255 reviews
fun silly movie
yes, this is a movie for young viewers, but it is fun. silliness and a simple story. but frankly we don't have enough of them in this movie era. the colors are great, the animation is fun and frankly as an adult, i did enjoy it. this movie is pure escape. it is fun to hear the voices of such esteemed actors playing such fun characters. Sometimes i think so many reviewers feel they must pan movies as they don't relay various critical standards.. However, this one isn't one. i like many types of movies and this is one of them. a purely fun and colorful take on things. enjoy it for what it is and don't over think it! not all movies need that. it is great for kids and adults if you look at it as being simply fun! i am well over 21 and liked it very much!
- sb-487-173392
- Feb 24, 2017
- Permalink
Entertaining enough kids' feature
My fiance made me watch this one and to my surprise it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It provided a bit of entertainment and featured some funny moments within its running time. We would later watch The Emoji Movie and that would be as bad as I thought it was going to be and she did not care for that one either. This one though managed to create funny and entertaining characters considering this thing was likely made to just to create more toys for the kids to go out and buy as the trolls here looked like more detailed trolls than the ones released sometime in the late 80's early 90's.
The story has these creatures called Bergens basically eating the trolls because it is the only way they can be happy as trolls are singing and happy creatures in this film. The leader of the trolls though devises an escape and they end up forming their own town outside the realm of the Bergens. The cook of the Bergens gets the blame and is expelled from the city and life goes on peacefully for the trolls, that is, until the trolls throw a really big celebration that catches the eyes of a certain cook who is then able to capture some trolls and take them into the home of the Bergens to get back into the good graces of the new king. It is up to the super positive Poppy and the really negative Branch to infiltrate the town of the Bergens and rescue their captured friends.
It had some really good music in this one and I liked the character of Poppy and the one Bergen who helped Poppy out, Bridget. I found it humorous when they started doing one of those music montages when they were giving Bridget a makeover and it gets cut short because Branch is not singing.
So I enjoyed this film a bit, the only reason I did not rank it higher, I am not the biggest fan of computer generated films. I prefer live action films and my favorite animation type is anime. Not to say I don't like them all, just not my favorite media, though I am definitely in the minority because a lot of these films do so incredibly well including some that just seem so mediocre. This one is enjoyable enough, but I think it was because of Poppy's incredibly positive attitude even as she is being wrapped up by a spider and passing out that won me over.
The story has these creatures called Bergens basically eating the trolls because it is the only way they can be happy as trolls are singing and happy creatures in this film. The leader of the trolls though devises an escape and they end up forming their own town outside the realm of the Bergens. The cook of the Bergens gets the blame and is expelled from the city and life goes on peacefully for the trolls, that is, until the trolls throw a really big celebration that catches the eyes of a certain cook who is then able to capture some trolls and take them into the home of the Bergens to get back into the good graces of the new king. It is up to the super positive Poppy and the really negative Branch to infiltrate the town of the Bergens and rescue their captured friends.
It had some really good music in this one and I liked the character of Poppy and the one Bergen who helped Poppy out, Bridget. I found it humorous when they started doing one of those music montages when they were giving Bridget a makeover and it gets cut short because Branch is not singing.
So I enjoyed this film a bit, the only reason I did not rank it higher, I am not the biggest fan of computer generated films. I prefer live action films and my favorite animation type is anime. Not to say I don't like them all, just not my favorite media, though I am definitely in the minority because a lot of these films do so incredibly well including some that just seem so mediocre. This one is enjoyable enough, but I think it was because of Poppy's incredibly positive attitude even as she is being wrapped up by a spider and passing out that won me over.
I have to confess I really enjoyed it!
I expected this to be another identikit kids animated movie like we've seen so many times before over the years. You know....typical cash in on a franchise or trend doing the rounds at that time.
However I will admit I really did enjoy this movie. It has some great music in it. Some unexpected (and great!) 80s covers included throughout and overall it did have some great dialogue and funny little moments mixed in there.
Yeah so the story is pretty predictable but the voice talent and the animation carries it off so well you don't mind so much.
Its not gonna win any awards but there are worse ways to spend an afternoon with your kids.
