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Since their creation in Denmark in the ‘50s, fuzzy-headed troll dolls have had made their way in and out of popularity several times. But they’ve probably never been as bright and colorful—nor as spirited and musical—as they are in DreamWorks Animation’s new animated toy adaptation, Trolls.
Trolls tells the glittery, sparkly, happy-go-lucky story of a band of cute, colorful creatures. Twenty years ago, the trolls escaped from Bergen Town—home of the miserable Bergens, who are only able to experience true happiness when they eat a troll. When Princess Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick) throws a huge party to celebrate the anniversary of their escape, she attracts the attention of disgraced Bergen Chef (Christine Baranski), who captures a bunch of trolls and takes them back to King Gristle (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). And it’s up to Poppy and her grumpy friend, Branch (Justin Timberlake), to rescue them.
With its colorful characters and catchy tunes, Trolls is an unquestionably cheery adventure. In a way, though, it’s a lot like that eternally perky girl at work who plans all of the company events. And, depending on your temperament and mood, it can come off as either totally lovable or painfully irritating.
If you’re open to the bright and bubbly merriment of it all, though, it’s a fun-filled adventure. Admittedly, the story is somewhat spastic and haphazard, sometimes wandering off in random directions—and it has its share of unnecessary gags and jokes that miss the mark. It’s all pretty ridiculous, too—but it’s often so ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh. The characters are all quirky and lovable in their own way, and the musical numbers will have you dancing in your seat. Some of the song choices may catch you completely off-guard—and those musical surprises are all a part of the silly fun.
The animation, too, is strikingly beautiful—not just because of the bright, glittering colors and imaginative settings but also because of the textured graphics. Hair has always been difficult to animate, but the DreamWorks animators stepped up to the challenge, going beyond just the furry hairdos and giving everything a fuzzy, felt-like texture. And it all adds to the bright and glittery feel of the film.
These too-cute creatures and their exceedingly cheery tale definitely won’t be a favorite among the super-serious, Gloomy Gus crowd. But if you’re up for some singing and dancing, some glittery fart jokes, and a light and fluffy story, you won’t mind joining the kids for this hair-raising adventure.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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