Trolls Band Together
DreamWorks’ third animated “Trolls” movie is just as cute as the first two and irresistible in every sense of the word. Parents who are convinced they were dragged to the theater and pray it’s short (it’s well under 90 minutes) and painless will find themselves charmed. In part because it’s meant to charm the millennials who came of age in the ’90s, with boy band jokes and a sprinkling of songs that will connect them to their high school and college years. But also because it’s sweet without being sticky, bright and very likable, with great voice talent and lots of music. It’s the best of the three.
The first “Trolls” movie came out in 2016, inspired by those ugly cute dolls with tufts of brushed up fuzzy hair that were popularized in the 1960s. The film imagined a candy-colored world full of music and happiness, with Anna Kendrick voicing Poppy, the daughter of the Troll King. She saves her people from giant troll eating ogres called Bergens and starts a relationship with Branch (Justin Timberlake), a once reclusive troll who had been a doomsday prepper scared to leave his bunker since the Bergens took his grandma before meeting Poppy. Poppy helps a shy Bergen chef named Bridget (Zooey Deschanel) win over King Gristle (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), teaching them both along with Branch that love, friendship and music can bring happiness.
Poppy discovers that in “Trolls World Tour” (2020), there are other communities of trolls with different kinds of music from hard rock, which is led by the extremely aggressive Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom). Poppy saves the day once again through being kind and inclusive. However, this additional movie acknowledges that some villains may require more than just cheerfulness and a good example.
All the films use popular songs wisely and wittily, and these are complemented by the colorful designs of the troll world. There’s a double meaning in using “band” in the title we find out in an opening flashback that Branch and his brothers were part of a beloved boy band called BroZone, a cheeky reference to Timberlake’s time as part of *NSYNC. Branch was just a diapered toddler when their performance went disastrously wrong, leading to the group breaking up. “We’re not in synch,” one brother says. “We’ve gone from boys to men, and now there’s only one direction to go: back streets.” Yes, there will be another comment later in the film about New Kids on the Block, Menudo and New Edition.
In present day King Gristle and Bridget’s wedding is interrupted by Branch’s oldest brother John Dory (Eric André), whom Branch has not seen since they broke up 20 years ago. He says Floyd (Troye Sivan) has been captured and needs his brothers’ help to rescue him, he has been locked inside a diamond cage by brother and sister pop duo Velvet (Amy Schumer) and Veneer (Broadway star Andrew Rannells). Milli Vanilli-style, their voices are not ready for prime time; so they captured Floyd and trapped him inside an atomizer with shatterproof diamond walls, which they spritz on themselves before performing depleting not just his singing ability but his very essence.
Time to get the band back together, by tracking down Spruce (Daveed Diggs) and Clay (Kid Cudi, aka Scott Mescudi). This requires discovering delightfully imagined new worlds that are so completely different from anything we’ve seen before that they are presented in part in completely different animation styles shifting from rounded shapes and candy colors to old-school flat, lite brite inspired near psychedelic images. Following in the innovative footsteps of Oscar-winner “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” but with its own style and imagination, “Trolls Band Together” matches the varied animation and character design styles to the storyline and underscores the wonder and sense of adventure Poppy and Branch bring to their discoveries about how much the world has to offer.
There is a scene that may be a nod to Scooby Doo set in what looks like a creepy abandoned amusement park. But it turns out that there are some surprises there (parents will get a kick out of Clay’s new career). We meet Viva (Camila Cabello), who is played with delicious exuberance; she has a connection to Poppy’s past. Like Poppy, Viva is sunny. But like Branch, she has had past trauma that makes her scared to leave this place where she feels safe now she wants to force Poppy to stay there, too.
However, the fact remains that Floyd needs saving. The pace is fast, the rescue itself is thrilling, and the songs mix old favorites with new hits like *NSYNC’s. It also imparts some lovely lessons about sibling closeness and holding oneself accountable for bad actions. And it has got heaps of charming secondary characters to boot particularly Zosia Mamet as Velvet’s put-upon assistant Crimp, who looks like Cousin Itt with a terrible perm, and Kenan Thompson’s glitter covered Tiny Diamond. “Trolls” has built a sunny utopia of music, niceness, togetherness and goodwill toward others on previous films. We get snippets of songs that are comforting in their familiarity “9 to 5,” “Push It” and, naturally enough, “We Are Family” and it’s a very nice place to be for 83 minutes.
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