However I will admit I really did enjoy this movie. It has some great music in it. Some unexpected (and great!) 80s covers included throughout and overall it did have some great dialogue and funny little moments mixed in there.
Yeah so the story is pretty predictable but the voice talent and the animation carries it off so well you don't mind so much.
Its not gonna win any awards but there are worse ways to spend an afternoon with your kids.
My son loved it...its a kid's movie!
After seeing so many negative "trolls" on here about what people don't like about this film, I thought I would just throw one glaring fact out there...it's a movie for kids! And my 2.5 year old loved it! As far as he is concerned, it currently has infinite replay value. He really seems to like movies that have a great sound track...which this one does. The songs are enjoyable covers of easily recognizable pop songs from several decades, with some modified lyrics. The point is, if a film entertains your kid many times over, then the writers did something right. The plot was simple and was about what I expected. If you really hated this movie, stop being such a Bergen and lighten up!
Glitter, and more Glitter...HUG TIME
Justin Timberlake is a well known singer/songwriter, with his all time hit song being, "Can't Stop the Feeling." His recent appearance in the movie "Trolls" capitalized on that. The movie runs song after song, featuring the mentioned song as the ending notes of joy. I'm fifteen. I think that this wasn't a waste of time and money. I have little brothers. They would watch this movie 10 times if they could. Making my feelings towards the movie above par.
As a fan of music, I appreciated the songs that were both featured and played. Justin did a great job working with other artists such as Ariana Grande to come up with the movie's melodic soundtrack. Anna Kendrick definitely sings her handful of the music, with the majority of them being upbeat, live life to the fullest sort of songs. This is great if you enjoy a catchy song that gets stuck in your head throughout the day. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a song played on loop every now and then.
This movie was a very predictable movie, with having nearly everything being wrapped in a nice, glitter-filled bow. When the inciting event came around, I could think for one minute and depict how the movie would end. But, I guess it was nice to listen to all the songs whilst my prediction unfolded.
I think that if you are a child who is looking for a fairly humorous, childish movie, then "Trolls" is your film. A mom who has children should consider this movie for a fun weekend with the kids. Who knows? Maybe she will have a nice song stuck in her head too. I would suggest this movie for all who would like some laughs and a catchy tune.
As a fan of music, I appreciated the songs that were both featured and played. Justin did a great job working with other artists such as Ariana Grande to come up with the movie's melodic soundtrack. Anna Kendrick definitely sings her handful of the music, with the majority of them being upbeat, live life to the fullest sort of songs. This is great if you enjoy a catchy song that gets stuck in your head throughout the day. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a song played on loop every now and then.
This movie was a very predictable movie, with having nearly everything being wrapped in a nice, glitter-filled bow. When the inciting event came around, I could think for one minute and depict how the movie would end. But, I guess it was nice to listen to all the songs whilst my prediction unfolded.
I think that if you are a child who is looking for a fairly humorous, childish movie, then "Trolls" is your film. A mom who has children should consider this movie for a fun weekend with the kids. Who knows? Maybe she will have a nice song stuck in her head too. I would suggest this movie for all who would like some laughs and a catchy tune.
Kids will eat it up, Grownups have seen it one too many times
Fun for what it is
This is a fun little silly kids movie. And it works really good. Again do not set any high bar or standard, just accept this for the animated fun that it is. And you don't even have to be a kid to enjoy it. There is enough for everyone. You shouldn't mind singing too much, though the songs are also very free and with Justin Timberlake at the helm you know you got a hit in the making.
I actually knew one song before I had seen the movie. But that's just because it got very popular quickly. It may be the same for you. The story is simple and I wouldn't even really spoil anything, especially because it is very predictable. Just sit back and enjoy if you can and are willing too
I actually knew one song before I had seen the movie. But that's just because it got very popular quickly. It may be the same for you. The story is simple and I wouldn't even really spoil anything, especially because it is very predictable. Just sit back and enjoy if you can and are willing too
Shark attack, nom nom nom nom!
It's so silly, I love it. Great talented cast, with good singing voices.
The cloud guy is just weird, for a minute you forget you're watching a kids movie "little slappy? Make Daddy happy" hahaha It's just a fun family musical film that'll make everyone laugh.
