[6.9/10] I’m really torn about this episode. On the one hand, I love the creativity of throwing the Titans into a world of optical illusions and M.C. Escher paintings. The set pieces are inventive, and using “school” as a theme and backdrop for the eponymous villain’s japes is tons of fun. There’s references to classic British television and comedy that I appreciate, and the music backing everything is perfect for the moment. Purely on visuals, audio, and homage, “Mad Mod” is a winner.
But “Mad Mod” himself is really, really, annoying. His onslaught of 1960s British slang gets really tiresome really quickly, and it just keeps going. There’s some fun to seeing DCAU stalwart Malcolm McDowell employing the Ludovico Technique against someone else for a change, but on the whole, the character’s just annoying. Likewise, most of the humor in this episode is aimed at five-year-olds, which is a recurring problem on Teen Titans.
More to the point, there’s barely any story or character here. It’s just set piece after set piece. I’m loath to complain because those set pieces are inventive as all hell, and some of the best visuals the show has presented so far. But when Robin figures out how to beat Mad Mod just because he realizes the illusions aren’t real it feels totally unearned. It’s not clear why knowing this is all a trick (something Robin could have guessed before) makes it easier to stop the bad guy.
The characters don’t really want anything here. The episode just starts with them kidnapped, they fight the bad guy for the bulk of the episode, and then they win. The end. There’s nothing to it. It’s more of a graphical showcase than anything else.
There’s nothing wrong with that exactly, but it leaves me wanting a little more. Overall, “Mad Mod” is a fun demonstration of the artists’ and animators’ creative abilities, but not much of a story. Throw in an incessantly irksome bad guy, and you have a real mixed bag of an episode.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-06-26T19:32:30Z
[6.9/10] I’m really torn about this episode. On the one hand, I love the creativity of throwing the Titans into a world of optical illusions and M.C. Escher paintings. The set pieces are inventive, and using “school” as a theme and backdrop for the eponymous villain’s japes is tons of fun. There’s references to classic British television and comedy that I appreciate, and the music backing everything is perfect for the moment. Purely on visuals, audio, and homage, “Mad Mod” is a winner.
But “Mad Mod” himself is really, really, annoying. His onslaught of 1960s British slang gets really tiresome really quickly, and it just keeps going. There’s some fun to seeing DCAU stalwart Malcolm McDowell employing the Ludovico Technique against someone else for a change, but on the whole, the character’s just annoying. Likewise, most of the humor in this episode is aimed at five-year-olds, which is a recurring problem on Teen Titans.
More to the point, there’s barely any story or character here. It’s just set piece after set piece. I’m loath to complain because those set pieces are inventive as all hell, and some of the best visuals the show has presented so far. But when Robin figures out how to beat Mad Mod just because he realizes the illusions aren’t real it feels totally unearned. It’s not clear why knowing this is all a trick (something Robin could have guessed before) makes it easier to stop the bad guy.
The characters don’t really want anything here. The episode just starts with them kidnapped, they fight the bad guy for the bulk of the episode, and then they win. The end. There’s nothing to it. It’s more of a graphical showcase than anything else.
There’s nothing wrong with that exactly, but it leaves me wanting a little more. Overall, “Mad Mod” is a fun demonstration of the artists’ and animators’ creative abilities, but not much of a story. Throw in an incessantly irksome bad guy, and you have a real mixed bag of an episode.