Teen Titans

Theatrical release poster

***Teen Titans*** is a teen superhero science fiction action-adventure film based on the DC Comics team of the same name. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, it is the eighth installment in the DC Cinematic Universe and features several characters from the *Caped Crusader film series*. It stars an ensemble cast including Leo Howard, Aiden Granger, Sadie Sink, Alexandra Shipp, Salim El-Marsi, Jacob Kim, Zoë Kravitz, Alfre Woodard, and Q'orianka Kilcher. Taking eight months after the Night of Owls, the film follows Tim Drake, who has been sent to a boarding school in Jump City, California, where he allies himself with a group of metahuman teens after a murderous Tamaranean princess arrives on Earth, leaving a wake of destruction in search of her sister.

Talks of producing a live-action *Teen Titans* film began as early as 2005, following the success of the *animated series* which aired on Cartoon Network and the Kids' WB from 2003 to 2006. Vaughn become attached to the project after stepping down from directing Marvel's *X-Men: The Last Stand* (2006). Due to the popularity of the animated series, DC Films and WB sought capitalize on it, with the initial script being heavily inspired by it. Filming took place mostly in California between Long Beach and San Francisco, the film's visual effects were handled by Blur Studio while its makeup effects were handled by Stan Winston Studios.

*Teen Titans* was released theatrically on August 28, 2016 to positive reviews from critics who praised its acting, screenplay, direction, action sequences, visual effects, and musical score. The film was a box office success, grossing $714 million against a budget of $125 million, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 2016. It is widely considered one of the best DC films and earned many accolades, appearing on many year-end lists. It was followed by two sequels: *Teen Titans: The Judas Contract* (2018) and *Teen Titans: Convergence* (2023).

## Plot

The film opens with a spaceship spiraling out of control among the stars, its pilot desperately attempting to regain control as the ship nears Earth’s orbit. Concurrently at S.T.A.R. Labs in Detroit, a bloody and mutilated Vic Stone, who was once a high school football star, is wheeled into his father Silas’ lab. Silas is frantic, refusing to let his son die as he somberly cradles Vic’s dying body. Turning his attention to the cybernetic parts on his workshop table, Silas begins a daring surgery. Elsewhere in Nevada, the green-skinned Garfield Logan jostles uncomfortably within a cage located in the back of a trailer as an eighteen-wheeler drives down the I-15. He is greeted by a well-dressed man named Luke Grabbas who tells him that they’ll make a killing in California, remarking that if Garfield behaves he can “eat this week”. The spaceship eventually crashes near the Jump City Docks in California where a young Tamaranean woman emerges from the wreck, slightly wounded.

At the Dennis O’Neil Boarding School  in Jump City, Tim Drake sits bored in his world history class as the teacher drones on about how royalty would murder their siblings to secure the throne. While Tim spaces out, he notices his classmate and friend Rachel Roth doing the same. Later after the bell rings, the two meet outside their dorms where Tim’s energy contrasts with Rachel’s stoic demeanor but she still enjoys his company. She asks him if they are still on for their “friend date night” in which they buy loads of snacks and watch the DVD collection of Space Trek 2020, an old cheesy sci-fi show. Tim playfully mocks her crush on the character played by child actor Garfield Logan as the two head to 7-Eleven. At the Jump City Municipal Airport, Dick Grayson waits for a cab while taking a phone call from Alfred Pennyworth, reassuring him that he will make sure that Tim is eating. With a sigh, Dick decides it might be better if he Ubers. Across the city at a train depot, a freight train arrives and several railroad workers inspect each car. One discovers a sleeping Vic, his body now cybernetically augmented, who awakens in a panic and escapes as the worker records the incident on his phone. Elsewhere on the planet Tamaran, two Tamaranean sentries approach the Royal Palace where they approach the Crown Princess Komand’r who sits atop a lush throne with extravagant clothing. The sentries inform her that her sister escaped the Gondarian slave camps which prompts Komand’r to stirke one of the sentries down with a blast of ultraviolet energy, killing him, She remarks that they will have to find her and the remaining sentry asks if her sister will share the same fate as Prince Ryand’r. Back on Earth, A.R.G.U.S. receives a notification on their network, concerning the video of Vic going viral which prompts director Amanda Waller to dispatch a special team led by agent Meadows Mahalo to apprehend Vic.