The cloud guy is just weird, for a minute you forget you're watching a kids movie "little slappy? Make Daddy happy" hahaha It's just a fun family musical film that'll make everyone laugh.
Love the positive vibes and creative, colorful animation! Instant good mood!
I'm a 30 year old man, so probably not what the producers envisioned as their primary market, but I still love this movie!
Being a raver at heart, it's fun to watch these troll live in the ultimate psychedelic fantasy. With non-stop music, dancing, hugs, and trippy hairdos, these Trolls know how to keep it PLUR!
I'm not usually a big fan of musicals, but this movie has a nice variety of songs and keeps them short, fun, and too the point. Never a moment to get bored. Most of the songs are very cliché, generic, pop songs, but they are catchy and upbeat, so it's hard to complain.
Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake have great chemistry and put a lot of personality into the characters. I think they nailed it.
I feel like the team that made this movie did a great job collaborating between the writing, acting, and animation to create lots of really great moments for characters that a truly hilarious. Unlike most comedies, this one seems to get funnier each time I watch it. I can't get enough of the fun characters and find myself smiling throughout the day thinking of the great moments in this film.
Creative musical numbers like "Sounds of Darkness" perfectly complement hilarious comedy scenes like the encounter with M. Cloud, and lead me to believe that the guys who directed this movie have a lot of talent.
I'm surprised this film doesn't have a higher rating. I really can't think of what is not to like, but I'm guessing it's just one of those things where you either love it or hate it. I can see it becoming somewhat of a cult classic. I really hope it made enough money that we will get to see a sequel!
Being a raver at heart, it's fun to watch these troll live in the ultimate psychedelic fantasy. With non-stop music, dancing, hugs, and trippy hairdos, these Trolls know how to keep it PLUR!
I'm not usually a big fan of musicals, but this movie has a nice variety of songs and keeps them short, fun, and too the point. Never a moment to get bored. Most of the songs are very cliché, generic, pop songs, but they are catchy and upbeat, so it's hard to complain.
Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake have great chemistry and put a lot of personality into the characters. I think they nailed it.
I feel like the team that made this movie did a great job collaborating between the writing, acting, and animation to create lots of really great moments for characters that a truly hilarious. Unlike most comedies, this one seems to get funnier each time I watch it. I can't get enough of the fun characters and find myself smiling throughout the day thinking of the great moments in this film.
Creative musical numbers like "Sounds of Darkness" perfectly complement hilarious comedy scenes like the encounter with M. Cloud, and lead me to believe that the guys who directed this movie have a lot of talent.
I'm surprised this film doesn't have a higher rating. I really can't think of what is not to like, but I'm guessing it's just one of those things where you either love it or hate it. I can see it becoming somewhat of a cult classic. I really hope it made enough money that we will get to see a sequel!
- gtylerpayne
- Jan 5, 2017
- Permalink
A fun time with the kids
YES... even fun for the adults. You'll ind yourself singing along during the movie.
Now that its out of theaters, the kids are watching it near every day!
An adventure with a lesson- Life is what you make you it!
Friends sticking up for friends in the most colorful and musical of ways. LOL.
Will leave you with a craving for cotton candy *wink* or a Chia Pet. :)
Now that its out of theaters, the kids are watching it near every day!
An adventure with a lesson- Life is what you make you it!
Friends sticking up for friends in the most colorful and musical of ways. LOL.
Will leave you with a craving for cotton candy *wink* or a Chia Pet. :)
- bobbiromans
- Jun 19, 2017
- Permalink
Kids will love this but grown up??
- tareque2742
- Jun 7, 2018
- Permalink
Family fun
Keep in mind, this is a movie intended for kids!!! If you find singing in movies annoying, this isn't for you, but kids love it for the most part. I know mine did and I even liked it. Perfect for family night, if you are old school like I am. It is a refreshing tale of semi unique features that teaches courage, kindness and that its okay to be you. Very family friendly, cute and sparkly!
