Trolls

Trolls

Starring Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christine Baranski

Directed by Walt Dohrn & Mike Mitchell

What is the movie about?
"Trolls" is an animated film by Dreamworks that centers around those lovable long-haired treasure trolls that were famous in the 90s.  Here the trolls are being hunted by creatures known as Bergens who find they cannot be happy unless they eat the trolls.

Twenty years after escaping the Bergens, they're discovered by the excommunicated Bergen Chef (Christine Baranski) and some are taken captive and returned to the new King Gristle (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).  Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) sets out on a solo adventure to rescue her friends, and she's eventually accompanied by Branch (Justin Timberlake), a dreary troll who doesn't sing, dance or hug.  They discover the lowly scullery maid Bridget (Zooey Deschanel), who is the key to getting to the King and the captured trolls, and hopefully they can make it out alive and show the Bergens that they don't need to eat trolls to be happy.


Who is involved in the movie?
Anna Kendrick takes on the lead role of Princess Poppy, an ever-upbeat troll who is all sunshine and cupcakes, a fearless troll who holds the mantra of "no Troll left behind" as she risks her life to save her friends.
Justin Timberlake stars as Branch, the only troll who doesn't sing and dance due to a past hurt that comes to light and forces him to confront his past in order to be happy.
Zooey Deschanel stars as Bridget, a homely scullery maid for the king who also harbors a deep love for him, even though he would never notice someone as ordinary as her.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse stars as King Gristle, the ruler of the Bergens who has never tasted a troll and therefore has never felt happiness.
Christine Baranski stars as the Chef, an evil woman who desires power above all things and sets out to get it by finding the trolls and offering them to the king so she can become the new ruler.
The film also features the vocal talents of Russell Brand, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Jeffrey Tambor, John Cleese and Quvenzhane Wallis.



Why should you see this movie?
Growing up I remember Treasure Trolls as those weird-looking toys with long, straight hair.  Each one had a different name and color, and there were many of them.  However, trolls existed long before, as they were the invention of Thomas Dam in Denmark in 1958, and were originally made of wood, which is a fun little Easter Egg thrown into the movie.

Much like Angry Birds, I figured they've existed long past their prime and to have a movie made about them a decade or longer after they faded from obscurity would be a pointless endeavor.  While it doesn't resonate as strongly as other animated films, it's still a good time for young and old alike, with vibrant animations, catchy tunes and a story that's very simplistic yet something needed to be heard, especially with all the sadness facing the world today.

While the world needs something more than just "happiness," since it's just an emotion, it's good to feel happy and have an upbeat attitude, and that's something Poppy has in spades.  She sees every obstacle as an opportunity, every threat as a chance to better herself.  She believes her friends are all alive, and she'll rescue them and save the day and restore peace and happiness to Troll and Bergen alike.  While it's a good emotion to have, it's also good to have everything in balance, because, as Branch says, "not everything is rainbows and cupcakes."  Which is why I really enjoy Branch, because he manages to balance Poppy's eternal optimism with a realistic view that some see as pessimistic, but it's needed to keep himself, Poppy, and their friends alive.   Plus he adds some humorous sarcasm and funny sight gags in the process - especially when he gets angry at talking cloud and chases him around with pointed sticks. 

On top of the adventure tale, "Trolls" also takes wildly liberal license of the "Cinderella" story between King Gristle and Bridget.  Bridget is the homely scullery maid, a girl who lacks confidence and appearance, being someone she feels Gristle will never notice.  Poppy and her friends help Bridget turn into someone she things Gristle will notice by giving her a makeover and serving as her mouthpieces when she talks to the king.  They go on a date and she leaves behind a roller skate, much like Cinderella left her glass slipper.  While it was cute seeing the homage, it took away from any sort of surprise in the film's finale, as it plays out exactly how you would expect a "Cinderella" tale to end.

Speaking of the ending, it was the weakest moment of the movie.  For a film that spent so much time building up the tension and character development, it seemed that it just abruptly ended, even though there was a definitive ending, it still felt sudden and forced, and it should've been longer to get a more satisfactory ending.

Still, the animations were beautiful as you would expect, and the songs were catchy and a great blend of the remixed classics ("I'm Coming Out" and especially an emotional rendition of "True Colors") and original material (including the Oscar-nominated song "Can't Stop the Feeling").  Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick are both stellar singers as well as actors, and their voices blend beautifully in their duets as well as their solo outings, from Kendrick's feisty anthem "Get Back Up Again" to Timberlake's aforementioned "Can't Stop the Feeling."  

When should you see this movie?
While it's not on the level of Disney, it was still an enjoyable adventure filled with humor, heart and passion, and one you should see sooner rather than later.

Where does the movie fall on the grading scale?
A-