Movie Review: TROLLS

I have to be honest when I first saw the teaser trailer for Dreamworks' "Trolls" I wasn't so happy, you see I'm a 90's kid and I was already studying when the Trolls toys were a trend. My classmates and cousins had them, everyone did. The oftentimes naked Trolls had a blank stare through their black round eyes and a perpetually creepy smile that seemed to know your deepest darkest secrets. Of course it was their brightly colored coiffed hair which stood out as their defining trait. 

So to see this new breed of Trolls whose soft skin which was brightly colored (even shining in Guy Diamond's case) and came in different sizes and whose eyes were now expressive was a real surprise to me. But when the first official trailer came along I was already looking forward to seeing it-it was sooo funny! I was very happy when the original Trolls made a cameo in the film.  90's kids and those from Generation X should watch out for that. 

An extravagant musical of epic proportions Dreamworks' "Trolls" follows the story of the Trolls- a perpetually happy people who spend their whole day singing, dancing and hugging  hence the alarm every hour to remind them of "Hug Time". Then we have the Bergens, a race which could be described as being similar to Ogres, Bergens are a sad and miserable people who believe that the only way for them to be happy is by eating a Troll. Yes, I know it's morbid but aren't most fairy tales? The humor has some morbid tones which I think balances it out, it is the kind of humor which both kids and adults get.  

Poppy and Branch. 

After a hair raising (pun intended) escape twenty years ago, the Trolls are now Bergen-free and have been singing and dancing (and hugging) ever since. 

Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) is throwing a big party to celebrate being free of the Bergens and while everybody seems on board with her plans for the biggest and loudest party, the ever cautious Branch (Justin Timberlake) doesn't think it's such a good idea. 

The ever cautious Branch believes that one day the Bergens will find them and resume their "Troll-eating practice", Branch is so convinced of this that he even has a bunker stocked with supplies to help him survive "Burgen Apocalypse" and while the other Trolls see him as a crazy "doomsday prepper" who doesn't sing or dance, Branch refuses Poppy's invite to her big party and sulks in his bunker, which is what save him from his greatest fear - a Burgen attack! 

While most of the Trolls escape, Poppy's friends are captured and she decides on saving them but what does an ever optimistic princess know about the wild and most importantly how does she plan on entering Burgen town unseen in order to rescue her friends? 

Poppy reaches out to Branch for help and after much convincing (Poppy can be very persistent) agrees to help her. 

What follows is a hilarious rescue mission with probably the best "Cinderella" spin with Zooey Deschanel playing a Burgen scullery maid looking for love. 

I was impressed with the underlying lesson in the film which teaches children (and adults) that what we perceive to be the only source of happiness is not the only way to be happy, there is no "pill" which you take that will instantly make you happy and that true happiness is inside all of us and sometimes all you need is someone to help you find it.

Featuring music from the 60's all the way to the 2010's plus some new originals (which was a big treat for a music geek like me) I swear, you will never look at "Total Eclipse of the Heart" the same way again-both kids and adults will surely be singing and dancing (and laughing and crying) until the end of the movie. 

My favorite animated film of the year (so far) I will be awarding this fresh, delightful musical adventure with a perfect 10. 

Dreamworks "Trolls" is in cinemas November 2! 

Images courtesy of 20th Century Fox.