Back in Jump City, Tim and Rachel lounge in her dorm, watching Space Trek 2020 until he receives a notification on his phone causing him to tell her he has to go. She appears visibly but allows him to leave, with Tim hopelessly apologizing. He returns to his dorm where he dons his Robin armor before escaping the school. He tracks a group of criminals to the rooftop of a financial building where they are attempting to break in. He engages and fights them, incapacitating most of them but one of them gets the drop on him before he is rescued by Nightwing, who is happy to see him. Nightwing tells him Bruce won’t be happy about him taking the suit and he came to take it back before anything happens plus he admits he’s happy to see his “little brother”. Tim refuses to give it back, stating that he’s earned the right to be Robin just as much as Dick or Jason. Nightwing tells him that it’s a dangerous life and Tim remarks that Bruce shouldn’t have put him in it. As the two argue, Tim gets a notification for a break-in at a convenience store not far from them and Nightwing says he’ll allow Tim to stop one more crime before taking the suit back which the latter begrudgingly agrees to. The two travel to the convenience store and discover large scorch marks on its back entrance before they are attacked by the young Tamaranean woman, who displays superhuman strength and combat skills but Dick manages to hold his own against her. She tells him “they” won’t take her back before Tim knocks her. As they decide what to do with her, a SWAT team arrives at their location, forcing them to escape with the Tamaranean. Unsure of what to do, Tim and Nightwing reluctantly bring the unconscious Tamaranean to Rachel’s dorm who Tim begs for help. Rachel confesses that she has known Tim’s identity as Robin and offers to help him and Nightwing with the Tamaranean, using her powers to infiltrate her mind and explain that they come in peace. With her mind eased, the Tamaranean awakes and tells the trio her name is Koriand’r, adding that she is Princess of the planet Tamaran who was sold into slavery after the death of her parents. Nightwing demands to know why the government is chasing her and she admits she doesn’t know why. Tim, believing A.R.G.U.S. won’t find them there. However, the dorm is then attacked by armored Tamaranean sentries who Koriand’r deduces are there for her. Rachel uses her psionic abilities to help the group escape.

Making their way to an abandoned warehouse near Downtown, Koriand’r tells the trio to leave her alone but they refuse as they have already put their lives on the line. Nightwing reassures her that they will help her no matter what but Rachel becomes worried about using her powers, telling Tim it could be dangerous. He becomes concerned and comforts her, apologizing for not knowing she was a metahuman but she corrects him, remarking that she is “something else”. The group is set upon by a cannon wielding Vic who urges them to leave him alone but Nightwing assures him they are not looking for him, attempting to calm him down. Vic tells them that A.R.G.U.S. is hunting him and urges them to get away from him. Tim tells Nightwing they have to help but the elder Batfamily member refuses, stating they have enough on their plate. As they bicker, Vic notices Koriand’r fleeing the warehouse and tells Nightwing who gives chase. Vic then lowers his cannon to Tim and Rachel, telling them that they are first people in a long time who treated him like a person. Rachel asks Vic what happened to him and he tells that his father worked for S.T.A.R. Labs where his father worked as a scientist, explaining that he experimented with extraterrestrial teleportation and ultimately summoned an alien creature which killed his mother. He attempted to intervene but was grievously wounded trying to save his mother and was subsequently cybernetically augmented by his father in order to save his life. Vic then tearfully breaks down, revealing his father wouldn’t even come to his own football games but hasn’t stopped looking for him since he turned him into a cyborg. Feeling sympathy for him, Tim tells Rachel to stay with him while he follows Nightwing and Koriand’r but Vic regains his composure, telling him he wishes to join them. Rachel and Tim reluctantly agree as the three head after Nightwing. In Downtown, the city is hosting a large traveling circus where Agent Mahalo meets with the circus’ ringleader and manager Luke Grabbas who scoffs at her order to shut it down. She tells him she is searching for a metahuman who has been causing trouble in the city which he erroneously thinks is Garfield. While searching through the circus for Koriand’r, Nightwing tracks her to a hall of mirrors while Tim, Rachel, and Vic find the cage where Garfield is being kept, whom Rachel recognizes instantly. She notices he is green just like on Space Trek 2020 but also sees that he is starved and weak, prompting them to break him out of the cage. Inside the hall of mirrors, Nightwing pleads his case to Koriand’r, telling that he truthfully wants to help her. Trusting his words, she emerges and the two exit the hall of mirrors where they see Rachel and Garfield being confronted by Grabbas. Tim tells him to leave them alone and Vic backs him, using his appearance to intimidate Grabbas. As the commotion causes a scene, Mahalo notices from her mobile command center and organizes her SWAT team as lights beam down from the sky. As the teens are distracted by them, Komand’r emerges from the crowd and kills Grabbas, incinerating him although she was aiming for Koriand’r. Tamaranean sentries drop from the ship and a battle ensues between them and SWAT. Nightwing orders Tim and the others to get Koriand’r away while attempts to intervene but Tim refuses. He strategically lays out a plan and gets Vic and Koriand’r to help him save the SWAT team while Rachel stays with Garfield. Fending off the Tamaraneans, the SWAT team is rescued by the young heroes and Mahalo has them all incapacitated with shock rounds including even Komand’r. Looking upon the unconscious heroes, Mahalo orders her men to load the teens up.