- sufferingsoulangelofdc
- Mar 5, 2017
- Permalink
cute funny adorable and nice soundtracks
Gotta say that the movie was all exactly what I was hoping for. A cute, funny movie where the Trolls were adorable and the Bergens were your typical villainous creatures trying to eat the Trolls. The movie has got a lot of music and songs and I feel that the main attraction in addition to watch those Trolls were also to hear those songs. The songs were quite varied with a nostalgic song of Hello and True Colours from 1980s or the newer song, especially the real catchy song by Justin Timberlake, Can't Stop the Feeling! which was literally make you cannot stop the feeling of dancing, or move your body a bit or at least hum the song in your heart.
The movie has a lot of colors and I believe no violence, hence it is a very safe one for kids to see. For the teens or adults, can enjoy watching the nice bit of romance and also the musics that I said above. I also believe that watching it in 3D would provide better effects as I noticed in various scenes. When the movie was over, you can remain seated for a while as there would be mid post-credit scene that you can enjoy as well.
Apart from all those positives, I have to agree with my wife's comments that after seeing the movie, it did not give the feeling of wanting to watch it over and over again. It was fun to watch it during the approximately 1.5 hour film, but that's just about it. Except of course the main soundtrack song that was really catchy. Some of the plots were not really original anyway (kind of reminded a bit like Cinderella story).
So if you want to have some fun to forget about your troubles for a while, you can definitely give this one a try and sit back and enjoy it.
For my complete review, pls see michaelnontonmulu.blogspot.co.id
The movie has a lot of colors and I believe no violence, hence it is a very safe one for kids to see. For the teens or adults, can enjoy watching the nice bit of romance and also the musics that I said above. I also believe that watching it in 3D would provide better effects as I noticed in various scenes. When the movie was over, you can remain seated for a while as there would be mid post-credit scene that you can enjoy as well.
Apart from all those positives, I have to agree with my wife's comments that after seeing the movie, it did not give the feeling of wanting to watch it over and over again. It was fun to watch it during the approximately 1.5 hour film, but that's just about it. Except of course the main soundtrack song that was really catchy. Some of the plots were not really original anyway (kind of reminded a bit like Cinderella story).
So if you want to have some fun to forget about your troubles for a while, you can definitely give this one a try and sit back and enjoy it.
For my complete review, pls see michaelnontonmulu.blogspot.co.id
- MichaelNontonMulu
- Oct 28, 2016
- Permalink
I know this is just an unpopular opinion, but....
- sporeviews
- Nov 24, 2017
- Permalink
A contagiously happy film
This animation tells the imaginary story, where tiny trolls live very happy lives. They get hunted down by unhappy giants called Bergens, and these Bergens believe that they can only become happy after eating a troll.
There can hardly be a happier film than "Trolls"! The palette is super bright and colourful, which brings out happiness in people already! Then, the constant singing of popular songs augments the feel good factor. The cute and cuddly characters bursts into spontaneous dances and giving each other hugs. It just emanates fun, joy and bliss. The plot is simple, but effective in delivering happiness. I enjoyed watching it.
There can hardly be a happier film than "Trolls"! The palette is super bright and colourful, which brings out happiness in people already! Then, the constant singing of popular songs augments the feel good factor. The cute and cuddly characters bursts into spontaneous dances and giving each other hugs. It just emanates fun, joy and bliss. The plot is simple, but effective in delivering happiness. I enjoyed watching it.
The Hidden Happiness Within
This movie has some really nice allegorical lessons that are of great wisdom to the youngster and oldster as well. It goes around the notion of happiness and beauty. These two notions, easy as they seem, entail a lot of thoughts and many philosophers have wondered and wandered about them. It also depicts the causality of our happiness and sadness and the fact that what surfaces on the ground as a reluctance to be happy is no longer than an aftermath of deep incident such as what happened to Branch who happened to lost her life for him and the same for Poppy who happened to have never known "real world" as Branch told her. Bridget reminisces us of the mantra that the way we define truth is the same way we define beauty; however, we don't have to define but we're rather given definitions the rest of our lives and it's up to us to discover happiness inside us and go out to find who will find it for us inside us.
- zalouteacher
- Nov 28, 2016
- Permalink
Kids Will LOVE it
Just caught this with my 12 year old daughter and 5 yr old grandson...and they absolutely LOVED it.
