Trolls(2016)

Ratings  

IMDb- 6.7/10

Rotten tomatoes- 73%

Mr. Man- 3/5

Trolls is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical buddy comedy film based on the dolls of the same name created by Thomas Dam. The film was directed by Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn, written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger and based on a story by Erica Rivinoja. The film features the voices of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Russell Brand, James Corden and Gwen Stefani. The film revolves around two trolls on a quest to save their village from destruction by the Bergens, creatures who devour trolls.

Produced as the 33rd animated feature film by DreamWorks Animation, the film premiered on October 8, 2016 at the BFI London Film Festival and was theatrically released in the United States on November 4, 2016 by 20th Century Fox. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed $177 million worldwide against its $125 million budget.

Plot

The Trolls are small creatures who live in an almost perpetual state of happiness, singing, dancing and hugging all day long. However, they are discovered by the Bergens, large creatures who never feel happy but discover that they can feel happy for a moment if they eat a Troll. The Bergens put the Trolls and their tree in a cage, and hold an annual festival in which each Bergen gets its feeling of happiness by eating a Troll. However, the Trolls, led by their King Peppy (Jeffrey Tambor), escape through underground tunnels on the day that the Bergen crown prince Gristle Jr. (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) would taste his first Troll. The furious Bergen King Gristle Sr. (John Cleese) banishes the Chef (Christine Baranski) who was in charge of the Troll preparation.

Twenty years later, King Peppy's daughter, the extremely happy and optimistic Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick), throws a big party to celebrate the Trolls' escape, despite the fears and warnings of the grey grumpy glum Troll Branch (Justin Timberlake) that loud parties will attract the Bergens. Branch's fears are realized when indeed the banished Bergen Chef sees the fireworks and captures a number of Trolls. Poppy is among the Trolls who managed to hide, but discovers that none of the other Trolls dare to venture to Bergen Town to rescue their friends. She goes by herself, but gets trapped by several spider-like creatures. She is saved by the reluctant Branch, and together they go to Bergen Town.

Poppy and Branch discover that their friends are being guarded by the scullery maid Bridget (Zooey Deschanel), and strike a deal with her: if she frees their friends, they will help her get a date with the now King Gristle Jr. While setting her up for the date, Branch reveals that he is the way he is because he ended up getting his grandmother killed after a Bergen found him because of his singing (which turned him from blue to grey).

Later, with the Trolls' advice (and hair), Bridget gets her date with Gristle and she helps the Trolls escape. However, things go wrong when Poppy and her friends try to rescue the last Troll, the Zen-like Troll Creek (Russell Brand) who after being apparently swallowed by the young king has been discovered being held captive in the jewel that decorates the king's mantle. While the Trolls are successful in stealing the jewel, they are dismayed to discover that it is empty and even more shocked by being captured immediately afterwards by Chef and discovering that Creek has betrayed them to save his own hide. Creek returns to the Troll village where using Poppy's cowbell he lures the other Trolls out of hiding, letting them be captured by Chef and the other Bergen cooks who lie in ambush.

With all the Trolls captured and being ready to be served to the Bergens, even Poppy loses hope and she and all the other Trolls turn grey. Branch, despite his grumbling, reveals to Poppy through song that he loves her and cannot stand seeing her and the other Trolls so despondent, allowing for Poppy and the other Trolls to regain their color and hope, and leading Branch himself to lose his grey hue and show his true blue color.

Just before being served, the Trolls are rescued by Bridget who wants them to flee while she herself is ready to accept the Bergen's punishment for her "treason". However, Poppy does not want to abandon her Bergen friend. Together with the other Trolls, Poppy reveals that Bridget was in fact the king's mysterious date, and that, for being happy, it is not necessary to eat Trolls as the feeling that Bridget and the King had on their date was happiness too. The Trolls invite the Bergens to sing and dance with them, making the grey creatures feel the happiness that was already inside them that they just needed help to access. The vengeful Chef, who sees her newly re-won position at court jeopardized, tries to kill the Trolls. Before she can do so, she is knocked into the serving cart by a well-aimed spoon thrown by Bridget. Together, with the traitor Creek who was still in her pouch, the Chef rolls out of the castle, with the cart set on fire.

In the end, the Trolls live in peace with the happy Bergens, Poppy is crowned their new queen, and with Branch regaining his blue color, they hug.

A mid-credits scene shows the serving cart with a burnt Chef and Creek on it stopping at the middle of. Chef tries to eat Creek until he stops her and they get eaten by a monster together.