On her Blackhawk, Mahalo places Tim, Rachel, Nightwing, and Vic containment units separate from Garfield, Koriand’r, and Komand’r. She tells Nightwing that she recognizes him and Tim, remarking that they’re vigilantes who operate in Gotham City working with Batman. He replies that she let them go as they just helped her, adding that Koriand’r deserves freedom not to be left to rot in some government lab. Mahalo admits to him that she is only there for the “cyborg” and Tim angrily tells her he has a name. Vic and Rachel, however, are more concerned with Garfield and order Mahalo to get him some food. In the metahuman containment units, Komand’r awakens to find Koriand’r in the cell adjacent. She tells Koriand’r that she merely came to Earth to bring her home but Koriand’r knows it is a lie, explaining that she knows her death solidifies Komand’r’s place on the throne. Komand’r, annoyed, divulges that she sold Koriand’r to the Gondarians to spare her death, as she couldn’t handle killing both of her siblings. Koriand’r tells Komand’r that she sent her to a date worse than death, directing her sister’s eyes to her attire (implying she was sexually abused) while Komand’r angrily turns away. She turns back to Koriand’r, admitting she loves her which is why she will “free” her of her trauma before revealing a blinking light on her bracelet. In a panic, Koriand’r shouts to warn the humans but is too late as the Tamaranean ship blasts the Blackhawk out of the sky, sending it crashing into a small island off the Pacific Coast in full view of Jump City where an abandoned prison is located. Komand’r escapes from the wreckage, brutally killing Mahalo’s men as her sentries descend from the ship above. Nightwing frees himself and the others before telling Tim to get them to safety while he fights Komand’r. Tim refuses and Nightwing shouts him in anger, screaming, “Dammit, Tim!” which prompts Tim to remind him his name is Robin. The weakened Garfield says he can fight but Rachel warns him against it. Nightwing asks Vic if he has any weapons to fight the Tamaraneans and he tells he might but informs the group that Koriand’r is gone. Nightwing tells them not to worry and focus on saving lives before racing on to engage the Tamaraneans. Vic questions why he should save anybody, using Garfield’s situation as an example of how cruel man is, which prompts Rachel to urge him to do it for himself. She tells him that no one can tell him how human he is but him. With courage mustered, the young heroes engage the Tamaranean sentries as Komand’r scans the area for Koriand’r before angrily engaging Nightwing. Robin and Vic fight off the alien soldiers as Garfield transforms into a wolf, protecting Mahalo and the remaining A.R.G.U.S. agents. Rachel begins to hear eerie whispers as she taps into her power, unveiling her true appearance with dark grey skin and a red jewel on her forehead. She begins levitating and uses her psionic powers to pull the Tamaranean ship into the Pacific Ocean which strangely results in an explosion. She then becomes weakened and passes out as the aliens move to kill her but Mahalo and Garfield save her life. Meanwhile, Komand’r uses her ultraviolet energy to destroy Nightwing’s escrima sticks and severely burns through his armor, scarring his chest. Robin attempts to intervene but Komand’r blasts him back, causing Vic to strike her with a piston punch. She tosses him into the charred chassis of the Blackhawk before holding the bloodied Nightwing captive, shouting that she will kill the “pretty boy” unless Koriand’r shows herself. Mahalo attempts to intervene with her gun aimed as Koriand’r flies into Komand’r, crashing them both into the abandoned prison. The two sisters fight, with their battle causing cataclysm damage to the prison before coming to a stalemate with Komand’r revealing that the Tamaranean army is en route to destroy Earth per her instruction upon missing scheduled transmissions but this also destroy any evidence of Komand’r’s treachery to ascend to the throne. Koriand’r then deduces that she will have to call the attack as Komand’r instinctively destroy her comlink but a blast of sonic disruption hits her, allowing Robin to throw a smoke bomb into the prison before Koriand’r savagely knocks her sister out with a energy-powered uppercut. She turns to find Vic and Robin waving at her in the rubble. Using Komand’r’s com, she informs the Tamaranean armada of her survival and her sister’s murderous acts which causes them to call off the attack. A wounded Nightwing asks Mahalo if they are under arrest and she tells him she lost them in the crash, adding that she owes her life and the lives of her men to his team. Before he can inform her they aren’t a team, Robin and Vic urge him to follow as they make their escape, collecting the unconscious Rachel. Mahalo watches them depart while the Tamaraneans ascend with Komand’r in their custody.