They sat open - mouthed the whole way through...and I must add that I was not far behind them.
Typical Dreamworks here..lots of fun and gallons of syrup to make this a sugar coated 90 minutes of fun.
Has taken a lot of flack but as I am the 1st to review can I just ask the grown ups to leave well alone and let the kids review it.
All kids will love the music and characters as this is a proper feel good affair for 12 and under..I look forward to reading all the "Grown Ups" whinging about stuff..but like I said..this is for the little ones.
They sat open - mouthed the whole way through...and I must add that I was not far behind them.
Typical Dreamworks here..lots of fun and gallons of syrup to make this a sugar coated 90 minutes of fun.
Has taken a lot of flack but as I am the 1st to review can I just ask the grown ups to leave well alone and let the kids review it.
All kids will love the music and characters as this is a proper feel good affair for 12 and under..I look forward to reading all the "Grown Ups" whinging about stuff..but like I said..this is for the little ones.
that it's colorful is one thing, but it's funny too and has a good (if not groundbreaking) message
Maybe it was because this has been one of the worst weeks of my life; maybe it was because I missed seeing creatures, even if they were CGI animated creations from Dreamworks, that were out of Jim Henson's creature shop (one could say that the mix of very tiny and cute mixed with a fantsy quest that involves some magical overtones has hints of Fraggle Rock and Labyrinth); maybe it was because I needed some silly pop song renditions by a bunch of overly cute, rainbow-psychedelically colored thing. Whatever it was, Trolls actually did it for me, up to a point. As an adult it was delightful and cheerful, and for kids I can guess it's like getting a bowl of the most awesome tasty scrumdidliumtous cereal of the day: it'll taste great and surgary for now, and then later it'll be time to eat vegetables.
It's not that I don't have criticisms of it as a movie, I know I do: the pacing near the end gets extremely lax - there's no real final big blow-out against the villain, it's borderline a cop-out because, frankly, how would we buy all of these tiny trolls defeating this bad witch of a villain (not the goblin king, who's a likable dunce, but the woman at her ear trying to get him to have "Trollstice" so all the trolls in the kingdom can be eaten for the sake of 'happiness') outside of the power of jubilant and over the top singing of a recent pop hit (in this case that earworm "Dance Dance Dance" or whatever it's called). And at other points, like a convenient moment a character goes turncoat to do that ratting-out-the-good-guys part that has been seen in countless movies, the filmmakers go into formula.
But what's successful to me about this is the energy, the color, the total glee and joy that is apparent with these filmmakers (and don't forget what Truffaut said, that it's crucial to see either total joy or pain when seeing what the creative process must have been like), and I think that these creators set out to make a silly-smart musical comedy and succeeded. You might get some deep lesson from it about why it's important to be happy, and to that end I'm sure it'll never be as strong as something like Inside Out, which is also about emotional fulfillment and goes into terrain that pushes expectations by embracing sadness. This doesn't do that so much, though at the least it does acknowledge that trolls like the main guy troll Branch (the one voiced by Timberlake) should understandably feel sad and betrayed by the world they're in if total shock and tragedy comes upon them.
I think it may also be a law of low expectations, which I had going in. I was simply hoping to get some vibrant colors and maybe some good voice work. What I got was more than that in the writing, which was very quick and clever and got in with a good joke or line or reaction from a character and didn't stay too long, and the animations in the songs is wildly creative and matches the jubilant tone of the movie: when the main girl Troll Poppy (Kendrick, duh) sings her first song when going on the quest to save the other trolls, the animators keep changing things up and moving along the story (somewhat) and by adding jokes it certainly never makes things dull. And I liked the whole part of the story with the lowly servant goblin girl who has a quasi-kinda-sorta Cinderella thing, only here it actually makes more sense than (dare I say) an actual Cinderella story usually does.
But most of all, it's funny, and not just a 'oh that's cute' way, but in the way that set ups and pay-offs and genuinely clever, snappy dialog can get laughs from me. So if you got a kid or are a kid, this is not high art, but you'll watch it about 50 times. And if you're an adult, you might find yourself watching it with them, maybe more than the requisite once to get them to be quiet. This was a fun trip!
