01 2007 06:03 AM

I wonder if it'll be based on the comic or the cartoon or some sort of mixture.

The cartoon was actually pretty good. I hope to see Raven in the movie.

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brave.sir.rob writes:
on Jun 01 2007 06:20 AM

Does this mean it will be a feature length animated movie, i.e. a continuation of the cartoon series, or are they doing a live action thing with a whole new group? The Titans have had many members over the years, if I remember right. Either way I'm happy. Raven is HOT.

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nerdninja writes:
on Jun 01 2007 07:15 AM

This is going to be lame.

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arpeggio191 writes:
on Jun 01 2007 07:30 AM

stupid.

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tankedsuperman writes:
on Jun 01 2007 07:44 AM

yawn.

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cgcbooks writes:
on Jun 01 2007 07:58 AM

In reply to this comment (#867591)
Wrong!

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on Jun 01 2007 07:58 AM

In reply to this comment (#867592)
Wrong!

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on Jun 01 2007 07:58 AM

In reply to this comment (#867593)
Wrong!

(Reply to this)

nerdninja writes:
on Jun 01 2007 08:04 AM

I'll wait for the Justice Leauge movie. Read the last part it's being written by the guy that wrote Batman & Robin. Oh wait, I forgot, that was the greatest superhero movie of all time!

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narcissusbleh writes:
on Jun 01 2007 08:57 AM

Ehhh, this could be okay.

Why does everyone compare their new projects to Batman Begins? That movie is so overrated.

"I need to get me one of those," I quote.

Enough said.

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arendr writes:
on Jun 01 2007 09:01 AM

In reply to this comment (#867598)
Because that movie has set the bar for all superhero movies. It is easily the best comic book movie ever.

This movie sounds like a bad idea. Of course, it is for kids, right? I don't really pay attention to cartoons.

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The Iron Invader writes:
on Jun 01 2007 09:31 AM

Actually, Batman Begins is an average movie.

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cudzo writes:
on Jun 01 2007 10:03 AM

did someone actually say that a cartoon character is hot? ya, any slim chance of even considering watching it has now slipped to 'none'

can't wait for it to come out and crash like 'daredevil ' !

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dagreenman18 writes:
on Jun 01 2007 10:39 AM

Umm, why the fuck is it live action? ANIMATED MOTHERFUCKERZ!!!!!!!!!!!! and not shitty 3d. i had enough of that after TMNT.

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Merlin235 writes:
on Jun 01 2007 10:56 AM

Uh oh, someone insulted Batman Begins. Flame war!

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steveholt writes:
on Jun 01 2007 11:38 AM

Add this to the list of crappy comic book movies to come

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arendr writes:
on Jun 01 2007 12:06 PM

In reply to this comment (#867603)
I was going to make the comment "so the 2 people in the world that think Batman Begins is a mediocre movie decided to show up on a Teen Titans thread" but I decided to be a gentleman.

Unfortunately for my manners, I just found a way to work the insult into this post...

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Merlin235 writes:
on Jun 01 2007 12:21 PM

In reply to this comment (#867605)
I understand. I can't say I've never posted "all two of you who didn't like it" in response to someone raggin' on Spiderman 2. That's how we fanboys are. It's nature, you can't change it. ;)

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Sputnik99 writes:
on Jun 01 2007 01:40 PM

I'm hesitant about this movie because of one basic reason: It is going to be acted by kids. Can teenagers really pull off the great characterizations that we have come to enjoy in the cartoon show? I can't imagine enjoying a live-action Beast Boy as much as I do the cartoon one. And Cyborg looks pretty sweet. I'm scared that the producers are going to f-up his appearance with some "creative modifications" or however you wish to call it. Can a girl really be as creepy as we want Raven to be? I doubt it. And do you really think the writers will keep Starfire's backwards personality in tact? I reckon they'll change her into a proper-speaking and acting girl that viewers can look up to.

The only characters that I think will be fine are Robin and Slate. How could you get those drab guys wrong?

And lets hope the producers take it seriously and not make it silly. That would ruin everything. Teen Titans has never been a silly show to me.

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Mr. Kong writes:
on Jun 01 2007 01:47 PM

This will either be shit or pretty good. If Akiva Goldsman does his best work (if you keep "Batman and Robin" out of the picture, the guy has done some good stuff), this could be a good movie. If he has the horribly shitty puns that was one of the 500 things that made Batman and Robin infamous, we could be in some trouble.

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nerdninja writes:
on Jun 01 2007 01:49 PM

You know they are going to make it into a kids movie. It's going to be silly and corny

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Matanuki writes:
on Jun 01 2007 02:24 PM

In reply to this comment (#867606)
My first instinct was to say something as well, but instead I just smiled and said to myself "I don't have to defend it. All I gotta do is scroll down and,'' scrolling, 'sure enough, there's my happy red pill. I take it, and the notion that Batman Begins is mediocre is welcomely pulled from over my eyes."

