(Photo provided via GOOGLE)
WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS.
STARRING:
Anna Kendrick as Poppy
Justin Timberlake as Branch
Zooey Deschanel as Bridget
Christopher Mintz-Plasse as King Gristle
Russel Brand as Creek
Gwen Stefani as DJ Suki
(Photo provided via GOOGLE)
Originally called Good Luck Trolls when they were created back in 1959, Trolls went through many designs and variations. Pictured above are the classic Trolls from my childhood. They had different color hair and jewels in their belly buttons. As children, we were obsessed with this figures. I have memories seeing them popping up virtually everywhere during my elementary school years. Eventually these trolls began to be sold with different facial expressions and then they were given clothes (the original trolls also had clothes). I feel that if the new movie had been done featuring these classic trolls, it would not have worked.
(Photo provides via GOOGLE)
Now fast forward to 2016 and you can see the current Trolls as they are today. Trolls sure have come a long way since their inception. With the release of Dreamwork's Trolls, Trolls have become a childhood obsession once again. As you can see from the picture above, they have gone through their most drastic redesign. The movie has given them a back story with an evil enemy in the Bergens for them to fear. The Bergens are unable to feel the emotion of happiness. With the Troll's happiness instilled in their every day way of life, the Bergens have found that the only way to feel happy is to eat a Troll. In fact, the Bergens even have a holiday that comes once a year where the entire Bergen village get to eat a Troll. One day a year to feel happy.
I took my daughter to see this movie and to be honest, she was not the only one who enjoyed it. As she danced in her seat, I found myself quietly singing along with some of the music. The writers of this movie planned out the music well and used the talent attached to the characters well. I was expecting Justin Timberlake's character Branch to be more vocal during the movie, but I was left surprised in the little bit of singing that Justin Timberlake actually did. It worked well. He was the more complex character in the movie and had a sad back story. It was a big deal for him to let his musical self come out when it finally did.
My daughter's reactions to the music and story was great and it looks like I will be buying her some Troll toys in the near future. As much as I felt hesitation to see this movie due to my love for the old toys growing up, I really did enjoy watching it. I felt that this was the right step to continue the evolution of the Troll dolls. The colorful and energetic characters that were created to craft this story were the right way to go in giving the Troll Doll a future. Go see the movie, you'll love it.
