Teen Titans – Review: Hide and Seek

With the other Teen Titans off fighting exciting battles with the Brotherhood of
Evil, Raven is left with the worst task of all — transporting three
rambunctious future superheroes to safety. But this simple task turns into an
adventure in babysitting as Raven and her young charges are chased through the
Alps by the Brotherhood of Evil’s Msr. Mallah.

Reviews by Bird Boy
Media by Bird Boy

Titans Voices
Greg Cipes as Beast Boy
Glenn Shadix as Monsieur Mallah
Tara Strong as Raven, Teether
Russi Taylor as Melvin, Timmy

So here we are again with the second “zany” episode this season (or so the Japanese theme intro would dictate). While it’s not quite as crazy as “For Real” was, it was also a lot more…generic than “For
Real” was as well. I know I’ve used the word “generic” a lot of this season so far, but it’s what I honestly feel.

Fans of Raven no doubt loved this episode and while I would consider myself a fan of Raven, I wouldn’t put myself in the same class as the other “’shippers” are. I enjoy her character and beyond that…actually for me there is nothing beyond that, it’s a cartoon.
But, nevertheless, Raven was accurately portrayed here with her usual angst attitude and her reaction to babysitting was quite humorous, as well as her obvious lack of babysitting skills towards situations that popped up along the way. The ending was also something to be expected of Raven: all the children hug her and the episode ends with her saying “Okay, that’s enough.”

There were quite a few positives for me this episode. First off was the music—Carter did an outstanding job. I say this because it sounded like something that would’ve fit in perfectly with Batman
Beyond, one of my favorite animated DC shows. Not to mention the fact I’m a huge rock / metal fan, so everything about the music in this one gave great joy to me, especially during the first and second Raven / Mallah fights.

Animation was pretty much the same as it has been, with a few of those “shakey camera” movements that we first saw in Justice
League Unlimited’s second season premiere, “Cat and the Canary.”
At first, I really liked those movements, it gave a cool feel to the action but it quickly began to feel gimmicky. As Justice League
Unlimited used it more and more, it seems Teen Titans
picked up on it and it was used again in this episode, must to my dismay. I did think it was neat during the fight atop the lift car, but when it was used again later at the end of the episode I became disheartened at the overabundance of the technique.

I can pick apart the rest of the episode all day if I wanted to (and had the time). As I said earlier, everything about this episode was kind of generic and reused feeling. Even the toilet joke (Timmy had to pee, upon which we cut to a shot outside of the train passing a giant waterfall) felt like it was lifted from season two’s
“Transformation” potty gag.

I know I’m being too hard on the show. I think that it’s after four seasons the fifth season just seems stale. I’m sure the kids, and they’re the most important audience here, are still loving the show and they don’t notice such minute details as I do. I wish I could get the same enjoyment out of the show I used to (and like I did with “Homecoming, Pt. 1” and “For Real), but when I look back these new episodes I just begin to wish that the bastard fifty-two episode rule would’ve applied to this show as well.