It's not that I don't have criticisms of it as a movie, I know I do: the pacing near the end gets extremely lax - there's no real final big blow-out against the villain, it's borderline a cop-out because, frankly, how would we buy all of these tiny trolls defeating this bad witch of a villain (not the goblin king, who's a likable dunce, but the woman at her ear trying to get him to have "Trollstice" so all the trolls in the kingdom can be eaten for the sake of 'happiness') outside of the power of jubilant and over the top singing of a recent pop hit (in this case that earworm "Dance Dance Dance" or whatever it's called). And at other points, like a convenient moment a character goes turncoat to do that ratting-out-the-good-guys part that has been seen in countless movies, the filmmakers go into formula.
But what's successful to me about this is the energy, the color, the total glee and joy that is apparent with these filmmakers (and don't forget what Truffaut said, that it's crucial to see either total joy or pain when seeing what the creative process must have been like), and I think that these creators set out to make a silly-smart musical comedy and succeeded. You might get some deep lesson from it about why it's important to be happy, and to that end I'm sure it'll never be as strong as something like Inside Out, which is also about emotional fulfillment and goes into terrain that pushes expectations by embracing sadness. This doesn't do that so much, though at the least it does acknowledge that trolls like the main guy troll Branch (the one voiced by Timberlake) should understandably feel sad and betrayed by the world they're in if total shock and tragedy comes upon them.
I think it may also be a law of low expectations, which I had going in. I was simply hoping to get some vibrant colors and maybe some good voice work. What I got was more than that in the writing, which was very quick and clever and got in with a good joke or line or reaction from a character and didn't stay too long, and the animations in the songs is wildly creative and matches the jubilant tone of the movie: when the main girl Troll Poppy (Kendrick, duh) sings her first song when going on the quest to save the other trolls, the animators keep changing things up and moving along the story (somewhat) and by adding jokes it certainly never makes things dull. And I liked the whole part of the story with the lowly servant goblin girl who has a quasi-kinda-sorta Cinderella thing, only here it actually makes more sense than (dare I say) an actual Cinderella story usually does.
But most of all, it's funny, and not just a 'oh that's cute' way, but in the way that set ups and pay-offs and genuinely clever, snappy dialog can get laughs from me. So if you got a kid or are a kid, this is not high art, but you'll watch it about 50 times. And if you're an adult, you might find yourself watching it with them, maybe more than the requisite once to get them to be quiet. This was a fun trip!
- Quinoa1984
- Nov 16, 2016
- Permalink
Gorgeous
A cute, colorful, funny and heartwarming adventure you will definitely enjoy!
At first I had pretty low expectations for this film because of its first teaser, but then the first full length trailer made me look forward to it, and now that I've seen it, I have to say, you will enjoy this once you see it. It's very vibrant and filled with colour, which makes for a bright and exciting time, the trolls themselves are all really cute and colorful, and they are usually really funny in a situation and they are always positive and full of hope. It has a very well thought storyline, even if it does sound a bit generic at first, but it feels new and so fresh and original when you see it. And there is a lot of signing and dancing, and a lot of musical cues, and the songs really do get to you, as they are very catchy. And at times this film is very heartwarming, and a bit emotional at places, but that's sort of what you'd expect from a film like this. So overall, definitely see this one, as it is a cute, colorful, funny and heartwarming adventure that the whole family will enjoy!
- PeterJasonQuill
- Oct 14, 2016
- Permalink
"True happiness is a lot closer than you think."
- classicsoncall
- Nov 19, 2016
- Permalink
Unwatchable
Fool film and absolutely unwatchable even for the pediatric population. If I think that I risked my life to go to theaters on a dense fog evening, I swear that if something happened, I would have asked for compensation from the film's director and producer.
- barbara-94701
- Aug 21, 2022
- Permalink
This movie made me happy
No really, it did. I couldn't believe how nice this movie made me feel as I was watching it. The story is a pretty standard hero's journey, but with the evil trolls or grendels or whatever eating happy trolls to get happy themselves. It seemed a little dark at first, but everything works out in the end of course, as this is a kids movie. It shows good and bad in equal measure, which I believe is how we should educate kids, not keep them in a bubble. The lessons it teaches are actually nice, don't give up, persevere, happiness is within. The boy troll (Timberlake) is so funny, especially in the beginning. Anna Kendrick is hilarious with snappy dialogue. The songs are a bit old fashioned, the fact that the writer is nostalgic really stands out. But they fit the story, rather than being just music breaks, so it's good.
