Trolls - directed by Mike Mitchell & Walt Dohrn
I've been pretty excited for "Trolls" for a while.
It was the 'sound of silence' clip released a couple of months ago and the trailer with the weird cloud guy and his fist bump moment that made me laugh so much that convinced me that I could be in for some fun with this film.
Not a lot else beyond a couple of appealing casting choices did however.
It was clearly going to be a musical too which is perhaps the only genre of film that leaves me cold barring very few exceptions.
But I was still hopeful and today I had the opportunity to see it at the local premiere a week before the advanced screening I already had booked.
Which meant that if the movie turned out to be a stinker I would have to endure it again in seven short days.
Firstly - I am not at all dreading that second screening.
I had quite a lot of fun with this film.
It is entirely predictable - even more so than I suspected going in.
The story centres on Poppy (Kendrick) who is a Troll of such a sunny disposition that I was reminded of Sally Hawkins character from Mike Leigh's "Happy Go Lucky".
She waits for her watch to beep indicating it is time for the hourly hug that she and her fellow Trolls love so much.
She scrapbooks elaborate dioramas to highlight every little thing that is happening.
Poppy is eternally happy and optimistic - nothing phases her.
Not even the threat of the Bergens - large, lumbering creatures who believe that happiness can only be achieved via the consumption of Trolls.
Twenty years prior her Father the king of the Trolls lead his people in an escape from the annual Bergen festival at which the Trolls are eaten.
So Poppy is holding a huge party with lots of loud singing and constant dancing to celebrate the anniversary.
The only naysayer is Branch (Timberlake) who chooses to avoid all such occasions and stays in his underground bunker in fear of a return of the Bergens.
Of course this very thing happens.
A newly crowned Bergen Prince (Mintz-Plasse) raised to believe that only eating a Troll can make him happy restarts the Troll festival when a vindictive Bergen chef (Christine Baranski) delivers the Trolls to him as a way back into the graces of the Bergen Kingdom.
It is all on Poppy to repeat the actions of her Father and rescue her people.
The trouble is that Poppy is useless out in the wild.
She will need Branch to assist in the mission.
The casting of this film turns out to be vital to whatever success it has.
It was a genius move pairing up Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake.
They appear to have great chemistry and of course when singing is required it pays big dividends.
Timberlake's Branch doesn't sing on principle but of course this will change.
When it does it pays off really well but not as well as the prerequisite duet late in the film.
It is a gem.... and this is a musical hater talking.
Also great is Zooey Deschanel as Bridget the Scullery Maid in love with the prince.
Her character comes to the fore just at the point where I was growing restless and felt that the film had exhausted all of its charms.
Not so however- the subplot with Bridget and the Prince reinvigorates the film, introduces more laughs and a lot of imagination in the visuals.
In that subject - I was reminded of Media Molecule's "Little Big Planet" games while watching this film.
It utilises a craft / scrap-booking look with layers of scenery that look like the have been cut from somewhere else to serve the part.
It all works very well and gives the film a unique look.
In all honesty this film wasn't as funny as I had hoped but it is still funny enough.
There is a shockingly adult joke centred on the word 'sarcasm' that I saw coming but didn't really think the writers would have the pills to follow through on but they did bless them.
Everything that Deschanel and Russell Brand say works for me but this is probably mainly because I like their comedic skills.
And possibly my favourite character is the weird cloud guy voiced by none other than co-director Dohrn.
Kendrick and Timberlake generate quite a few genuinely emotional moments too and the original songs are without exception really, really good.
The covers are the real stars though.
Lionel Ritchie's "Hello", Cindy Lauper's "True Colours" and of course Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" are just a few of the songs that get great treatment in the film.
This is one of the rare instances where I didn't mind characters breaking into song one little bit.
They are all in the service of the central theme.
Sure- "Inside Out" explores those themes far better but without a hint of condescension it is great that "Trolls" gives it a shot.
Overall "Trolls" falls short of greatness but it is plenty good enough.
Very good in fact.
I liked this in spite of a flat middle section and the incredible predictability of the plot.
RATING: 77 / 100
CONCLUSION: Funny, touching and well performed by a perfectly cast group of actors and musicians. The original songs are great but it is the cover versions of older tracks that made me smile the most.