As for this movie, I don't have many expectations for it. Will have to wait for more news. It is interesting to hear them talk of taking a dark route with it which, of course, will give Robin/Nightwing his Batmanesque shine. But I share the concerns here over whether it'll wind up being too cheesy, considering the demographic. I liked TMNT, but there were instances where I felt these guys, Mike especially, should be more grown up by now. So it's anyone's guess at this point whether Teen Titans will be good. My guess is that if they get the balance right, it'll be a pleasant surprise as a franchise starter.

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arendr writes:
on Jun 01 2007 02:29 PM

In reply to this comment (#867606)
I don't consider myself a "fanboy" since Batman Begins is probably the only comic book movie I like. But it's nice to know that people love that film as much as I do!

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buddablz writes:
on Jun 01 2007 02:30 PM

I hope its fun and not corny, i hope its atleast PG-13 for the cartoon's demographic.
In my opinion, it would be alright as a movie for a teen audience i guess.
I'm not really expecting too dark a film along the lines of Batman Begins, have u seen the cartoon? I would expect something close to it though.

I wonder how close to the comics are their costumes gonna be? What Teen Titans are they gonna have in this movie anyways? Kid Flash? or Beast Boy?..It didn't sound too much like the cartoon when they mentioned Nightwing..i mean are these gonna be adults?
I don't plan on seeing this film.

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MadmanCody writes:
on Jun 01 2007 03:15 PM

a fanboy that knows he's a sheep....but does nothing to change it, i think thats worse than the average dumb fanboy who doesn't know any better.

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See-Jay writes:
on Jun 01 2007 07:34 PM

A Teen Titans live-action movie? Oh God...

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da_gr8_1 writes:
on Jun 02 2007 02:59 AM

[b]Akiva's not writing the script.[/b]
Sure he may have a hand in it, but the script is going to be Verheiden's. And will WB ever learn??

(Reply to this)

Bigbrother writes:
on Jun 02 2007 04:24 AM

All I'm saying is if you are lame enough group that Robin is your leader...Robin mind you, not Dick Grayson's Nightwing who's actually pretty badass...you're in serious trouble. Plus Aqua-MAN is pretty lame, how tough can his kid sidekick be? Can he only talk to guppie's and clown-fish? I think they'd do better to ditch Robin and Speedy (What the hell kinda name is that for an archer anyway?) and go with Nightwing and Arsenal who they eventually grew into. Two of the best upgrades to characters in comics history.

(Reply to this)

bertrumredneck writes:
on Jun 02 2007 07:43 AM

Batman Begins was rather average and had action scenes that were just sub-par. That's just my opinion. So I'm the third person in the world who thinks the movies is lame. LAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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arendr writes:
on Jun 02 2007 10:37 AM

In reply to this comment (#867617)
Many times I have heard the argument that Christopher Nolan cannot shoot action scenes. I am an aspiring filmmaker and have a very critical eye. I have personally never had a problem with the action scenes, but has it ever occurred to you that perhaps Batman Begins is more than just an action movie? It's a smart, empowering film. Most action movies don't stand the test of time because they look outdated after time has passed and film making technique has progressed.

Is it a flawed film? Sure, but there are a lot of great films that are flawed. The correct phrase to describe Batman Begins is that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts".

Anyway, that's my opinion on it.

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The Wicker Man writes:
on Jun 02 2007 01:01 PM

Enough with the comic book movies. I grew up a huge comic book fan and collector and I am tired of movies based on superheroes.

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Read-A-Book writes:
on Jun 02 2007 02:20 PM

[b]Casting[/b]
Okay, so who do you think will star in this movie and in what roles? Something tells me Dakota Fanning will somehow be in this movie just for a child star recognition. If Terra is in it, I can see Dakota in that role. Maybe the kid who played Leech in X-Men 3 and Ultra Violet. He might make a good Robin.

I have no idea any other kid actors who will be in this movie. I doubt any of the kids from Heroes will do double duty.

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bacci40 writes:
on Jun 03 2007 10:18 AM

well, at least they did one thing right...they got a comic book writer to write a comic book movie.

the problem with most comic book related movies is that the creators have no respect for the source material

this wont be an issue with verheiden, who is well versed in comic book canon.

now will someone please buy the rights to verheiden's classic "american"?

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Karthik Selvakumar writes:
on Jun 03 2007 10:30 AM

Akiva Goldsman also wrote A Beautiful Mind, i,Robot and Cinderella Man.