Can't Stop The Positivity of This Film. Get ready to Troll the Soundtrack
Trolls! When you think of these mystical creatures most minds will picture tall, ugly creatures with pronounced booger filled noses and living under a bridge. But if you are a fan of the toys, many might remember the half-naked, multicolored hair figurines with the happy, semi creepy, smiles. I'm sure you've guessed the movie from the theme now right? Yes, today I review DreamWorks' Trolls starring the voices of Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. Let's get started shall we?
LIKES
1. Colorful, Animation: No surprise here, DreamWorks knows how to animate and Trolls is yet another example of the talent. Our characters run, jump, sing, and more importantly dance in impressive style that brings the unique world to life. The colorful characters (in both skin tone and personality) are charming, and the energy they infuse into the scenes adds another element to the animation. And the design of all the creatures is very unique almost as it is being designed for merchandise.
2. Very Fun, Positive Movie: If you didn't get this from the trailers, Trolls is a movie all about being upbeat, fun, and very positive in nature. The pint sized cast will keep you laughing through the entire movie, spreading joy as they dance across the land. I found my spirits lifted through much of the movie as the trolls explained the tried and true lesson of happiness coming from within. Yes, it is a bit preachy, but it was nice to see positivity as the main theme for a change instead of some political issue masked in another form.
3. Kicking Soundtrack: The best thing for me in this film though was the awesome tunes our music directors picked for the list. Many of the songs are as upbeat and energetic as the trolls who are singing them. Much of the songs are covers of famous songs, but these remixes work very well and represent the theme of their accompanying scenes as Kendrick, and sometimes JT, led the way. The dance numbers were even more impressive, filled with fireworks, light shows, and choreography that you always dreamed the little toys could do. This reviewer sees ITunes blowing up with Trolls soundtrack sales and it's for a good reason.
DISLIKES:
1. A little stupid/kiddy: Before you shout blasphemy hear me out. Yes, animated features are geared towards kids and meant to be silly at times. But adults know there are times where it goes too deep into that territory. Trolls has a few of these moments that sort of derailed the momentum of the movie. Fortunately, these moments are few and far between, but this reviewer felt the storyboard team could have used the time to better develop characters and make the story more complex. Speaking of which
2. Simplistic Story: If you haven't guessed from the trailers (and this review) Trolls isn't the most complex story to grace the market. Again hear me out. Think about films like Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon, or most Disney films. They usually have deep plot lines with dynamic relationships and character development. Trolls has a little of this especially in the stories of Branch and Bridget who need the biggest personality adjustments of the bunch. Outside of that the film lacks depth, because most of the characters are on happy pills who only want to dance and sing. While this is certainly entertaining, the simplicity is a bit predictable and boring at times. I guess they focused more on music and dancing instead of storyboard.
3. Pointless Characters: My biggest peeve has to be the missed potential with the characters. Trolls has a very diverse cast from the glitter infused Guy Diamond to the four legged, hat wearing, giraffe troll Cooper yeah. Anyway, such interesting characters would hopefully have a little more involvement in the film. Unfortunately, they didn't do much with these characters outside of a few good zingers and some simplistic, comical moves during a chase. Certainly a cast like this could have had some interesting powers to donate on their quest (music blasting, super hair strength, heck even manipulating their hair into crafty shapes). But nope, these characters are reduced to nothing more than merchandising whose colors are meant to hypnotize your children to wanting more toys. I guess this is how the studio will make the cash back from all the stars they drafted in this movie. Nevertheless, Trolls secondary characters need some development in future (inevitable) sequels.
THE VERDICT:
Trolls is a fun, energetic dance party packaged into a ninety-minute run time. The music is the strongest aspect of the movie and the colorful animation is designed to support it. And when your toes aren't tapping, the dialogue and voice acting are sure to give you some laughs along the way. However, there was some wasted potential in terms of stories and characters, which could have made this movie so much better had they captured it. Regardless, DreamWorks has released a decent product this weekend and it was nice to see some positivity for once. Do I recommend this one for the theater? Hmmm, I think you could skip this one and wait for DVD, but definitely check out the soundtrack soon to get a fun treat for the ears.