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christine Baranski, John Cleese, Russell Brand, Gwen Stefani, Jeffrey Tambor, James Corden, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kunal Nayyar, Quvenzhane Wallis
Screenplay: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger
Music Score by: Christophe Beck
Cinematography: Yong Duk Jhun
Cinematography: Yong Duk Jhun
Edited by: Nick Fletcher
Running Time: 92 minutes
Language: English
Rated: G - Nothing of note
Running Time: 92 minutes
Language: English
Rated: G - Nothing of note
It was the 'sound of silence' clip released a couple of months ago and the trailer with the weird cloud guy and his fist bump moment that made me laugh so much that convinced me that I could be in for some fun with this film.
Not a lot else beyond a couple of appealing casting choices did however.
It was clearly going to be a musical too which is perhaps the only genre of film that leaves me cold barring very few exceptions.
But I was still hopeful and today I had the opportunity to see it at the local premiere a week before the advanced screening I already had booked.
Which meant that if the movie turned out to be a stinker I would have to endure it again in seven short days.
Firstly - I am not at all dreading that second screening.
I had quite a lot of fun with this film.
It is entirely predictable - even more so than I suspected going in.
The story centres on Poppy (Kendrick) who is a Troll of such a sunny disposition that I was reminded of Sally Hawkins character from Mike Leigh's "Happy Go Lucky".
She waits for her watch to beep indicating it is time for the hourly hug that she and her fellow Trolls love so much.
She scrapbooks elaborate dioramas to highlight every little thing that is happening.
Poppy is eternally happy and optimistic - nothing phases her.
Not even the threat of the Bergens - large, lumbering creatures who believe that happiness can only be achieved via the consumption of Trolls.
Twenty years prior her Father the king of the Trolls lead his people in an escape from the annual Bergen festival at which the Trolls are eaten.
So Poppy is holding a huge party with lots of loud singing and constant dancing to celebrate the anniversary.
The only naysayer is Branch (Timberlake) who chooses to avoid all such occasions and stays in his underground bunker in fear of a return of the Bergens.
Of course this very thing happens.
A newly crowned Bergen Prince (Mintz-Plasse) raised to believe that only eating a Troll can make him happy restarts the Troll festival when a vindictive Bergen chef (Christine Baranski) delivers the Trolls to him as a way back into the graces of the Bergen Kingdom.
It is all on Poppy to repeat the actions of her Father and rescue her people.
The trouble is that Poppy is useless out in the wild.
She will need Branch to assist in the mission.
 |
| Branch and Poppy meet friends (the cloud guy) in their fight against the Chef and a host of other beasts |
It was a genius move pairing up Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake.
They appear to have great chemistry and of course when singing is required it pays big dividends.
Timberlake's Branch doesn't sing on principle but of course this will change.
When it does it pays off really well but not as well as the prerequisite duet late in the film.
It is a gem.... and this is a musical hater talking.
Also great is Zooey Deschanel as Bridget the Scullery Maid in love with the prince.
Her character comes to the fore just at the point where I was growing restless and felt that the film had exhausted all of its charms.
Not so however- the subplot with Bridget and the Prince reinvigorates the film, introduces more laughs and a lot of imagination in the visuals.
In that subject - I was reminded of Media Molecule's "Little Big Planet" games while watching this film.
It utilises a craft / scrap-booking look with layers of scenery that look like the have been cut from somewhere else to serve the part.
It all works very well and gives the film a unique look.
 |
| Anna Kendrick as the eternally sunny Poppy |
There is a shockingly adult joke centred on the word 'sarcasm' that I saw coming but didn't really think the writers would have the pills to follow through on but they did bless them.
Everything that Deschanel and Russell Brand say works for me but this is probably mainly because I like their comedic skills.
And possibly my favourite character is the weird cloud guy voiced by none other than co-director Dohrn.
Kendrick and Timberlake generate quite a few genuinely emotional moments too and the original songs are without exception really, really good.
The covers are the real stars though.
Lionel Ritchie's "Hello", Cindy Lauper's "True Colours" and of course Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" are just a few of the songs that get great treatment in the film.
This is one of the rare instances where I didn't mind characters breaking into song one little bit.
They are all in the service of the central theme.
Sure- "Inside Out" explores those themes far better but without a hint of condescension it is great that "Trolls" gives it a shot.
Overall "Trolls" falls short of greatness but it is plenty good enough.
Very good in fact.
I liked this in spite of a flat middle section and the incredible predictability of the plot.
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