TROLLS  

US, 2016, 92 minutes, Colour.

Voices of: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Christine Baranski, Russell Brand, Gwen Stephanie, John Cleese, James Cordon, Jeffrey Tambor.

Directed by Walt Dorhn, Mike Mitchell.

This is a very cheerful show, despite an important part of the plot having the ugly giant Bergens eat a Troll to make them happy!

The target audience for the film seems to be the very littlies, up to about the age of six or seven (perhaps a little beyond but the eights and others might think themselves a bit too sophisticated for this kind of entertainment!).This is one that the parents will have to sit through with their littlies – though they might enjoy the range of songs, variations on Greig’s Peer Gynt and the Mountain King, Simon and Garfunkel’s The Sounds of Silence, True Colours and other romantic songs, courtesy of the voices of Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake.

One of the reasons for the success of the film for its young audiences is the fact that it is full of movement, full of music, full of colour. And the Trolls, unlike the monsters of Nordic tradition, are variations of little dolls, especially Princess Poppy, the heroine of the piece. Most of them have very long colourful hair – which can be quite elastic at times, especially for tricks and rescues!

The Bergens are rather bigger, lacking colour, ugly faces, lopsided teeth, ruled over by a king who want his little son to be happy and eat a Troll. However, the King of the Trolls is alerted, leads them all through underground tunnels to safety, risking his life to save Poppy. 20 years later, Poppy is a live wire, wanting a 20 year celebration, loud, singing and dancing (which she is prone to move into at any moment) as well as hugging. The sad sack of the Trolls, Branch, warns them against being too loud – and, of course, they are, with the Chef of the Bergens searching for them for 20 years and, at last, finding and capturing them!

So, Poppy to the rescue, though she herself needs rescuing by Branch.

One of the enjoyable features of the search for the Trolls of the rescue is the discovery of the Bergen scullery made, Brigid, who longs to be noticed by the king. The Trolls do a transformation on her and send her on the date with the King who is entranced by her – and when she hurries away, she drops one of her rollerskates in Cinderella fashion!

The next day is Trollstice, the traditional day for eating a troll – but, the Chef captures the Trolls but Brigid does the right thing – with Poppy rushing back to help her and for the king to notice her – so that everybody will be happy (without the eating), colour will return to everyone, music and singing, hugs all round, and the little audience leaving the theatre cheered and very happy.

1. A film for smaller children? Characters, doll like presence, small, clothes, long and colourful air? A colourful film, with movement, songs and dances?
2. The title, traditional understanding of trolls, this time different? Their look, size, colour? The contrast with the giant Bergens, ugly, lacking colour, faces, teeth? The clash between trolls and Bergens?
3. The animation style, full of colour and movement? The voice cast, some British, some American? Singing, comic touches?
4. The songs, the range of songs, from Greig and the Mountain Kings to True Colours to The Sounds of Silence, romantic songs? The range of trolls singing? And Brigid?
5. The trolls, happy, their king, Poppy as a little girl, Princess? The story about the tradition, Bergens and their wanting to eat a troll to make them happy? The trollstice?
6. The Bergens, the day, the King, his son, preparing to eat the troll, the chef, everybody wanting to be happy?
7. The chase, the King, all the trolls going through the underground passage, his wanting to save everyone, his return, saving Poppy, getting his trousers caught! And all the trolls saved? 20 years of peace?
8. 20 years later, Poppy, full of enthusiasm, singing, dancing, hugging? Brash, bright? Her friendship with Creek? The range of other trolls, shapes and sizes, voices? The contrast with Branch, lacking colour, pessimistic? Warning about the loudness of the big party? The chef, banished from the Bergen town, alert, wanting revenge? Hearing the music, seeing the fireworks, capturing the trolls?
9. Poppy, determined to save the other trolls, embarrassed by the loud party? The discussions with Branch, his hideaway, his storing supplies? Not singing, not hugging? Her going off to the rescue, in danger, the large creatures, capture, Branch coming to release her?
10. The Bergens, the King, the preparation for the feast? The role of Brigid, scullery maid, not noticed by the king? The trolls finding her room, her waking, their talking, their transforming her and her date with the King, the trolls in her hair, giving her the information of what to say? The king enraptured? The skating, the pizza? Her escaping, leaving the rollerskate behind, the Cinderella story?
11. The trolls, the escape? The chef, the container and them all being taken? Creek, the flashback, his being bought off, the betrayal?
12. The chef, with all the trolls, preparing the meal, Brigid arriving, having to serve, her decision to let them go for all they had done for her?
13. Poppy, the decision to return, helping Brigid, transforming her again, the reaction of the chef, the king, delighted?
14. Everybody singing, colour returning to the town of the Bergens, the music, shoulder tapping, everyone transformed – except the chef, her exile with Creek?
15. Peace and harmony – and the postscript about the chef and Creek being swallowed by the bigger creatures?