Give the guy a chance. Let's wait for the film to come out and WATCH it before we thrash it. Chances are, it might be good. I'm waiting for casting now. Poor casting might ruin this.

(Reply to this)

Bigbrother writes:
on Jun 03 2007 12:21 PM

In reply to this comment (#867622)
While at least two of the movies you mentioned are quality flicks...I Robot was just OK for me, I don't see Russell Crowe squeezing into the Robin tights to save this movie.

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Mr. Kong writes:
on Jun 03 2007 12:49 PM

In reply to this comment (#867622)
If he does as good a job with this as he did with the movies you mentioned, we'll be fine. But dear god, no puns.

Batman: And you are...?
Batgirl: Batgirl.
Batman: That's not very PC. What about Batwoman, or Batperson?
Batgirl: I found the Batcave.
Robin: I guess we'll just have to kill her.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA

(Reply to this)

ZeIceAge writes:
on Jun 03 2007 05:13 PM

NOOOOOOOOOOOO

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Matanuki writes:
on Jun 04 2007 03:53 AM

In reply to this comment (#867618)
An opinion supported by most. Myself included. I did however take issue with the way the fight scenes were shot. One of the few things I still appreciate about Burton's Batman films is that we got to see Batman fight. Throw moves, kicks, blocks. We didn't get much of that in Begins. However, I liked how Nolan put us in the fight. Up close with no breather, no chance to ourselves dodge any of the attacks being thrown by the Bat or at him. We were there, sparring with and against him at the same time. Very visceral.
A fighter myself, I know that it's just like this. Fast. Frantic. Gritty. It's not clean and pretty, certainly not manicured. So I appreciate that aspect of Nolan's vision the same way I appreciate what Ang Lee was going for with the pyschological take on the Hulk.
I would never, of course, say that Batman Begins is "mediocre" or, much worse, "lame", because the fights were awkward. Like you, I have a technical eye, but from a writer's perspective. So my standard is story before everything else. That said, Nolan nailed the story. I do think he should incorporate a more eastern style of shooting the fights though, or at least some of them, so we get to see the Dark Knight execute some of his amazing moves.
Because while it's fantastic to get that "in the fight" feel, it's also pretty amazing to watch a great fighter do his thing. Like watching a dancer move across the floor with grace.
It would be interesting to perhaps see Nolan employ some camera tricks this second go around to show how Batman exploits the environment, so while watching Batman in a fight we can go "how the hell did he just do that?" every now and then.
Because that's a part of Batman's three pronged super; his unwavering Will power, his detective skills, and his great fighting.

[Imagine a Tony Jaa and Jet Lee face off... shot too close for you to see what they're doing]

(Reply to this)

Bigbrother writes:
on Jun 04 2007 04:07 AM

In reply to this comment (#867626)
I think the reason they did that with the fight scene's is because the Batsuit is just damn askward to fight in. You could really see that in all the previous encarnations of the series. There's just so much you can do cinematically with a guy who can't turn his head because he's got 40 pounds of hard plastic on it, unfortunately if you try to go with something more fight friendly the costume ends up looking like someones $40 halloween costume or worse Adam West.

(Reply to this)

Matanuki writes:
on Jun 04 2007 05:42 AM

In reply to this comment (#867627)
Perhaps. But they could probably make it lighter, giving him his oblicatory armor but making fabric parts for the neck and joints to make it easier to move around. Sort of a cross between Keaton's original suit and Bale's new one. The samurai wore a lot of armor too, but it was light and they could move just fine. But what do I know? I'm no costume designer.

(Reply to this)

BrokebackYoda writes:
on Jun 05 2007 06:45 AM

If its a good writer and director...and cast...and its live action...I'm there.

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the_don_of_yreka writes:
on Jun 05 2007 03:35 PM

[b]I want to direct this[/b]
As a fan of the cartoon series, I loved the way how it well done. I am glad that Mr.Goldsman wants to be apart in the process of making a live action Teen Titan movie. As for Mark Verheiden, you sir must write how the Teen Titans came together. Do not give me Nightwing. I love the guy but why not show lil hints instead of putting him on with some other grown up Titans. David Slack wrote an begining story on how the Teen Titans came together. I want to expand on that story. I am pretty upset with the WB on canceling the cartoon series but I hope to see the Titans on big screen. My name is Francisco Gomez. I am from a small city called Yreka. Im in the real northern callforina. This is my dream to one day make a Teen Titan movie. I ask you Mr. Weinberg to please help make this dream come true. I ask the fans and fanboys for help as well.

(Reply to this)

CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Jul 09 2007 12:48 AM

[b]starfire's hot[/b]
as long as they have starfire being played by someone steamy, i'll see it.

(Reply to this)

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