Headsup: Teenage Drama

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment requests we note that it provided a free copy of the first DVD featured below. The opinions I share are my own.

As if hormones and problem skin weren’t enough, the teens in two new releases have quite a lot on their plates:

Adapted from the adored 1984 DC comic series, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract rejoins the Teen Titans five years after their rescue of Princess Starfire (Kari Wahlgren) from her evil sister. Now they have their sights set on a new target as Brother Blood (Gregg Henry) and his terrorist group seek to steal the team’s powers with a specially created machine. With the addition of mysterious new team member Terra (Christina Ricci) and a cat-and-mouse chase with the mercenary Deathstroke (Miguel Ferrer), the Teen Titans are rarely afforded a dull moment. This film is sequel to Justice League vs Teen Titans and is #28 in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series which began back in 2007 with Superman: Doomsday. It also features Miguel Ferrer’s final film role (as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke) before he passed away from throat cancer in January. Like most of the others in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line, the film is rated PG-13 (for language, sexual situations, and violence), so be aware before showing or gifting to little ones.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is being released direct to home media and is now available in DVD, Blu-ray, and digital formats. The Blu-ray version has over 45 minutes of bonus features, including a sneak peek at Batman and Harley Quinn (the next film in the DC Universal Original Movie collection), “Villains Rising: Deathstroke” (a featurette about the villain’s origin and talents), “Titanic Minds: Wolfman and Perez” (a 27-minute documentary about the decades-long collaboration of Marv Wolfman and George Perez, the writer and artist who created the Teen Titans comic series relaunch in the 1980s), and “From the DC Comics Vault”, two bonus Teen Titans cartoons. For a limited time, fans can also own the Deluxe Edition Blu-ray Gift Set, which includes a Blue Beetle figurine. Amazon offers digital options to rent or buy ($4.99 and $19.99 respectively) as well as the the DVD (only the film, no bonus features) for $12.96 and the Deluxe Blu-ray Set for $24.99.

Monster Trucks tells the story of Tripp (Lucas Till), a high school senior desperate to escape the troubles of his fractured family life in North Dakota. Tripp discovers and befriends a displaced creature (“Creech”) who feeds on oil and helps Tripp make his makeshift monster truck run. When executives from an oil company put a professional hit out on Creech, the two do everything in their power to reunite Creech with his own family and to protect each other along the way. In addition to Lucas Till, the film stars Jane Levy (Meredith), Amy Ryan (Cindy Coley), Thomas Lennon (Dr. Dowd), and Rob Lowe (Reece Tenneson).

The film is now available for digital rental and purchase and is on both DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack. Along with a digital HD copy of the film (accessible through UltraViolet), the Blu-ray also boasts a selection of extras, including “Who’s Driving the Monster Trucks?” (interview segments with the cast and crew about the production and story), “Creating the Monster Truck” (which focuses on how the production team made Tripp’s vehicle), “The Monster in the Truck” (a featurette on the CG visual effects in select scenes), ten minutes of production diaries, six deleted scenes, and a gag reel. For a limited time, those who purchase the Blu-ray Combo Pack also receive a pack of collectible Monster Trucks wall decals. The film is available on Amazon for digital rent/purchase ($4.99/$14.99), the DVD currently goes for $17.99, and the Blu-ray Combo Pack for $19.99.

Headsup: Teenage Drama

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