Reviewer: Federica Roberti
Inspired by the famous dolls invented by Thomas Dam, Trolls is the latest DreamWorks creation to grace screens all over the world with a simple story about being positive and happy in life even when everything seems to go wrong.
The plot is pretty simple but effective. After 20 years of living peacefully and safely in the forest while spending their days singing, hugging and being happy, Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and her troll friends are in grave danger again when the pessimistic Bergens, sad and out of tune monsters that could be happy only after eating trolls, find them again and are ready to reinstate their troll feast to finally find joy.
After seeing all her best friends being captured by the vengeful Chef, with the help of the only realistic troll in the group, Branch (Justine Timberlake), Poppy will set on a quest to save her friends from the Bergens’ mouths.
Through their journey both Poppy and Branch will learn a valuable lesson from one another and they will discover where real happiness lies and that sometimes in life a good balance between joy and realism is never wrong.
Directed by Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn with a subject created by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, Trolls is one of the best products after DreamWorks’ popular Sherek.
The animation is flawless and the world in which trolls and Bergens live seems made entirely of felt.
To divide the two realms, however the use of colors becomes predominant. In fact, while all trolls live in harmony in a colorful and vibrant reality that screams of happiness, joy and love, the Bergens instead are condemned to live in a dull and sad world without brilliant tones and music.
Each character reflects their personality through colors as well. Every single troll has a different shade and the more cheerful they are, the more shiny and sparkling they get. Bergens, instead, have a more subdued complexion that matches the one used in their world. Their spectrum moves between the shades of dull gray and green just to further highlight their eternal state of sadness.
Among the trolls, Branch is the only one that sticks out for his subdued and flat tinge. He is different from other trolls. His past made him realise that life isn’t always cupcakes and rainbows and his cynicism and realism make him a party pooper like all the other trolls like to define him.
Among these fantastic creatures, he is the only one that can help Poppy save their friends because he knows how to defend himself by all Bergens. Through their journey, even though they are one another’s polar opposite, they will grow closer and learn to become friends by balancing their personalities and ending up being the true heroes of the movie, showcasing the hidden meaning of the story.
In fact, behind the songs and funny jokes, lies the moral of the film, which highlights that in life everyone needs a spark of joy to make every day a bit better, even when everything seems to go wrong. Happiness is inside everyone and in order to truly feel it, we have to look within us and not outside, because no one can make us feel better if we don’t really believe it.
What makes the movie spectacular to enjoy, however, is not only the amazing artwork used to bring to life the famous dolls, it is the comic banter and the stellar soundtrack which are essential parts of the story.
Singing is one of the Trolls’ favorite activities and many famous songs are used in the movie to set the right mood and keep the flow of the film going. The cast ensemble chosen to voice all the many characters is made of famous singers as well as brilliant actors that showed their vocal talent in singing some of the most famous remakes. From Cyndi Lauper’s “true colors” to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September”, the songs keep the rhythm of the movie alive and kicking throughout the film and the many jokes and banter used in the character’s interaction help keeping the tone of the movie always upbeat and cheerful.
All in all, Trolls is a great family film that, by employing a great soundtrack as well as an impeccable comedy timing, shows in the Hollywood industry that even a simple concept can be extremely successful and make both children and adults want to dance around in their
Trolls is out in UK cinemas tomorrow!
