I’ll be honest. The original troll toys creeped me out a bit and they made me want to throw them out the window rather than play with them or collect them. So imagine my lack of enthusiasm when I heard there would be a whole movie on these mini-devils. Thankfully, I left this movie happier than ever. Despite the fact that this movie markets itself as a stereotypical, unthoughtful kids’ film, it was really a heartfelt, clever piece. It has a message that not even some adults have wrapped their minds around.

This colorful story centers around Poppy (Anna Kendrick), the soon to be queen of the Trolls, and how she has to save her people from the hungry Bergans. Along with the less-than-enthusiastic Branch (Justin Timberlake), who follows only because he has to. Despite that, everyone of all ages were laughing at the jokes and seemed to be invested in the story.

Since this new Dreamworks title came out Nov. 4, I thought it would try and take advantage of the holidays coming up. Yet, this movie’s message has nothing to do with timing. It addresses the misconceptions of happiness and happy people. If someone’s always happy, many others will think of them as annoying or insensitive. Then on the other hand, people who are always in a bad mood are seen as ungrateful. This movie does a great job of adressing the flaws of both lifestyles, and proves that there is a way for everyone to feel happiness. If given more time this could’ve been a much more developed film, but I appreciate the filmmakers trying not to milk it too much.

I could go on for ages about how much I love the art style and music of this movie. The character designs are crazy, but not hard to look at. The same goes for the background and scenery. There are so many different looking creatures that you will encounter on this journey, along with the amazing songs. The songs may be covers mostly, but they are sung well by our voice actors. The pieces were fitting and engaging for everyone. No one will never be bored for a second.

Finally, the acting was spot on. There were times that I forgot that celebrities were the voice actors. I could tell that they were having fun in the recording booth, which can be rare for celebrities in animated movies, especially in the more emotional scenes. I guess you could say their true colors came out.

Even if you are not a fan of musicals, peppy characters, lighthearted storylines, I think this one is worth checking out. For its overall fun nature, and a great message, I give this movie a 7.8/10. I don’t see this film winning any awards, but that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable.

Directors: Mike Mitchell, Walt Dohrn

DreamWorks Animation