Days later, Mahalo visits the A.R.G.U.S. where she is interviewed by Amanda Waller who asks her how she let a team of metahuman teenagers escape, reminding her they are supposed to be policing them. Mahalo tells Waller that she was pursuing the “cyborg” but he hadn’t done anything wrong except exist. She tells Waller she is resigning from the agency before telling her that cyborg’s name is Vic, remarking that Waller already knew that. Back in Jump City, a recovering Dick meets with Tim, Rachel, Vic, Koriand’r, and Garfield in his hotel room, telling them that he is leaving for Blüdhaven. He tells Vic, Koriand’r, and Garfield that a “good friend” made a generous donation to S.T.A.R. Labs so no one will come looking for them but adds that they are essentially homeless. Tim interjects, saying that he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they’re sheltered but Dick reminds him that the boarding school is still closed due to the attack and will probably be expected back in Gotham. He then  tells Tim that he doesn’t have to go back to Gotham and neither does the armor before turning to the others, telling them that they worked well together, singling Rachel out for praise. Rachel, who’s attitude is now extremely pessimistic and bleak, reminds him that her true name is Rachel. Dick then reveals to the others that he called in some favors, revealing that he got Tim emancipated, got Koriand’r citizenship, had Vic declared dead, and got Garfield and Raven a legal guardian. Mahalo then enters the room to greet them. She tells them that they are special kids and she believes in what they can do. Dick gets up and tells them all he wants to show them something. Traveling back to the small island off the coast, Dick tells the group that this is their new home, “thanks to a generous donation from my father Bruce Wayne”. He then turns to leave as Tim stops him, asking why he did this for him. Dick then tells him, “I didn’t do this for you…I did it kuz the world needs you. I’m proud of you…Robin”. The two share a smile as Dick’s eyes travel toward Koriand’r who is staring at him. Vic then shouts for Tim to come look at the facility as he lifts Garfield upon his shoulders. Joining his friends on the ridge, Tim stands in between Vic and Raven with Koriand’r and Mahalo staring out at the abandoned prison which is now under construction, its dilapidated state resembling a giant letter T.

In the film’s mid-credits scene, Raven stands in a bathroom, staring into the mirror as eerie whispers pour into her ears which the ruby embedded in her forehead to glow brightly. A figure of a man begins to form from the shower steam as she screams and the mirror shatters. The post-credits scene details Komand’r languishing in her cell on the prison planet Tarkon-Galtos. She hears the voice of a man offer to break her free as he requires “bloody diplomatic approach” and she approaches her cell door to peer out, seeing  that the mysterious man is the Yellow Lantern Sinestro as she tells him, “I’m listening”.

## Cast

* Leo Howard as Dick Grayson/Nightwing
* Aiden Granger as Tim Drake/Robin
* Sadie Sink as Rachel Roth/Raven
* Alexandra Shipp as Koriand'r
* Salim El-Marsi as Vic Stone/Cyborg
* Jacob Kim as Garfield Logan
* Zoë Kravitz as Komand'r
* Ludi Lin as Kyla'r
* Q'orianka Kilcher as Meadows Mahalo
* Alfre Woodard as Amanda Waller
* Courtney B. Vance as Silas Stone