Trolls

Anyone recall the toys you used to get where you could push play-dough up through the body and it would come out through holes in the head like coloured hair? Well that's what these "Trolls" reminded me of - a wet dream for marketeers, toy makers. and burger chains. The actual plot centres around the peaceable trolls who must flee their home when the menacing "Bergen" arrive bent on eating them all for a "trollstice" treat. "King Peppy" and his annoyingly optimistic daughter "Poppy" lead their people to a safe hideaway but a surprise visit from their nemeses means "Poppy" and her pal "Branch" have to set off to rescue them from the merciless cleaver of the "Chef" and the new young "King Gristle". What now ensues is a series of escapades as they quite literally have to escape from the pot and the fire, stop their entire population ending up garnished and maybe, just maybe, convince their foes that happiness does not, in fact, come from eating a troll - well not unless it's a chocolate one. This will probably play well to very young children - there are lots of vibrant colours, a few songs to liven things up and just a hint of "Janet and John" moralising about what truly matters in life. It's a film you'll watch once, but I doubt it needs revisiting.

<em>'Trolls'</em> is quite enjoyable, unexpectedly so. I admit that I didn't know much about it before watching, but I did know of the troll dolls - well, just the quintessential (?) pink-haired geezer tbh - growing up so I didn't think a movie about them would move the needle at all. In actuality, it's good, light fun and suitably amusing. The film has a brisk pace to it and the (toe-tapping, I'm afraid) music is expertly chosen, all the tunes fit their respective scenes. You could argue there are a few too many songs, at least compared to the standard scenes, but I'm not even sure that's the case myself. The voice cast are also praiseworthy. Anna Kendrick is a smartly chosen lead, with Justin Timberlake, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Zooey Deschanel and Christine Baranski offering firm support. There are plenty of familiar voices behind those aforementioned actors too, including Russell Brand (eerily playing his future self?) and John Cleese. A pleasant surprise, this. I now wonder if they did as well as this with the two sequels, I plan to soon see.