My scores:
Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 7.0 Movie Overall: 6.0
LIKES
1. Colorful, Animation: No surprise here, DreamWorks knows how to animate and Trolls is yet another example of the talent. Our characters run, jump, sing, and more importantly dance in impressive style that brings the unique world to life. The colorful characters (in both skin tone and personality) are charming, and the energy they infuse into the scenes adds another element to the animation. And the design of all the creatures is very unique almost as it is being designed for merchandise.
2. Very Fun, Positive Movie: If you didn't get this from the trailers, Trolls is a movie all about being upbeat, fun, and very positive in nature. The pint sized cast will keep you laughing through the entire movie, spreading joy as they dance across the land. I found my spirits lifted through much of the movie as the trolls explained the tried and true lesson of happiness coming from within. Yes, it is a bit preachy, but it was nice to see positivity as the main theme for a change instead of some political issue masked in another form.
3. Kicking Soundtrack: The best thing for me in this film though was the awesome tunes our music directors picked for the list. Many of the songs are as upbeat and energetic as the trolls who are singing them. Much of the songs are covers of famous songs, but these remixes work very well and represent the theme of their accompanying scenes as Kendrick, and sometimes JT, led the way. The dance numbers were even more impressive, filled with fireworks, light shows, and choreography that you always dreamed the little toys could do. This reviewer sees ITunes blowing up with Trolls soundtrack sales and it's for a good reason.
DISLIKES:
1. A little stupid/kiddy: Before you shout blasphemy hear me out. Yes, animated features are geared towards kids and meant to be silly at times. But adults know there are times where it goes too deep into that territory. Trolls has a few of these moments that sort of derailed the momentum of the movie. Fortunately, these moments are few and far between, but this reviewer felt the storyboard team could have used the time to better develop characters and make the story more complex. Speaking of which
2. Simplistic Story: If you haven't guessed from the trailers (and this review) Trolls isn't the most complex story to grace the market. Again hear me out. Think about films like Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon, or most Disney films. They usually have deep plot lines with dynamic relationships and character development. Trolls has a little of this especially in the stories of Branch and Bridget who need the biggest personality adjustments of the bunch. Outside of that the film lacks depth, because most of the characters are on happy pills who only want to dance and sing. While this is certainly entertaining, the simplicity is a bit predictable and boring at times. I guess they focused more on music and dancing instead of storyboard.
3. Pointless Characters: My biggest peeve has to be the missed potential with the characters. Trolls has a very diverse cast from the glitter infused Guy Diamond to the four legged, hat wearing, giraffe troll Cooper yeah. Anyway, such interesting characters would hopefully have a little more involvement in the film. Unfortunately, they didn't do much with these characters outside of a few good zingers and some simplistic, comical moves during a chase. Certainly a cast like this could have had some interesting powers to donate on their quest (music blasting, super hair strength, heck even manipulating their hair into crafty shapes). But nope, these characters are reduced to nothing more than merchandising whose colors are meant to hypnotize your children to wanting more toys. I guess this is how the studio will make the cash back from all the stars they drafted in this movie. Nevertheless, Trolls secondary characters need some development in future (inevitable) sequels.
THE VERDICT:
Trolls is a fun, energetic dance party packaged into a ninety-minute run time. The music is the strongest aspect of the movie and the colorful animation is designed to support it. And when your toes aren't tapping, the dialogue and voice acting are sure to give you some laughs along the way. However, there was some wasted potential in terms of stories and characters, which could have made this movie so much better had they captured it. Regardless, DreamWorks has released a decent product this weekend and it was nice to see some positivity for once. Do I recommend this one for the theater? Hmmm, I think you could skip this one and wait for DVD, but definitely check out the soundtrack soon to get a fun treat for the ears.
My scores:
Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 7.0 Movie Overall: 6.0
Horrible
- evanjoshua-88623
- Nov 26, 2019
- Permalink